Religious change 1535-47 Flashcards
Explain the Features of Full Protestantism
- Stripping churches of all decorations/music/images
- Plain priestly vestments
- English services
- Denial of Transubstantiation
- Reforming Hierarchy of the church
- Dissolving the monasteries
Explain how Henry began the process of the Dissolution of Monasteries + reformist religious ideals
By 1535 Henry already began the reformation of the hierarchy + dissolution of monasteries.
1535 - Complication of Valour Ecclesiasticus + ‘visitations’ to the monasteries which was followed by
1536 - Act to dissolve the smaller monasteries (on the grounds that there was problems and corruption which was purposefully found din order to justify the Act)
1539 - Act to dissolve remaining monasteries
+ by 1540 all religious houses were dissolved.
Explain the Key changes that took place in the Reformation in the Church from 1531
1531 - Henry charged 15 churchmen with Praemunire (Praemunire = to appeal to an outside authority on a matter under the jurisdiction of the crown)
- Aimed to weaken the will of the church so couldn’t resist henrys plans for annulment + Henry made clear he would drop the charges if they paid £100,000 and agreed to recognise him as Head of the Church
1532 - The Supplication against/of the Ordinaries:
- Attempting to take legal control of the church, to give the king more power over the laws of the church + also put pressure on leading clergy.
A petition by MPs against the ways that clergy abused their powers + Henry presented demands to Convocation:
-surrender right to pass new canon law
-all future changes to canon law would need king’s consent
1533 - Act of Restraint of Appeals;
Granted Imperial Jurisdiction to the Monarch
1534 - Act of Succession;
Made Henrys marriage to Catherine Null + Void + officially invalid through parliament (surpassing the popes jurisdiction + authority once again) + Made Henry supreme Head of the Church of England and claimed he had always been + therefore no one could reverse it.
1534 - Treason Act;
Extremely strict + made it treasonous to even say verbally the king was a heretic etc
Explain Key Acts/events that indicate Henry was siding with more traditional/Catholic religious ideas from 1532 onwards
1538 - Execution of John Lambet;
Lambert = leading protestant/reformist who was publicly executed for denying transubstantiation. ( even after Henrys protestant acts and policies like dissolution of monasteries + new English ‘Matthew bible’
1539 - Act of Six Articles;
Issued to replace the 10 articles + reaffirmed catholic beliefs such as transubstantiation, private masses + confession.
1543 - The Act for Advancement of True Religion; restricted public readings of the bible to upper-class males as women and men of lower classes had an 'increased in drives naughty + erroneous opinions by occasion' as the word of god was all very well but not if it loosened the bonds of social order/control.
From 1538-1540 there was a swing back toward Catholicism due to;
- Cromwell loosing influence
- Henrys forth marriage to Anne of Cleves failure + the Howard family becoming influential at court
- The Spanish + French threats to invade England so henry was keen to re-assert catholic beliefs in order to avoid this.
Explain key Acts/events that indicate Henry was siding with more reformist/Protestant religious ideas from 1532 onwards
1534 - Act of Succession;
Made Henry supreme Head of the Church of England and claimed he had always been + therefore no one could reverse it.
1536 - First Set of Royal Injunctions attacked traditional practices which placed restriction on the number of holy days + discouraged pilgrimages
1536 - Act of 10 Articles;
Issued by Cromwell including some reformist ideas but also some catholic.
1539 - English Mathew bible
- Overall clear many strong protestant ideals were endorsed + jurisdiction of the pope was destroyed, monastery buildings dissolved, parish churces required to poses new English version of bible, humanism influence emerged England + become diverse w key figures who were influential like Thomas Moore + Fisher.
Overall was there transformational religious change in Henrys reign?
Overall Jurisdiction pope destroyed + gave the king much more authority + the crown + religious culture was increasingly influenced by reformist ides ie humanism which contributed to undermining of traditional Catholic ideology.
- However there was no consistent pattern of doctrinal change which reflected Henry’s inability to make up his mind definitely about these religious matters.
- Upon His death he left England completely divided and immersed in religious uncertainty as a result of his consistent fluctuating acts and policies toward reformist + traditionalist views ie creating the new English ‘Mathew bible’, denouncing transubstantiation +the Break from Rome.
What were the key motives for Henry behind the Religious Change from 1529-1547?
Religious Motives:
- Henry was influenced by anti-clerical mood of the house of commons + there attacks due to the abuses within the church + its weaknesses
- The Richard Hunne case highlighted failings of the church + influenced parliament + Henry
- In 1529 he dismissed Wolsey on the basis of Clerical abuses
Dynastic + Power Motives:
- Henry and strong overarching desire for a legitimate heir + became convinced his marriage to Catherine was illegitimate + cursed by god
- Security of the Tudor Dynasty required a male heir + Henry grew increasingly vulnerable + threatened without one by Yorkist nobles
- Mary was a woman was questioned an wouldn’t be able to succeed throne so only option was to find anew wife
- Anne Boleyn as a pull factor + introduced him to works highlighting how Henry should have authority in his own country not the pope.
Financial + Political Motives (factional etc):
-protestant ideals like dissolution of monasteries + stripping away precious lavish decorations meat henry could absorb an abundance of wealth, which he desperately needed due to his expensive taste for war particularly with France.
Overall what was the most paramount motive (based on the evidence) for England’s Rapid + inconsistent Religious change?
There are some protestant influences that can be seen to have partially influenced the reformation such as The humanist scholar’s at court gaining influence such as archbishop Cranner + in 1529 Henry summand parliament a body guaranteed to voice there anticlerical concerns and e was heavily influenced by Anne Boleyn + books she introduced him to such as ‘Obedience of a Christian man’
However overall it was primarily focused upon securing his Dynastic + personal power + authority. Catherine failed to provide an heir and Anne Boleyn promised a guarantee of this and he had been enamoured with her for years alongside the fact that he believed his marriage was never legitimate + started to loath the overarching authority the pope ha dove this decision’s + authority and wanted to utilise ideas found in reformist ideology and books like ‘ The Obedience of a Christian man’ to justify this.
