The Shadow of Death Trivia Quiz

Answer: John Wycliffe

While he was preaching in his parish church on 28 December 1384, John Wycliffe suffered a stroke, and died a few days later. During his career, he had advocated for a vernacular translation of the Vulgate Bible (a 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible) into English.

While not strictly one of the reformers, his beliefs and activity meant he is certainly considered as one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation. In 1428, he was delcared a heretic and his exhumed remains were burned, after which the ashes were 'drowned' in the River Swift.

Answer: De Ecclesia (The Church)

The view espoused by Jan Hus in De Ecclesia (The Church) affirms the Bible is not only as the sole final authority, but the sole authority. Because scripture is "God-breathed" it surpasses any human authority. This is known as 'Sola Scriptura' and is a theological position held by most Protestant denominations. It was one of the major points of contention during the Reformation years.
Hus stated that "The Church is a love story, not an institution."

Hus was the leader of the Bohemian Reformation and was tricked by a letter of indemnity sent from the Council of Constance; he was then tried for heresy and put to death at the stake on 6 July, 1415.

Answer: Huldrych Zwingli

Huldrych (also known as Ulrich) Zwingli, educated at the University of Basel and ordained in 1506, held firm views against the veneration of saints, the requirement for clerical celibacy, fasting, and rampant ecclesiastical corruption, among other things. While holding strong views in oppostion to the Roman Catholic church that led to the Swiss Reformation, he and Martin Luther held differing views about the eucharist. Zwingli published his work "Fidei ratio" (Account of Faith) at the Augsburg Diet of 1530.

He fell on the battlefield in 1531, one of 500 who were killed on one day, when five neighbouring cantons formed an alliance and attacked the city of Zurich.

Answer: William Tyndale

William Tyndale had given the English-speaking world one of its greatest treasures; the Bible in its own language. Where previously the genreal populous had to depend on the Latin priests to tell them what is contained in the Bible, those with an education could now read it for themselves, and tell their friends. Tyndale had been forced to move from place to place to escape persecution while he was working on his project, but when he arrived in Belgium, he thought he was fairly safe. Unfortunately, he was betrayed by one of the people in his household, and was burned at the stake by authorities.

Answer: New Testament

Theologian Martin Luther was excommunicated in 1521 after raising the ire of local priests when he propounded the idea that the Bible should be provided to the reader in his own language. Earlier, in 1517, he had written his ninety-five thesis, challenging the Catholic Church's practice of the sale of indulgences, among other things.

During his exile and imprisonment by the Elector of Saxony, Prince Frederick the Wise at Wartburg Castle, Luther laid the foundation for modern Christian theology by translating the New testament into German. He was forced to defend his beliefs numerous times and this pressure, along with ill health, took their toll and he died in the town of his birth,Eisleben, in 1546.

Answer: Institution of the Christian Religion

John Calvin was a theologian, pastor, and reformer, born in 1509 in France and dying in 1564 in Switzerland. The movement led by Calvin emphasised salvation of individuals by grace, rather than by observance or good works. He was forced to leave Paris because the Roman Catholic church was no longer treating the reformation movement with tolerance. Calvin was invited to stay in Geneva where he reformed and systematised the church and wrote Institution of the Christian Religion in 1536.

Answer: John Knox

John Knox was born in Scotland in 1505 and died in 1572 after a massive stroke in the previous year. After being called to the ministry, he was for a time taken captive by the French and forced to work for a time as a galley slave. He was freed after about 18 months and made his to way to England to work with Archbishop Cranmer promoting the Reformed teaching.

When Roman Catholic Mary Tudor ascended the throne, his life was under threat and he escaped England for Europe, where he became a minister of the Gosepl in Geneva, a contemporary of John Calvin.

He returned to Scotland in 1559 after the death of Bloody Mary, and remained there until his death.

Answer: The Pilgrim's Progress

In his early twenties John Bunyan married a girl (thought to be named Mary) who was a devout Christian and he was soon converted; then, in 1660, he was arrested for preaching without an official licence from King Charles II. He was imprisoned for 12 1/2 years during which time he wrote the first part of the book, The Pilgrim's Progress. Bunyan was again imprisoned for his faith for two further years in 1675.

He died in 1688.

Answer: The Freedom of the Will

Jonathan Edwards was the only boy among the eleven children, all of whom were over 6ft (183cm) tall. His father used to joke he had "sixty feet of daughters." All of the children were clever, and went on to a higher education (finishing school for the girls).

After his education at Yale, Edwards moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he served with Solomon Stoddard (his grandfather), and upon Stoddart's death in 1729, he became senior pastor of the First Congregational Church. He travelled with George Whitehead as he held revival meetings but suffered many attacks and criticism for his beliefs and doctrinal stands.

In 1758 Edwards accepted an appointment as President of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton College). He died of a smallpox inoculation, however, before commencing his new appointment.

Answer: George Whitefield

A contemporary of John Wesley, Whitefield was also sometimes credited with the reforms that swept England as people responded to the Gospel wheb he and his co-worker, John Wesley, preached to thousands in the open air. Both preached in the open air as they were not premitted to fill Anglican pulpits. Whitefield crossed the sea to America, where he was credited with America's Great Awakening.

Though it is estimated that he spoke to over 10,000,000 people in his lifetime, his message was not always received well. Whitefield and his followers were sometimes attacked by mobs who maimed people, and stripped women. Whitefield was once stoned until nearly dead.