Ep. 170 – Jan Hus, Reformer and Rebel?

9 snips

Nov 14, 2024

Jan Hus emerges as a pivotal figure in Czech history, critiquing church corruption with passionate fervor. His initial ambitions in Prague evolve into a fierce rebellion against authority, inspired by the works of John Wycliffe. The podcast explores the vibrant cultural backdrop of late 14th century Prague, revealing the socio-political tensions of the era. Hus's journey displays a transformation from a moderate preacher to a martyr, embodying the struggle for individual beliefs against institutional dogma and echoing themes that resonate through history.

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ANECDOTE

Jan Hus: Critic of the Corrupt Clergy

Laurence of Brezova, in his chronicle, introduces Jan Hus as a preacher criticizing the clergy's sins.
Hus aimed to restore the priesthood to apostolic life, which made him hated by corrupt clerics.

INSIGHT

Hus's Relevance Beyond Czech History

Jan Hus's story is relevant beyond Czech history, connecting to broader themes of collapsing certainties and emerging truths.
His struggles resonate with Neville Chamberlain's words about a "quarrel in a faraway country."

ANECDOTE

Hus's Humble Origins and Ironic Name

Jan Hus, born around 1372, came from a modest background with little known about his parents.
His name, "Hus," derived from his village Husice ("Goosetown"), ironically foreshadowing his fate.

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“Master Jan Hus, preacher of the Holy Scriptures from the chapel of Bethlehem, was also present at this council, who in his preaching continuously criticized and exposed the hypocrisy, pride, miserliness, fornication, simony, and other sins of the clergy, in order to bring the priesthood back to the apostolic life. He was immensely hated by these pestiferous clerics.”

This is how Laurence of Brezova introduced the great reformer and Czech national hero Jan Hus in his 15th century chronicle of the Hussite uprising.

Why should we care about the trials and tribulations of another holy man railing against corrupt prelates and the subsequent “quarrel in a faraway country, between people of whom we know nothing”.

Well, that quote itself should be reason enough. It is from Neville Chamberlain speech of September 27, 1938 weighing the importance of protecting Czechoslovakia against an expansionist Nazi Germany.

But Jan Hus is interesting beyond his status as a towering figure in Czech history. When he came to Prague in 1390 he was just another ambitious young man from a modest background who wanted to rise up in the world on the back of intelligence and hard work. But by the time he leaves for his fate at the Council of Constance in 1414 he has been excommunicated, exiled and unwillingly or willingly be come he face of a brewing revolt against king and clergy. This is a story about collapsing certainties and emerging truths, about individual beliefs and institutional order. About what the community of the faithful is supposed to be and who is in and who is out. And its tentacles reach deep into the next centuries…

The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.

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To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.

So far I have:

The Ottonians

Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy

Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen

Frederick II Stupor Mundi

Saxony and Eastward Expansion

The Hanseatic League

The Teutonic Knights

The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356

The Reformation before the Reformation