Nicholas of Lyra (c. 1270–1349) and the Late Medieval Bible is a one-day conference exploring the work of a Franciscan theologian and biblical scholar. He was a highly influential biblical commentator in the late Middle Ages and into the 16th century, and his scholarship seems to have been particularly important to the followers of John Wyclif who produced at the end of the 14th century the first complete translation of the Bible into English, the Wycliffite Bible. The Wycliffite translators used Nicholas of Lyra’s Postilla on the Bible in their study and criticism of the Vulgate, making the first attempt, as far as we know, in the tradition of biblical translation in England to establish a correct source text. The 14th-century scholars were well aware that the Vulgate was a translation and that its text, as it was commonly circulated, was variable and corrupt. To address this the Wycliffite translators undertook linguistic and textual research in order to improve the Latin text and understand it more correctly. Many of their interpretations, incorporated as glosses and corrections in their translation and always acknowledged, were dependent on the commentaries of Nicholas of Lyra, particularly on his observations on the differences between the Latin and Hebrew texts.

The conference explores different aspects of Lyra’s work, including his theology, sources, influence in England and Bohemia, and presentation of his work in manuscripts.

Further details:

9.00-9.30 Registration

9.30-11.00 Ian Christopher Levy (Providence College), ‘Nicholas of Lyra on the nature and
authority of Holy Scripture’
Jeremy Catto (Oxford University), ‘Lyra in Oxford, 1330-1430’
Zuzana Lukšová and Andrea Svobodová (Czech Language Institute of the Czech Academy of
Sciences), ‘The reception of Lyra’s Exegesis of the Gospel of Matthew in Late Medieval
Bohemia’

11.00-11.30 break

11.30-12.45 Deeana Copeland Klepper (Boston University), ‘Nicholas of Lyra on the
difference between the Latin Vulgate and the Hebrew letter: constructing an authoritative
literal sense’
Emmanuel Bain (Aix-Marseille Université), ‘Nicolas of Lyra and his sources’

12.45-1.45 lunch

1.45-3.00 Anne Hudson (Oxford University), ‘”Lire cam late to me” (General Prologue to
WB): was it too “late” for the Wycliffite Bible?’
Michael Kuczynski (Tulane University), ‘Handling Lyra: the Postilla in totam bibliam and
late medieval Bible translation and exegesis’

3.00-3.15 break

3.15-4.30 Lesley Smith (Oxford University), ‘Nicholas of Lyra: why does he bother with
pictures?’
Elizabeth Solopova (Oxford University),‘The study of the Wycliffite Bible in Oxford and
manuscripts of the Bible in New College’

Manuscripts of the Wycliffite Bible and Postilla of Nicolas of Lyra will be on display during
this session.

In association with AHRC-funded project ‘Towards a New Edition of the Wycliffite Bible’
wycliffite-bible.english.ox.ac.uk/#

With generous support from the Ludwig Humanities Research Fund, New College, Oxford.