Chapter 12- Religion, ideas and reform

Question 1

what is the significance of humanism and education?

Answer 1

John Colet would be a key voice in English education, he would work at St Paul’s School, London and he would appoint governors that would be from the city guild rather than the clergy. Also, humanist principles would be part of the school curriculum and there would be works from key people such as Erasmus, he would also appoint William Lily a humanist as head. There would also be Magdalen College school in Oxford that would be at the forefront of educational reform and would adopt platonism educational principles. Cardinal Wolsey would also give his own commitment to the cause as he would fund colleges in Oxford and Ipswich. Erasmus would be friends with Fisher and More and would have influence on the younger generation of English humanists, there would be more support for Erasmus when in 1518 there would be controversy over the studying of the Greek testement, this would lead many people to condemn the studying of greek. Though the significance of this would be limited and would Stem from new religious thinking.

Question 2

what is the significance of platonism?

Answer 2

he would state that the main function of education would be to produce philosopher kings, this would mean in practice that students should have the ideal of public service stilled into them.

Question 3

what is the significance of the increase renaissance ideas and English culture?

Answer 3

There would be an increase of Renaissance ideas in England due the knowledge of classical learning had increased amongst the elite in society. There would be a growing number of schools that would become influenced by humanist approaches. Henry 8th would see himself as a promoter of these new ideas.
There would also be the growing influence of people like Thomas More who would be able to combine his intellectual interests with his work as a lawyer.
There would also be an increase on the visual culture within England, this would be evident with the tombs of his parents that Henry 8th would commission of his parents, the tombs would be inspired by the classical concerns of the renaissance.
Wolsey would also emphasise classical influences, this is displayed with Hampton Court.

Question 4

what were they key weaknesses of the church?

Answer 4

corruption- these would include acts such as pluralism, simony and non-residence. Wolsey would be an example of a corrupt churchman, the crown would also use church offices as a way of rewarding those who were clergymen.
anticlericalism- this is the opposition to the social and political importance of the clergy. Some lawyers would reject to the practice of canon law, these would be objections to the legal privileges of the clergy- this would relate to the death of Richard Hunne.
the crown would be capable of stirring up anticlerical passions, Simon Fish would release, inn 1529 his attack on the clergy with the release of the supplication of the Beggars- some would say that anticlericalism was rather a result of the reformation.
Decline of monasticism- Wolsey would dissolve around twenty houses in the 1520’s, some would suggest that monasticism would reflect an era that was long gone, some would suggest that the larger monasteries had become a large business.

Question 5

what is the significance of the murder of Richard Hunne in 1514?

Answer 5

there would be an attempt to cover up his murder and portray it as a suicide, this would be disastrous for the case of the church, though between this and the break with Rome some would suggest that it would no longer be at the forefronts of peoples minds.

Question 6

what is the evidence for early English protestantism?

Answer 6

this would be with Martin Luther’s attack on the church, which would begin in 1517. There would also be some Lollard beliefs that would survive and there is evidence to suggest that there was German reformers in London in the 1520’s. There would also be leading intellects this would be Robert Barnes, who would be converted to protests by Robert Brand- the most influential would be the future archbishop Cranmer.

Question 7

what is the significance of Erasmianism and the reformation?

Answer 7

there would be evidence to suggest that from 1529 there would be a group of leading reformists that would align with the values of Erasmianism, these would include people such as Archbishop Cranmer. There is also evidence to suggest that Cranmer would continue to enjoy favours from the king, suggesting the increasing influence of humanists. This would also be evident as the king would want humanist such as John Cheke to tutor his son and heir, there would also be a humanist circle around Katherine Parr, people like Rovery Ascham would also tutor princess Elizabeth.

Question 8

what is the significance of the changes to the churches strcuture?

Answer 8

king will become head of church- this would be confirmed by the act of supremacy in 1534.
King would also appoint Cromwell in 1534, he would outrank the archbishops and bishops and this would give him power over the church.
six new dioceses- this was an attempt to improve the administration of the church.

Question 9

what would be the significance about the dissolution of the monasteries?

Answer 9

there would be valor Ecclesiasticus this would be a survey that was set up in 1535, this was to discover how wealthy the church was. there would also be four “visitors” that would be sent around the country to inspect the monasteries, whilst they had found things to criticise it was clear that they had found things to criticise.
there would be the act of parliament in 1536 which was designed to dissolved smaller monasteries, this would dissolve monsatries that would have an income of £200 or less. This would widen following the pilgrimage of grace, there would be the 1539 act of parliament which would seek to dissolve remaining monsatruesm by march 1940 all had been dissolved.

Question 10

the significance of the attach on traditional religious practices?

Answer 10

in 1536 there would be the first set of royal injunctions, this would places restrictions on the number of holy days and this would also discourage pilgrimages. in 1538 pilgrimages and veneration of relics and images were condemned as “works devised by mens fantasies”. clergy who would uphold pilgrimages, relics and imagers are requires to recant.

Question 11

what was the significance of the English bible?

Answer 11

in the 1538 injunction this would require each English church to have a bible that was in English. The first edition of this great bible was in 1539. Though, Henry would soon become fearful of who could read this bible, this was seen in 1543 with the Act for the Advancement of True Religion in 1543, this would restrict the public from reading the bible.

Question 12

what were the key changes to doctrine?

Answer 12

1536 ten articles- this was where only three sacraments were seen as necessary to salvation, this would be an ambiguous document that would show both Lutheran and Catholic influences on the development of doctrine.
1537 Bishop’s book- this would restore the four sacraments from the ten articles, but these would be given a lower status, this would be a more conservative doc.
1539 six articles act- this would reassert the Catholic doctrine, denial of transubstanitation was seen as heretical. this would be a triumph for the conservatives, the religious controversy had undermined the good ordering of society.
1543 king’s book- would revise the bishops book, this would be conservative.

Question 13

what would be the significance of continuity and change in religion culture by 1547?

Answer 13

the hierarchy of the English church would remain the same from the start of Henry’s reign, with the ending of Cromwell there would be much less of a desire for religious change to take place. Though, the jurisdiction of the pope had been demolished, the king would have an ever increasing authority, the monastries would also be ruined.

Question 14

what would be the significance of religious domestic policy? from 1529-34

Answer 14

1527- Henry would want an annulment, Henry would state that his marriage was illegitimate on the grounds of Leviticus
1528, Oct, Cardnial Campeggio would arrive to hear Henry’s case for annulment, Wolsey would decide that it should be the pope who should have the final say.
1529, October, Moew would be appointed as chancellor.
November, the parliament for reformation would be assembled, this was designed to deal with the kings great matter.
1530- the clergy would be accused of praemunire, this would be the offence of asserting or maintaining papal jurisdiction in England.
1531, the English reformation parliament would sit for a second time.
1532, January the first act of annates, this would ban the payment of agnates to Rome, Thomas More would resign the following day.
March, the supplication of the ordinates, this would be because if the result of the grieviances against the church of england prelates and the clergy. Edward Hall would state that the criticism of the English prelates, was popular in the House of Commons. May, the submission of the clergy, this would be where the king would give up their power to formulate church laws without the kings license and assent.
1533, January, Anne and Henry would marry in secret (32), she would soon become pregnant. (33) February, Act in restraint of appeals to Rome, this would forbade all appeals to the pope in Rome, this would make the king he final legal authority.
1534, January, the second act of anates to stop Peter’s Pence, this would abolish agnates entirely, this would abolish donations to Rome entirely.
March, act for the submission of the clergy, there would also be the first act of succession.
November, Henry 8th will become head of the Church of England.
December, treason act, this would make it treason for someone to disavow the act of supremacy, Thomas More would be executed under this act. there would also be the act for the first fruits and tenths, the clergy would have to pay a portion of their revenue that was paid to the papacy to the king.

Question 15

what would be the significance of religious domestic policy from 1535-40?

Answer 15

Cromwell would commission the Valor Ecclesiaticus, this would be a survey into wealth and condition of the church.
1536- February, this would be the dissolution of the smaller monasteries that would be worth £200. May, Anne Boleyn would be be-headed and 10 days later Henry would marry Jane Seymour. July, there would be the act of 10 articles, which was seen as a clearer move towards protestantism and would see changes such as images are not needed for worship. August, there would be royal injunctions to the clergy that were issued by Cromwell, these would pronounces things such as pilgrimages would not be needed.
1537, this would be the implementation of the Christian man which would also be known as the Bishop’s book, this would be a drift towards protestant doctrine.
1538, September, there would be royal injunctions to the clergy that would be issued by Cromwell, these would be the removal of images. December, Henry would be excommunicate day the pope.
1539, June, there would be the act of six articles, this would enforce Catholic doctrine on six key issues, transubstation, communion in one kind, clerical celibacy, vows of chastity, private masses and articular confession. There would be the dissolution of greater monasteries, this would allow the dissolution for 552 further houses.
1540, January, Henry 8th would marry Anne of Cleves, the marriage would only last 6 months.
July, Cromwell would be executed, it would never be formally argues that Cromwell would be responsible for the failed marital affair, though many would say that that would be the reason for the downfall. On the same day Henry would also marry Catherine Howard.

Question 16

what would be the significance of religious domestic policy from 1541-47?

Answer 16

1541, Henry 8th would become King of Ireland.
1542, February, Catherine Howard would be executed, Catherine would he an affair with Thomas Culpeper.
1543, May Act of the Advancement of True religion, this would restrict the reading of the bible to clerics, nobleman, the gentry and richer merchants. There would also be the necessary doctrine of the Erudictian man, this would defend transubstantiation and the six articles.
July, Henry would marry Catherine Parr, there would also be the third succession act, 1543.
1544, May, English litany would be introduced into churches, vernacular church service in English.
1545, December there would be the chantries act, this would define chantries as representing misapplied funds and misappropriation land.
1546, Henry would name the mostly protestant council of regency for his heir, this would be led by Edward Seymour and John Dudley.
1547, Henry would die and his son Edward would succeed him.

Question 17

what were the views on certain aspects of church life? prior to the reformation.

Answer 17

the papacy, most people would accept the power of the pope, whilst views against it would exist, it would be limited.
Religious orders, there was support for religious orders but there is evidence for a slight decline.
Secular clergy, priests- they would be generally accepted though some hostility would exist in areas such as the south east.
parish churches and chapels, there would be evidence to suggest that support for this would largely remain high, for example there would be a large number of churches that would be built between 1490 and 1529.
religious guilds, there would not only be several but they would also be active.
Sacraments and rituals, these would remain largely popular,
intercession, these would attract large support.
images- in the 1530s, these would be used less.

Question 18

what would be the significance of Archbishop Cranmer during the reign of Henry 7th?

Answer 18

he would join the white horse group in Cambridge to discuss the new Lutherism ideas. Henry would see Cranmer as refomer and a key ally against the pope, he would also write a defence against the kings desire to obtain a divorce. He would authorise the royal divorce and he would also display that he would have protestant sympathies as he would be in support of the bible being published in English. He would be loyal to Henry so this would allow him to continue until the reign of Edward.

Question 19

what were the causes of the dissolution of the monastries?

Answer 19

reform, monasteries were in need of reform and it was evident that this was needed again.
opportunism, Henry would begin by praising the monasteries, it would not be evident that a whole suppression would be wanted, though by 1538 it would become clear that panic would begin to set it and this would lead Henry to have a whole suppression.
Financial motives- the church would own around 1/3 of all the land in England, the dissolution would bring in £1.3 million.
Attitude of the laity, their support for religious movements and their owning of land would lead to them being able to rebel.
Role of Cromwell, some would say that he would plan the dissolution from the beginning, with things such as the Valor Ecclesiasticus, this would be a clear calculation for the monasteries to take place.
Spread of evangelical ideas, monasteries were being dissolved in Germany and this would lead many people to suggest that it should take place in England.
The imperial idea, the monasteries would be in an ambiguous position as monastic orders would be answerable to the pope.
opposition to break with Rome in monasteries, many who would oppose the religious changes by Henry would be monks.
impact of the pilgrimage of grace- some houses would be suppressed after this.

Question 20

who opposed the reformation and why?

Answer 20

Thomas More, he would be a devout Catholic and in 1532 would resign when the submission of the clergy would take place, it would become worse for More when he would he would be forced to take an oath of succession, this would be the catalyst to his execution in 1533. Guy would argue that he would be more of a politicain than a principled clergyman.
John Fisher, the bishop of Rochester, he would strongly support Catherine and would also take the views that the powers of the pope would be god given, this would lead to him refusing to swear the oath of succession, this would lead to his execution.
Elizabeth Barton, the holy maid of Kent, she would have visions of the Virgin Mary, she would make claims that the king would cease to be on the throne in a month, this would lead to her execution in 1534.
Carthusian and observant Franciscan monks, these would be strongly against Henry, many members would be imprisoned and die.

Question 21

the German reformation, why did it happen?

Answer 21

religious, there was belief that there was something wrong with the church, the pope would forget about the spiritual aspects, the bishop would be chosen for political reasons, clergymen would not be a good choice. purgatory, the laity would largely support this, good works would be a way to support this.
Luther, would face his own despair, would never find reassurance. some strands would want a personal relationship with Christ.
political, the HRE was decentralised, units could run their own way, the empire would lack leadership. The laity were becoming increasingly assertive and they would have their own resources.
humanists were looking to recontruct texts, Erasmus would become key.

Question 22

how important was Martin Luther? and what is the reformation?

Answer 22

1517, Martin Luther would would post 95 Theses on the doors in Witternberg. The church will want to silence this, they will ban Luther.
He is important, would state that key passages had been overlooked.
he would have a large network of supporters, though he would write dark things about the jews, he would also be hostile to the peasants and would encorage the princes to slaughter them.

Question 23

what would be the wider impact of the reformation?

Answer 23

the reformation would add new tensions to the HRE. this would also lead to the dissolutions of churches that would inspire the events with the monasteries that would take place in England.