Middle Ages question?

Question

I am trying to think of the group of people who influenced the change in learning and teaching in the late Middle ages. all I can think of is Humanists (but thats not right) and I also remember from my class a man named something like Jon Hun (spelling may not be correct) I think he had something to do with the creation of this group.

I know this is not a very organized question, but my memory is failing me right now, and it is diving me nuts.

Answer 1

Jan Hus and the Hussites or Taborites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Hus

John Wycliffe and the Lollards

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollards

Much later - Erasmus and the Humanists

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasmus

Answer 2

Changes came slowly during this period. Italy moved rapidly compared to other countries. Here more and more antiquities were discovered,which promoted a deep interest in the history and literature of Rome.

A big spur for this period were vernacular versions of the Bible. Prior to the Reformation, it was illegal to own a bible. John Wycliffe produced an English translation about 1380. Jan Hus was a bohemian predated Luther by about 150 years. He too had the bible translated in the vernacular. He declared the Church to be absolutely wrong about many of its major dogmas (such as the Trinity; these is no Biblical basis for this, so there is only 1 god {primitive Unitarianism]). He was burned at the stake for his troubles.

Once the printing press got going, Bibles multiplied like crazy in every language of Europe.