religion + reform

Question 1

Why did the Henry reform the church?

Answer 1

-In order to allow Henry a divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
-Corruption + anti-clericalism.
-Martin Luther
-Humanist ideas
-Henrys greed for power

Question 2

State of the church: corruption

Answer 2

Corruption
-Pluralism- receiving profits from more than one job
-Simony- making a profit out of sacred things
-Non-residence- receiving profits of past job but not performing the duties associated w it.
-Absenteeism- keeping a post vacant so the king can receive revenue.
E.g. Wolsey secured church posts for his son- nepotism-, didn’t keep his vow of celibacy: he held 3 jobs, made £3mil a year.
-Bishop of Rochester dedicated time to eliminate pluralism from middle church ranks

Question 3

Anticlericalism

Answer 3

-Hunne- his death sparked a spread of anticlericalism, BUT only in small areas of London, not widespread but became localised.
-Widespread anticlericalism due to ignorant + dishonest priests.

Question 4

Decline of monasticism

Answer 4

-Monks weren’t monks anymore, they were sleeping around with women etc.
-Monasteries were more like businesses.

Question 5

Erasmianism

Answer 5

-Erasmus’ helped shape royal policy ideas.
With 2 most influential humanists in royal circles being executed for their opposing views: Thomas More + Bishop Fisher
-He advocated for reform.

Question 6

Humanisms + education

Answer 6

-Humanist John Cheke had tutored Henry’s son Edward.

Question 7

Need for divorce

Answer 7

Catherine of Aragon:
-Needed a male heir to secure Tudor dynasty
-Couldn’t divorce her cause the pope opposed it.
Anne Boleyn:
-His divorce to anne Boleyn encouraged Cromwell to influence Henry to make himself head of the church

Question 8

Protestant reformation

Answer 8

Martin Luther:
-German mono who challenged the catholic church’s teachings on salvation, 1517.
-His attack on the church in Germany 1517 gave way to Protestantism, followers rejecting papal authority.
-German Protestants came to England in 1520s= spread ideas

Question 9

Henrys desire for power

Answer 9

Act of supremacy
-Declared Henry the head of the Church of England.
Need for revenue
-Henry needed more revenue to fund his wars.

Question 10

Dissolution of monasteries

Answer 10

1535- Valor Ecclesiasticus set up by Cromwell to assess church’s wealth
1536- act of parliament to dissolve smaller monasteries, those w an income of under £200 per annum.
1539- Act to dissolve the remaining monasteries.
1540- all religious houses dissolved.

Question 11

The English bible

Answer 11

-Injunctions 1538 required every parish church to have an English bible
-Act for the advancement of true religion 1543- restricted public reading of the bible to upper class men + women but in private.

Question 12

Attack on religious practices

Answer 12

-there was an issue in 1536 of the first set of royal injunctions.
-Placed restrictions on the number of holy days to be observed + discouraged pilgrimages.
-1538- pilgrimages + veneration of relics + images= seen as ‘works devised by men’s fantasies’.
-Clergy who upheld virtues of pilgrimages, relics + images—> publicly required to recant.

Question 13

changes to the doctrine

Answer 13

-No consistent change made by Henry= reflected his inability to make up his mind indefinitely.

Question 14

1536 Ten Articles

Answer 14

• Only 3 sacraments were seen as necessary to salvation: Eucharist, baptism + penance.
  -Praying to saints for the repeal of sins= rejected.
  -Significance- showed both Lutheran + catholic influences on the development of the doctrine.

Question 15

1537 bishops book

Answer 15

Restored the 4 sacraments omitted from the ten articles, but they were given a lower status
-Significance- a more conservative document than the 10 articles

Question 16

1539 six articles act

Answer 16

-Reasserted catholic doctrine.
-Denial of transubstantiation was deemed heretical
-Significance- a triumph for Cons. Founded on the assumption that there was too much religious controversy, under minded good ordering of society.
-2 reforming bishops resigned.

Question 17

1543 kings book

Answer 17

Revised the bishops book
Significance- emphasis was mainly conservative but some Lutheran hints.

Question 18

Continuity

Answer 18

-Hierarchy of church remained intact
-Interior of churches same
-Services remained traditional
-6 articles + fall of Cromwell weakened cause of religious reform.

Question 19

Change

Answer 19

-Jurisdiction of pope=destroyed
-King was head of church
-monasteries dissolved.
-English bible
-Influence of humanism.