the reformation - how and why religion changed under henry vii with the move to protestantism

when did martin luther nail his theses to the door of the church in wittenburg?

1517

how many theses did martin luther nail to the door of the church in wittenburg?

95 theses were nailed to the door of the church in wittenburg

what did martin luther’s 95 theses debate?

• criticised aspects of the roman catholic church

• against sale of indulgences

• encouraged translation of the bible into vernacular → enabled self study of bible, doesn’t need parish priest to interpret for the laity

why was martin luther a significant figure in the rise of protestantism?

• wasn’t the first person to protest against the roman catholic church

• work inspired others and continued the spread of protest movement for reform across europe

what invention greatly aided the spread of protestantism?

the growth of the printing press → allowed for spread of protestant ideology and heretical bibles in the vernacular

who published the first english heretical bible and when?

• william tyndale

• 1526

how did henry’s desire for an annulment lead to increased influence of protestant reform?

• encouraged criticism of pope and english clergy 1529 onwards

• allowed reform to be demanded openly to pressurise pope into granting annulment

• growth of influence of sympathetic individuals e.g. anne boleyn and thomas cromwell

• reformers able to develop ideas, increase support and gain influence in both government and the church

how did protestant reformists benefit from henry’s policy to pressurise pope into granting annulment?

• relieved from persecution

• able to influence debate of future of church in england

• gained confidence from henry’s campaign to win support for divorce from european universities

• able to develop ideas, increase support and gain influence within government and church itself

who inspired william tyndale and why was he significant?

• influenced by the humanist desiderius erasmus and the ideology of martin luther

• first person to translate bible from first greek and hebrew texts into english

• first published in 1525 in germany with copies being smuggled into england

• translation of the bible challenged ideas about the importance of the church

how did anne boleyn influence religious reforms?

• drew henry’s attention to the work of william tyndale

• encouraged henry to appoint reformers to positions of power and influence

  • hugh latimer → bishop of worcester, later Church of England Chaplain to Edward VI

  • thomas cranmer → boleyn faction chaplain until 1532, archbishop of canterbury

• found to be pregnant jan 1533 → desperation for annulment compounded to legitimise secret marriage and make baby legitimate heir to the throne

key protestant individuals championed by anne boleyn

• hugh latimer → bishop of worcester, later Church of England Chaplain to Edward VI

• thomas cranmer → boleyn faction chaplain until 1532, archbishop of canterbury

how did the position of reformers change by 1536 (and onwards)?

• individuals favouring lutheranism became firmly established in government

• henry remained firmly against doctrinal change, solely political reform to attain annulment

  • debate for doctrinal change began at court nonetheless

• preachers spreading protestant ideas more openly

• anne’s influence lost after execution 1536

• cromwell and cranmer remained influential up to 1540

• reformist seymour faction gained influence at court 1536 after marriage of jane seymour to henry

  • jane seymour did NOT get involved in religious policy

what was the role of parliament in the reformation? change to role of parliament?

• reforms predominantly passed as acts of parliament

  • made reforms politically credible and legitimate

  • gave message that they had been passed with consensus and the will of the people

  • established precedent that parliament had the right to control church affairs and religious issues

briefly, what changes to doctrine were made 1534-39?

• monasteries dissolved

• henry remained religiously conservative/ catholic so had to proceed with caution

• cromwell and cranmer reformed church teachings to introduce more protestant elements

  • holy days reduced

  • pilgrimages discouraged

  • introduction of an english bible

changes to religious reform in 1539? impacts?

• duke of norfolk and conservative faction persuaded parliament to introduce 1539 act of six articles

• marked period of removal of protestant elements of church doctrine

• contributed to execution of cromwell 1540

• control of religious policy moved to conservative faction at court

  • strengthened by marriage of katherine howard 1540

what was 1543-47 nicknamed? why?

• 1543-47 : catholicism without the pope

• doctrine and practice remained virtually unchanged from traditional catholic

• henry had financial and political control but change was restricted solely to that

main evidence of ‘transformation’ of church by 1547?

• country had removed control of pope entirely w/ monarch as supreme head of the church

• king had control over all political, financial and religiolus elements of english church

• reduction to no: holy days

• bible now in english

• pilgrimages discouraged

• worship of saints and other superstitious practices discouraged

• ALL monasteries shut down

evidence of continuity/ disproving ‘transformation’ of the church by 1547

• preaching of protestant ideas remained suppressed

• some holy days still celebrated

• main doctrine of church remained catholic

  • transubstantiation, 7 sacraments, confessionals, celibacy of priests

• services still mostly in latin

• churches still used iconography → images of saints, virgin mary, crucifixion etc

what occurred in 1535 that gave henry greater power over the church?

• thomas cromwell was appointed as vicar general by henry

• became the deputy in the daily running of the church

reforms made in 1536

• act of the dissolution of smaller monasteries

• act of the ten articles

• royal injunctions

what was the purpose of the 1536 dissolution of smaller monasteries?

• justified by cromwell’s investigations of the church and the publications of the valor ecclesiasticus and the comperta

• closed all religious houses with lands worth less than £200 p/a

• all property forfeit to crown → bolsters crown income

• 339 smaller monasteries closed

how many smaller monasteries closed under the 1536 smaller monasteries act?

339 smaller monasteries closed

what was the purpose of the 1536 act of the ten articles?

• example of cromwell utilising power as vicar general and cranmer manipulating the convocation

• 7 sacraments rejected

  • only baptism, eucharist and penance deemed as necessary for salvation

  • beginning of change to protestantism, extent of change remains minor and short term

what was the purpose of the 1536 royal injunctions?

• discouraged pilgrimaged

• veneration of relics condemned

• number of holy days reduced

• increased funding for education

  • taught the lord‘s prayer, the 10 commandments and other scripture

what did the act of the ten articles and the royal injunctions order the clergy to do?

• defend royal supremacy in sermons

• abandon pilgrimages → tomb of thomas beckett in canterbury destroyed

religious reforms in 1537

• the bishops book

what was the purpose of the 1537 bishops book?

• written by cromwell and cranmer → motivated by increasing popularity of reformist ideas

• attempts to establish more protestant form of worship

• later amended by henry to retain more catholic ideas, remained reluctant

• restored with lower status the 4 sacraments removed in the act of the 10 articles

• evidence of gradual shift to protestantism

how can the bishop’s book be used as evidence arguing against the transformation of the church?

• no discussion of transubstantiation

• issue of mass remained unaddressed

• special status of priests now understated

• the bishops book was NEVER FULLY AUTHORISED

what reforms to the church were made in 1538?

• royal injunctions to the clergy issued by cromwell

• the excommunication of henry from the catholic church

what was the purpose of the royal injunctions to the clergy issued by cromwell?

• english bible to be place in ALL parish churches within 2 years

  • ordinary people/ laity encouraged to read it

• continuation of discouragement of pilgrimaged

  • destruction of the tomb of thomas beckett in canterbury

• relics to be entirely removed from churches

consequence of the 1538 excommunication of henry viii by papal bull

increased threat of attack from catholic charles v and francis i (threat due to desire for vengeance and religious conflict)

religious reforms made in 1539

• dissolution of larger monasteries

• act of the six articles

what was the purpose of the 1539 act of the dissolution of larger monasteries?

• end of monasticism, all monasteries now closed

• 563 religious houses dissolved

• 8000 monks pensioned off

• crown income doubled

• £1.3 million windfall

• buildings in disrepair by 1540

• 1/5 of monks secured other paid positions within the church

what was the final religious houses to be closed following the 1539 larger monasteries act?

waltham abbey, closed in 1540

how many religious houses were closed under the 1539 larger monasteries act?

563 religious houses

how many monks were pensioned off in the final stages of the dissolution of the monasteries (1539)?

8000 monks were pensioned off

how was crown income affected by the dissolution of larger monasteries 1539?

• crown income doubled

• from £125,000 p/a to £250,000 p/a

what was the windfall from the dissolution of larger monasteries 1539?

£1.3 million in windfall

what was the purpose of the act of six articles?

• continued to reassert catholic doctrine, limited extent of protestant reform

• denied of transubstantiation now deemed ‘heretical’

• private masses and confession now confirmed

• marriage of priests BANNED

• severe penalties for those who opposed the act

religious reforms in 1540

court of augmentation established

purpose of the 1540 court of augmentations

a new branch of the council to handle the new property and income forfeited to the crown in the dissolution of the monasteries

religious reforms in 1543

• the kings book

• act for the advancement of true religion

purpose of the 1542 King’s book

• revision of the bishops book 1537

• defended traditional catholic ceremonies and the use of iconography, restored catholic beliefs in accordance w/ conservative views

  • e.g. transubstantiation and the act of the six articles

purpose of the 1543 act for the advancement of true religion

• restricted the practice of personally reading the bible to adult upper class men ONLY (and noble women in private)

religious reform in 1546/47

• henry viii named balanced but protestant leaning regency council for son Edward VI to inherit