‘The Church in England in the reign of Henry VII was riddled with abuses’. Explain why you agree or disagree with this view Flashcards
1
Q
Introduction
A
- Overall the church can be seen as being stable and healthy during this time period
- Not riddled with abuses - beliefs such as ones portrayed by lollard was not widespread
2
Q
Riddled with abuses:
A
- The Lollards
- Erasmus
- Humanist Reformers
3
Q
Church was fine:
A
- Importance of church remained
- Necessity of church for religious worship
- State of catholic church
4
Q
Conclusion
A
- Christopher Haigh: ‘specific outburst of anticlericalism was rare’
- Often politically motivated
- Continued healthy no. of candidate for priesthood showed retained support of those most members of the laity
5
Q
Riddled with abuses: The Lollards
A
- Founded by John Wycliffe + merged in the 2nd ½ of C14th + was still present till Henry VIII reign
- Widespread support C14th / C15th: persistent in parts of S. England = S Buckingham / Berkshire
- Placed stress emphasis = favoured English Translations
- Sceptical about transubstantiation + Eucharist / considered C.C to be corrupt
- Denied the idea of the special status of the priesthood
- Popularity declined after the failed Lollard uprising 1414 + became fewer in number
Lost intellectual coherence and become geographically restricted - Assumed it was widespread in late medieval England
6
Q
Riddled with abuses: Erasmus
A
- Dutch scholar - the hand book of a Christian Soldier (1504)
- Satirical work - highly critical of abuses church
- Christianity through emphasis on education
- Rejection of some of the Church’s traditional ceremonies
- Humanism + renaissance made little impression on England
- English intellectual life dominated by traditional medieval scholastic philosophy
Humanists considered to be too formal + old fashioned
7
Q
Riddled with abuses: Humanist Reformers
A
- At a higher level some Bishops were accused of clerical abuses (breaches of Church Discipline)
- More + Colet drew attention to abuses like Simony/ Pluralism/ Non-Residence/ Nepotism/ Sexual Misconduct.
- Thomas Wolsey: Archbishopric of York and held many other offices at the same time.
- He used his position to secure benefices for his illegitimate son.
8
Q
Church was fine: Importance of Church remained
A
- Life regulated according to Church’s major ceremonies + popular entertainment
- 8000 parish churches = focused on religious experience
- Festivals closely linked with agricultural year = harvest - provided enjoyment
- Central to people’s lives: society / law + order / economic role / political
- Guilds + confraternities: charity / good fellowship / chance for ordinary to do good = good behaviour
9
Q
Church was fine: Necessity of church for religious worship
A
- Deeply rooted in everyday life
- Middle man between layman + heaven = priest
- Social level: focus of communities at the time - integration
- No other option: the monopoly of faith! Little or no people of other faiths
- ‘Helped ‘people get to heaven + spend little time in purgatory
- Most important: eucharist - climax / priest consecrated bread + wine - Catholics = transubstantiation
- Importance of mass: sacrifice performed community behalf - sacred rituals
- Outward structures of community + framework for controlling individual thought / reasoned / acted
- Offered various ways by which individual could acquire grace to reach heaven + minimise purgatory
- Eamon Duffy: ‘this was empathetically the age of the Parish Church and those who worship there’
- Religion was emphasised as a social activity
- Importance of this should not be underestimated / more important at C15th progressed
10
Q
Church was fine: Necessity of Church for religious worship
A
- Generally healthy: relationships - church + state + King + popes = positive
- Fulfilled major functions with little dissent
- Effective in fulfilling ‘spiritual needs’ / relationship between church and culture = strong
- Speed of change = slow
- Christopher Harper Bill: ‘…in early C16th doesn’t appear to be in urgent need of radical reform’
