Trialogue

The Trialogus stands as John Wycliffe's final and most systematic theological work, composed between 1382 and 1384 during his last years at Lutterworth. Written as tensions with ecclesiastical authorities reached their peak following his condemnation at the Blackfriars Council, this treatise represents Wycliffe's mature attempt to present a comprehensive alternative to what he saw as the corrupted theology and practice of the late medieval church. The work takes its name from its dialogue format featuring three speakers: Alithia (Truth), Phronesis (Prudence), and Pseudis (Falsehood).

Through this philosophical dialogue, Wycliffe systematically develops his most controversial positions. He argues that the church's true nature is invisible, consisting only of the predestined elect, while rejecting papal supremacy and the institutional church's claims to ultimate authority. The work advances his theory of dominion, asserting that all rightful authority derives from God and can be forfeited through sin, directly challenging both ecclesiastical and temporal power structures. Wycliffe's realist philosophy undergirds his arguments about Scripture's absolute authority and his rejection of transubstantiation in favor of a symbolic understanding of the Eucharist. The dialogue format allows him to present objections and responses systematically, creating what amounts to a complete theology of reform.

The Trialogus became Wycliffe's most influential work on the continent, circulating widely in manuscript form and later inspiring reformers like Jan Hus in Bohemia. Its arguments about church authority, scriptural supremacy, and the nature of sacraments anticipated many themes that would resurface in the Protestant Reformation over a century later. The work's systematic presentation of Wycliffe's mature thought made it both his most dangerous book in the eyes of orthodox authorities and his most valuable contribution to reform theology.

Who should read this: Students of late medieval theology and early reform movements will find this essential, as will those interested in the philosophical and theological foundations that would later influence Protestant thought. This is not accessible reading for casual audiences, requiring familiarity with scholastic method and medieval theological debates.