Jan Hus Between Time and Eternity: Reconsidering a Medieval Heretic

Abstract

After 600 years, Jan Hus is on the verge of renewed international attention. Overshadowed by the tumult which convulsed the religious world of the sixteenth century, and dwarfed by the striking achievements of the Middle Ages, Hus has too often been a marginal figure particularly in the histories and scholarship outside the historic Czech lands. The past fifteen years have witnessed renewed and increased interest in Hus. A century ago, the outbreak of World War One limited the half millennium anniversary of his last days during the Council of Constance. A century later, there seems to be a proliferation of events and publications marking a coming of age for the Bohemian priest and martyr. In the Northern Hemisphere, in the Antipodes, and on both sides of the Atlantic, academics and students alike have been engaged in robust studies of Hus and the movements which followed him. 1 Rescued from the parochial confines in which Hus has often languished, it is clear there is much of value and interest in exploring the life and thought of this heretic. Hus belongs both to time and eternity. He occupies a place in history as well as a place (from the Christian point of view) either in heaven or in hell. He is a subject of historical inquiry but six centuries have shown that Hus has transcended the confines of his life span and attained a modicum of immortality wherein he remains a figure who is both timeless and present, historical and hagiographical.