Jan Hus

author

Jan Hus

d. 1415

A fiery Czech preacher and scholar, he challenged corruption in the medieval Church and helped set the stage for later reform movements. His trial and execution in 1415 made him one of the most memorable voices of pre-Reformation Europe.

1 Audiobook

Letters of John Huss, written during his exile and imprisonment : With Martin Luther's preface; and containing a general view of the works of Huss

Letters of John Huss, written during his exile and imprisonment : With Martin Luther's preface; and containing a general view of the works of Huss

by Jan Hus

About the author

Born in Bohemia around 1369, Jan Hus became a priest, theologian, and university teacher in Prague. He is especially remembered for preaching at Bethlehem Chapel and for urging the Church to return to moral reform and the authority of Scripture.

His ideas were shaped in part by the writings of John Wycliffe, and he drew strong support as well as fierce opposition. Church leaders condemned many of his teachings, and after a long dispute he was summoned to the Council of Constance, where he was tried for heresy.

Hus was executed on July 6, 1415. His death did not end his influence: it inspired the Hussite movement and made him an important forerunner of the Protestant Reformation.