Religion, Ideas and Reform

Question 1

How can Henry VIII be said to have encouraged Renaissance ideas? - Religion

Answer 1

Henry encouraged thinkers such as Thomas More and Erasmus to advance renaissance and humanist ideas, whilst he also commissioned effigies on his parents’ tombs in the style of renaissance arts.

Question 2

Who was the main humanist educator in England? - Religion

Answer 2

John Colet was England’s most significant humanist educator, as the founder of St Paul’s School.

Question 3

How did Cardinal Wolsey look to advance humanist education across England? - Religion

Answer 3

Wolsey founded a humanist school and college in his home town of Ipswich.

Question 4

How can Renaissance culture be seen through Henry’s creation of effigies on the tombs of his parents and grandmother? - Religion

Answer 4

Henry commissioned an Italian sculptor to create tombs of his Parents and Lady Margaret Beaufort in the Renaissance style. These tombs were then placed in the Lady Chapel.

Question 5

What 3 factors were seen as weaknesses of the Church during Henry VIII’s reign? - Religion

Answer 5

The 3 main weaknesses identified within the Church were corruption, anticlericalism and the decline of monasticism.

Question 6

How can corruption be seen as a weakness of the Church (specific types of corruption)? Who is an example of this? - Religion

Answer 6

Corruption can be seen as a weakness of the church as offences such as pluralism (receiving profits of more than one office), absenteeism (not attending to clerical roles) and simony (the purchase of offices) were rife. A prime example of this is Cardinal Wolsey.

Question 7

How can anticlericalism be seen as a weakness of the church? - Religion

Answer 7

Anticlericalism is the opposition to the church’s role in state affairs. This can also be seen through individuals such as Cardinal Wolsey, Bishop Foxe and Thomas Cranmer.

Question 8

What arguments exist that the decline of monasticism was a weakness of the Church? - Religion

Answer 8

Some historians have argued that monasticism was not relevant any more in the modern day and had lost its direction. Others believed that larger monasteries were now just businesses obsessed with land and buildings.

Question 9

Which Catholic individuals in Henry VIII’s political circle paid with their lives for their opposition to Protestant reforms? - Religion

Answer 9

Sir Thomas More and Bishop Fisher were just 2 of the individuals who were executed as a result of their religious convictions being in opposition to Protestantism.

Question 10

When was the Act of Supremacy passed? What did this confirm? - Religion

Answer 10

The Act of Supremacy was passed in 1534, confirming Henry’s position as the supreme head of the Church.

Question 11

When was Thomas Cromwell appointed Vicegerent in Spirituals? What impacts did this have on Cromwell’s power? - Religion

Answer 11

Cromwell was appointed Vicegerent in Spirituals in 1534, with this action making Cromwell second in rank to the King, meaning that he outranked Archbishops and Bishops and had considerable power over the Church.

Question 12

How did Henry alter the structure of the Church in terms of its dioceses? - Religion

Answer 12

Henry created 6 new dioceses which would be overseen by a Bishop in an attempt to improve the administration and effectiveness of the Church as a whole.

Question 13

How did Henry maintain the structure and administration of the Church? - Religion

Answer 13

Henry maintained that spiritual jurisdiction remained in the hands of bishops and archbishops, also maintained the important role that parish churches played in communities and daily life.

Question 14

When was the Valor Ecclesiasticus commissioned? What did this approve with regards to the monasteries? - Religion

Answer 14

The Valor Ecclesiasticus was commissioned in 1535, approving a survey of the total wealth and material possessions of the Church.

Question 15

When was the First Act of the Dissolution of the Monasteries passed? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 15

The First Act of the Dissolution of the Monasteries was passed in 1536, determining that all religious houses with an annual income of less than £200 should be dissolved. This was supposed to preserve the quality of larger houses as smaller monasteries had let standards drop.

Question 16

When was the Second Act of the Dissolution of the Monasteries passed? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 16

The Second Act of the Dissolution of the Monasteries was passed in 1539, determining that all religious houses would be dissolved following the smaller ones being dissolved 3 years earlier.

Question 17

When were the First Set of Royal Injunctions issued? What did these determine? - Religion

Answer 17

The First Set of Royal Injunctions were decreed in 1536, stating that the importance of pilgrimage would be abolished and that the number of holy days would be reduced.

Question 18

When were the Second Set of Royal Injunctions issued? What did these determine? - Religion

Answer 18

The Second Set of Royal Injunctions were issued in 1538, decreeing that the English Bible would be placed in all parishes within 2 years, that relics would be removed from churches and that pilgrimages would be further discouraged.

Question 19

When was the ‘Great Bible’ issued? How can this be distinguished from the previous Bible? - Religion

Answer 19

The Great Bible was issued in 1539, with a title page containing an image of Henry VIII offering the word of God to Cranmer and Cromwell. IT HAD BEEN TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH.

Question 20

How were religious beliefs changed in the English Church from the Catholic Church which preceded it? - Religion

Answer 20

Protestant beliefs were introduced, such as justification by faith (that you could reach grace by faith alone rather than good works) and consubstantiation (the belief that bread and wine at mass represented Christ’s body and blood, rather than actually becoming it).

Question 21

When was the Act of 10 Articles passed? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 21

The Act of 10 Articles was passed in 1536, determining that only 3/7 sacraments were necessary for salvation. These were baptism, penance and Eucharist.

Question 22

When was the Bishops’ Book introduced? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 22

The Bishops’ Book was introduced in 1537, restoring the 4 sacraments omitted by the 10 Articles one year before BUT WITH LOWER SIGNIFICANCE. This therefore restored Catholic doctrine to some extent.

Question 23

When was the Act of 6 Articles introduced? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 23

The Act of 6 Articles was introduced in 1539, with this determining that Catholic doctrine would be reasserted. It also confirmed that denial of transubstantiation would be deemed heretical.

Question 24

When was the King’s Book introduced? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 24

The King’s Book was introduced in 1543, with this revising the Bishops’ Book and reasserting Catholic doctrine. It defended transubstantiation and the Act of 6 Articles.

Question 25

How can it be argued that the structure of the Church saw major reform? - Religion

Answer 25

The Church had all Papal involvement ended by the 1534 Act of Supremacy and all monasteries had been dissolved by 1540. Parish churches also had to possess English Bibles.

Question 26

How much money did the sale of monastic land produce for the Crown? How many religious houses were dissolved? - Religion

Answer 26

The sale of monastic land resulted in the crown receiving £1.3 million.
563 RELIGIOUS HOUSES DISSOLVED.

Question 27

When was the Act in Restraint of Appeals passed? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 27

The Act in Restraint of Appeals was passed in 1533, determining that the Pope would have no power to interfere in appeals over marital affairs in England, allowing Henry to sanction his own divorce.

Question 28

When was the First Act of Annates passed? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 28

The First Act of Annates was passed in 1532, banning the payment of annates to Rome and therefore mitigating Papal influence within England.

Question 29

When was the Supplication of the Ordinaries passed? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 29

The Supplication of the Ordinaries was passed in 1532, meaning that a review would be launched into existing church law and that any church law would not be used without Royal permission. Brought the church further under state control.

Question 30

When was Anne Askew burned? Why? What does this indicate? - Religion

Answer 30

Askew was burned at the stake in 1546, having denied the existence of transubstantiation. This indicates that by the conclusion of Henry’s reign, doctrine and practice had largely reverted to Catholicism.

Question 31

When was Henry VIII excommunicated by the Pope? What does this indicate about church structure? - Religion

Answer 31

Henry VIII was excommunicated by the Pope in 1538, with this suggesting that the Church had become more Protestant in structure.

Question 32

When was John Lambert burnt at the stake? Why was this and what does this suggest? - Religion

Answer 32

John Lambert was burnt at the stake in 1538 for denying transubstantiation, considered a heretical point of view. This suggests that Henry’s attitudes towards practice and doctrine had returned to being more based on Catholicism than Protestantism.

Question 33

When was Henry VIII’s Treason Act passed? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 33

Henry VIII’s Treason Act was passed in 1543, with this making it treasonable to refuse to take an oath AGAINST the Pope, as well as treason to attempt to deny Henry his position as Supreme Head of the Church.

Question 34

When was the Act for Advancement of True Religion passed? What did this determine? - Religion

Answer 34

The Act for Advancement of True Religion was passed in 1543, making it so that only upper-class males could read the Bible in public due to the detrimental impacts on public order of religious reforms.