He was a lecturer at Oxford (1361–82) and a prolific writer, whose attacks on medieval theocracy are regarded as precursors of the Reformation. He criticized the wealth and power of the Church, upheld the Bible as the sole guide for doctrine, and questioned the scriptural basis of the papacy; his teachings were disseminated by itinerant preachers. In accordance with his belief that such texts should be accessible to ordinary people, he instituted the first English translation of the Bible. He was compelled to retire from Oxford after his attack on the doctrine of transubstantiation and after the Peasants’ Revolt (1381), which was blamed on his teaching. His followers were known as Lollards.