William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man, pp. viii-xxxiii, 1-108
This is the first text set for this course which was written in English and thus the first that you will be reading without the aid of a translator. But the English is that used in 1528 and the result is that Tyndale uses terms and phrases that sound strange to our modern ears. Ensure that you give yourself enough time to read this text with understanding, looking up the terms that are unfamiliar and think your way through the following questions as you read.
1. Who was William Tyndale? How, where, when and why did he die? For what is he chiefly remembered? What is the significance of his work?
2. According to Tyndale's address to his readers (pp. 3-25), why should the scriptures not be made available to lay folk in the 'mother tongue'?
3. Why did Tyndale write this treatise? Look closely at the prologue (pp. 26-30) to see what reasons he gives.
4. Why does Tyndale focus so much on the concept of obedience? How does Tyndale use this concept to attack ecclesiastical power?
5. What evidence does Tyndale provide of popular religious practices? Write down some specific instances. What are some of the difficulties in using this evidence to comment on popular attitudes towards the Church and its rites?
This page was created on 11 November 2003
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