Henry vii - religion, humanism and art

what did humanism impact

politics, education and religion

who were the earliest humanist scholars of influence

William Grocyn and Thomas Lincare

what did Grocyn lecture ?

the ideas of Plato and Atristotle at Oxford

what was Linacre influenced by ?

scientific thinking he’d acquired in Italy

who was another influential educator?

John Colet

what did Colet attempt to do

reform the church with ally, Desiderius Erasmus

did humanism/renaissance have an impact on England?

no, not in Henry vii’s reign

had little impression

what provided elementary education for the young

song schools and reading schools

grammar schools = secondary education (focused on latin)

monks taught boys

how many grammar schools were founded between 1460-1509

53

what was the problem with schools?

• ample provisions for the wealthy

• for majority, access depended on where they lived

what did the 1480s bring in education

a change in approach - humanistic approach

especially at Magdalen College school, Oxford

what happened to oxbridge ?

Oxford-expansion

cambridge - founded 7 new colleges

= Margaret beaufort was responsible for the foundation of Christ’s College and St John’s college

what was the most popular art form?

drama

what were plays performed in association with

church-ale festivals

eg. Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire 1490

what were the most famous plays

mystery plays at feasts of Corpus Christi by guilds of towns/cities

• york

• Lincoln

• wakefield

• coventry

what did plays offer the public

straightforward moral and religious messages for moral improvement

what did music undergo?

beginnings of a renaissance

=single chants to polyphonic choral music

most important surviving source of music?

Eton Choirbook , made in 1505

made of 93 separate music collections

what style were churches built in

gothic perpendicular style

what did the change in architectural style imply

the amount of investment which took place

eg. St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol // major wool churches in East Anglia

what did Henry approve in 1502

gothic perpendicular style for the Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey

what did English culture follow

gothic traditions of northwestern Europe

who and when was the printing press established

William Caxton in 1478

printed works like chivalric romances and Canterbury tales

how and when did tastes change

by 1509 (Henry vii death)

humanist influences had reached England and people fell out of love with Caxton’s work

-labelled unfashionable

how many parish churches were there at the start of Henry vii reign

over 8000

what did the church provide

popular entertainment

festivals (linked closely with agricultural year)

employment what

what did the churches guilds and confraternities offer

charity, good fellowship and chance for ordinary people to contribute to good of community

what was the relationship between church and state like

Erastian (state should have authority over church)

what did the church also maintain?

social divisons

how was the Church in England split?

into two provinces - Canterbury and York

each under jurisdiction of archbishop, and then 17 diocese

powerful churchmen

• John morton

• Richard fox

• Margaret beaufort’s great uncle = bishop of Winchester and cardinal

what did the church provide socially

outward structures for community life

function of church

spread and uphold Christianity

offered ways for people to acquire grace/minimise time in purgatory

how did the rich reduce time in purgatory

• following 7 scraments

• left goods in wills to church

• endowments

• chantry chapels

how did the poor gain salvation

praying to saints like St Christopher

what did church give people socially?

it was the only stone building in the parish

where ordinary people would experience art and music

church’s social role

• time for socialising (met once a week)

• shelter in weather / smelt good = positive sensual environment

• place of celebration (marriage, birth, funerals)

• bede rolls

• promoted pilgrimage

what had been gifted to church for generations

sums of money, which made people feel proud

= often had rivalry with neighbouring churches

how was church decorated

stained glass windows, religious images (Dooms Painting), icons of local patron saints

what did the monasteries provide people with

help and welfare

the parish priest = confidante and mentor

who granted days off work

the church

what did the church reinforce

Great Chain of Being - the greenly and nobility would have separate standing/seating in church

to challenge this order = heretical

what was the role of friars

used in priories in towns/cities

like modern day social workers - helped and supported the poor and needy

how were friars mainly supported

by charitable donations

how many people were monks

1% men c1500 were monks in monastries

what did monasteries provide

shelter, infirmaries and accommodation for travellers

who were the oldest/most common religious order

the Benedictines - devised first monastic rule

• had massive houses which also operated as cathedral churches

name two more religious orders

cistercians

carthusians

(founded in 11 century)

who was the richest institution in england?

church

what was the church annual tax know as

tithes - took 10% (mainly as agricultural produce)

name other examples of church revenue streams

Peter’s Pence (to pope)

fees for baptisms/weddings/funerals …

what did the pope sometimes issue

indulgences, which were then sold to the faithful in England/europe

what happened with the majority of money raised by indulgences

taken to Rome

eg. to build St. Peter's Basilica in 1506

how long did it take to construct St Peters Basilica

120 years

what was the wealthiest/most famous pilgrimage site?

Our Lady (Mary) of Walsingham

these honeypots were used for commercial interests

how much of the land did the church own

1/3 = given by the faithful, as gifts and good works

who did the church employ

10,000 priests

12,000 monks and nuns

population at this time was 3 million

who in the church held economic influence

higher clergy (archbishops/bishops)

how many religious houses were there across England at this time

800

how was most church land used

rented out for agricultural use

who did monasteries employ

-peasant farmers

-overseers

-shepherds

-accountants

what were monasteries/churches a single source of

shelter, charity and welfare

how much did monastic houses give out of their income

1535 = 2.5%

why is Wolsey a good example of economic success

richer than the king

had Hampton court

how did the church offer hope and comfort

many lived in a world of illness, famine, plague, war and conflict

had harsh, brutal lives

• church offered a utopian afterlife

what was the RCC based upon

7 sacraments

how many monasteries were there in England

800

what did the belief in afterlife/purgatory lead to

needing to confess/complete penance

why were the clergy important in RC beliefs

only clergy could pray directly to god (intersession)

these prayers had to be paid for by relatives or indulgences

how did you get indulgences

by paying for them in life/money left in will

what language was the bible in and why was this important

Latin

-believed only ordained priests could interpret bible.

what adorned all churched

statues and paintings of saints (ornate and colourful)

what did people believe about god

he was omnipotent and omnipresent

where did the ideas of witchcraft/sorcery come from

the idea that the devil/evil could intervene in the world

who found the Lollards

John Wycliffe

when did Lollardism emerge?

second half of 14th century

what did lollardism place stress on

understanding the bible in English

what did the lollards believe about RCC

-it was corrupt

-skeptical about transubstantiation

-didnt agree with importance of priesthood

where were the lollards supported

south England

when did the failed lollard uprising occur

1414

suport declined

why weren’t the lollards a threat?

secret/underground organisation

100 years on and the RCC was still powerful

how many lollards were burnt between 1414-1522

70