John Hus

I became interested in John (or Jan) Hus during a trip to Prague. In the town center there is a large statue of Hus preaching to the people of Bohemia which is a nice contrast to the Hapsburg Roman Catholic cathedral at the top of the palatial mountain overlooking the city. Hus is a national hero for the Czech people for his defiant stand against the excesses of the Catholic Papacy. He studied John Wycliffe and was influenced by Wycliffe’s efforts to bring the Bible to the common people in their own language. He preached 100 years before Martin Luther and the challenges he raises against the Roman Catholic Church are the same that Luther brought. These include the concept that the Bible is the word of God and thus the final authority and not the Roman Catholic hierarchy including the Pope. He asserted Saint Paul’s primary doctrine that salvation comes from faith alone rather than through good acts, charity, or payment to organized religion. Hus was promised safe passage by the Holy Roman Emperor but this promise was not honored when Hus was charged by the Roman Catholic hierarchy with heresy. Most of the basic concepts are here in this short 55 minute film.However, I was a bit disappointed. The film was a bit simplistic and more time should have been devoted to linking Hus to Wycliffe’s teaching and more time should have been devoted to Hus’ work and preaching to the common man in Bohemia which laid the groundwork for his concepts. The Holy Roman Emperor’s motivations around revoking the promise of safe passage should have been explored in more depth. The film is a summary and felt a bit like an educational movie for young adults or teenagers. For a short brief summary of the conflicts that lead to the execution of John Hus, the film is recommended. As a religious education film for use in churches, again I would recommend the film. However the real life story was more complex and the establishment of John Hus as a Czech national hero was not explored and would have been of interest to many viewers. The large statue of Hus in the town-square of Prague contrasted against the Hapsburg Roman Catholic cathedral on the hill speaks volumes. I wish the film had added just a bit more footage to deal with the subsequent influence of Hus on the character of the Czech people.

The intellectual impact of this film is powerful. I know I will watch it again soon. The clearest demonstration of the source of evil corruption in the world, the top down hierarchy of its distribution and maintenance from its source, and the manner that the ignorant sheep pay for it, even with their life. The pain caused on the source by the wars has been incomplete. The only way to change that is to give up on ignorance and everything that contributes to ignorance. The time of that future occurrence is infinitely far off. Violence is a waste of time, except in self defense. That's a small part of a great movie.

The film gave a clear story of John Hus. The narrative at the front of the film was good to put the viewer into perspective of the mindset and culture of the church during the medieval period. This is important because some viewers, such as myself, will have limited historical knowledge of the medieval church, its culture and practices.The director made sure the film did not send a convoluted message of the struggle between John Hus and the church council. This made the film easy to follow and not difficult to understand the plot. The film is low budget, but the message was clear and easy to follow. I liked the film and used this as my project for a film review in my Master's class.

Before Luther ever picked up a hammer and headed to Chapel Church, there were men who had stood up for reform and the true gospel. Among them was Jan Hus (John Hus), a priest from Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) who was burned at the stake in 1415 for his opposition to the Church of Rome."One interesting anecdote is that Hus is accredited with making a prophecy at his death. 'My goose is cooked!' he said. (Hus is the Bohemian word for goose!) 'But a hundred years from now a swan will arise whose voice you will not be able to silence.' Many saw Martin Luther as that voice, hence the prevalence of swans in Lutheran art and architecture."' - William Carey Bible Institute, Reformation500

The great persecution of the Roman Catholic Church and how corrupt it had become.

Well done movie of the life of John Hus, a true man of God who followed God's word even unto death. Nothing swayed his beliefs. With the threat of being burned at the stake looming over him, Mr. Hus remained faithful to scripture, refusing to recant his teachings.The king who promised him safety turned his back on Mr. Hus for fear of excommunication from the Catholic Church. This powerful man of God went to the stake singing hymns as he was burned to death for following scripture and not the churches teaching. His story was told quite well in this DVD.

The passion and commitment of these saints--greater men than those who condemned them ever would be--are shining lights and stepping stones for Christians throughout the ages to follow. Centuries later, their sacrifices still inspire.

So much for a fair hearing, eh!

Thank you, I appreciate so much this movie; it arrived in time so that I could give it in gift to my friends. I'm am sure it plays well.

As expected. Hope is was longer.