Question

Why is William Tyndale such an important figure in reformation history?

Answer 1

At the time of the Church Reformation led by Martin Luther in Germany, William Tyndale, a monk  from England, agreed with Luther over the need of publishing a version of the Holy Bible in his "vernacular" (everyday) language, in his case, English, so the vast majority of the people could understand The Holy Script since only the wealthy and educated (some nobles and clergymen) could understand Latin, the language of the Holly Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church for all liturgical purposes. Tyndale was highly successful in his endeavor of translating the Bible into English which allowed common people to read and easily understand it for the first time. Unfortunately, Tyndale met a fierce opposition from the King of England, Henry VIII, at the time a fervent Catholic, who ordered the execution of anyone in possession of a Tyndale's Bible. Tyndale was forced to leave England and was arrested, trialed and executed in Belgium at the instigation of Cardinal Wolsey, a powerful religious figure close to the king of England.