Lollardy Lollardy Lollardy (Lollardism, Lollard movement) was a pre-Protestant Christian religious movement that existed from the mid-14th century to the English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Roman Catholic theologian who was dismissed from the University of Oxford in 1381 for criticism of the Roman Catholic Church. The Lollards' demands were primarily for reform of Western Christianity. They formulated their beliefs in the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards. "Lollard", "Lollardi" or "Loller" was the popular derogatory nickname given to those without an academic background, educated (if at all) only in English, who were reputed to follow the teachings
Lollardy of John Wycliffe in particular, and were certainly considerably energized by the translation of the Bible into the English language. By the mid-15th century, "lollard" had come to mean a heretic in general. The alternative, "Wycliffite", is generally accepted to be a more neutral term covering those of similar opinions, but having an academic background. The term is said to have been coined by the Anglo-Irish cleric Henry Crumpe, but its origin is uncertain. According to the "Oxford English Dictionary", it most likely derives from Middle Dutch "" ("mumbler, mutterer"), from a verb "lollen" ("to mutter, mumble"). It appears to