John Wycliffe was a 14th-century English theologian, philosopher, and scholar who taught at the University of Oxford. Born in Hipswell around 1320, he became a prominent dissident within the Catholic Church, advocating for radical clerical poverty and the divestment of church property. His political-theological theories questioned the temporal authority of the clergy and the legitimacy of church wealth. Often regarded as a precursor to the Protestant Reformation, his writings and ideas significantly influenced later reformers, including Jan Hus.