Church and State - After Henry VIII

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

• During the Reform King replaced the Pope as the Head of the Church in England, causing a bitter divide between Catholics and Protestants,causing King Henry VIII’s break with the Catholic Church.
• The Tudor era witnessed the most sweeping religious changes in England since the arrival of Christianity, which affected every aspect of national life.
• Eventually transformed an entirely Catholic nation into a predominantly Protestant one.

Question 2

Edward VI

Answer 2

Changes to the church under Edward VI:

• 1549 Act of Uniformity introduced Thomas Cranmer’s new English Book of Common Prayer – it became compulsory to attend church service and the appearance of the English parish church was very different.
• 1552, there were more Protestant versions of the Common Book of Prayer – it moved away from transubstantiation.- introduced the 42 Articles – Cranmer’s changes altered the nature of the English Church in a more fundamental way

How did Edward change the church:

• Laws were passed to make churches more plain. Catholic churches were rich in decorations and colour.
• stained glass windows and pictures were removed from churches; the furniture within churches became very basic and plain.

Question 3

Mary I

Answer 3

Changes to the church under Mary I:

• Attempt to reverse Henry and Edward’s changes and restore the English Church to Rome – underestimated the determination of English Protestants.
• Unable to return the monastic land which had been legally sold to new owners.
• indeed able to repeal the 1534 Act of Supremacy by her own Act of Parliament in 1554,- unable to make a lasting impression on Church-state relations, and her return to Rome was quickly reversed following her death.

How Mary first changed the church:
The Catholic Mass was restored and Holy Communion was banned. All priests had to be Catholic; the basic furniture in the Protestant churches was replaced with the colourful furniture and paintings of the Catholic Church. Services were held in Latin and Cranmer’s English prayer book was banned

Question 4

Elizabeth I

Answer 4

Act of supremacy (1559):
-Elizabeth had to re-establish the royal supremacy and find a via media (middle way) which could satisfy both the Catholics and the Protestants, and retain her position as Supreme Head of the Church of England, as a woman.
H-alf of the House of Lords were Catholic (bishops appointed by Mary) – Cecil and Elizabeth needed to convince the HOL to pass the necessary legislation for the new supremacy.
-Bill for supremacy and the bill for uniformity – if the more radical uniformity bill was opposed it would not affect the supremacy.
-Elizabeth’s governorship of the Church of England remained in place throughout her reign and proved to be a much more durable development than the original supremacy established by Henry VIII, despite the threat of the Revolt of the Northern Earls in 1569.