Abstract: in the article the activities of the English thinker and reformer John Wycliffe (1320/1324 – 1384), a professor at Oxford University and his followers, the Lollards, are researched. His attitude to the Pope and abuses of church hierarchy is analyzed. J. Wycliffe opposed the intervention of the church in political affairs. A parallel is drawn between the similarities of the ideas of J. Wycliffe and the famous reformers of the following centuries with such as Luther and Zwingli. It is showed the perception by the Lollards of the Holy Scriptures and the need for its translation into English, as well as their attitude to church sacraments. In their opinion, it is possible to come to the truth without church leaders, for this it is necessary to begin to study the Holy Scriptures independently. It is concluded that the beginning of Protestant thinking, which manifested itself during the Lollard movement, was laid in England a few years before the generally accepted Reformation. The attitude of the authorities and the church towards John Wycliffe and his followers is analyzed. Researches show the transition from the condescension of political structures to Wycliffe’s activities until he is declared a heretic. The influence of the Lollards on the Anglican Reformation is indicated, in which they played a direct role.
Keywords: John Wycliffe, Lollards, Eucharist, Scripture, Anglican Reformation, Protestantism