The back of the DVD case begins, “A true story, God’s Outlaw is about international politics, church intrigue, cold-blooded betrayal, and false justice ending in a criminal’s death. But it’s also about victorious faith and spiritual triumph over some of the greatest political and religious forces known in the 16^th century.”

In a nutshell, these two sentences could be written about the lives of just about any of the central reformers of the early 16^th century. In this case, however, they speak to the determined work of a young William Tyndale—a learned and driven articulate priest who had friends in high and low places alike, at least as far as the Catholic Church of his day was concerned.

Tyndale’s passion for the Word of God drove him far beyond the scholarly cloister of academia into the common streets of London. The more he heard of the teaching and cultural impact of Martin Luther and other early reformers, the more desperate he became to see the same transformation impact his own beloved nation.

But the grip of Catholicism still had a stranglehold on England, and the current King Henry XIII seemed more concerned about his personal problems than the spiritual concerns of his nation. The Catholic Church would not allow the reformation to impact England the way it had already spread through Germany, Switzerland, and other parts of Europe. The Bishops and Catholic Academia would soon deal harshly with anyone preaching or teaching these new protestant doctrines.

But what William Tyndale wished to do was even worse. He wanted to replicate Luther’s linguistic goals, and building on the work of John Wycliffe, produce a Bible in the common language of English. He was driven by a passion to see the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ made accessible to each and every person in his own land.

“God’s Outlaw” chronicles the difficult and dangerous efforts of Tyndale and his co-reformers. It reveals the obstacles and sacrifices made as God used these faithful men to bring about a reformation that would eventually move across England and beyond.

Pr. David Johnson
Living Faith Lutheran Church and Disciple Lutheran Fellowship
Boyertown, PA

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