Religion,humanism,arts and learning

Which religion did English people belong to in the 15th century?

Roman catholicism

Church's Power:

The Catholic Church controlled vast landholdings and wealth through tithes, endowments, and lands given to monasteries and convents. It also had power over important aspects of life, such as marriage, education, and the administration of justice.

1. What was the political role of the Pope?

1. -spiritual leader of the catholic church and held significant influence over england

1. Did the Pope interfere with the running of the State?

1. Erastian - the view that the state should have authority over the church

politics and the church

• The Church was deeply intertwined with politics:

  • Senior clergy like John Morton and Richard Fox held key government roles.

• The Church reinforced social hierarchy and obedience, aligning with Henry’s aims to establish order after the Wars of the Roses.

economics and the church

• The Church was extremely wealthy:

  • Owned around 1/3 of English land.

  • Collected tithes (10% of produce/income from the people).

• It influenced local economies through festivals, pilgrimages, and monastic hospitality

popularity and social role of the church

• Regular church attendance was the norm; there was no significant anti-clericalism during Henry’s reign.

• Most people believed in the authority of the Church and participated in rituals (baptisms, marriages, funerals).

1. Characterise senior Churchmen. What skills did they have?

1. The most senior clergymen - highly competent professionals often with legal training performed duties to the church and state

1. Who made up the House of Lords?

1. Abbots and bishops

1. Why was the parish Church so important in medieval England?

1. As it was central to religious experience and this period was the age of the parish church

2. Its function was to not only uphold christian teachings but to offer ways an individual would acquire grace to reach heaven and minimize the time spent in purgatory

John Colet (1467–1519):

A key humanist scholar, became an important figure in the development of humanist education in England. He became the Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral and is known for founding the St. Paul’s School in 1509, which promoted humanist learning.

Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536)

, a Dutch scholar, visited England during Henry VII’s reign and became a prominent humanist figure. His works, including the Greek New Testament, had a profound impact on humanism and religious thought in England. Erasmus became a mentor to many English humanists, including Thomas More.

Impact of Humanism on Religion:

encouraged more critical thinking about religious texts, such as the Bible.

John Colet and other humanists advocated for reforms in the Church, calling for a return to the original Christian sources and a more personal and intellectual approach to religion.

1. Who invested in the Church, what were they called and why did the invest?

1. Benefactors - they donated in order to reduce their time spent in purgatory, a way of benefiting their religious experience for themselves and their community

1. Why did people go on Pilgrimage?

1. Gain relief from purgatory , show devotion , connect closer with God

1. What was Rogation Sunday? What did it signify?

1. A simpler form on pilgrimage , where the whole community would “beat the bounds” of the parish  carrying banners and the parish cross to ward off evil spirits

1. How many monks were there by 1500

2. and how many monasteries

1. 1% of the adult male population

2. 900

1. Name 3 religious orders

1. Benedictine

2. Cistercians

3. Carthusians

who were these monks

large proportion of monks in the larger houses were drawn from the wealthier parts of society

1. Name 3 orders of friars

1. Domincians

2. Franciscans

3. Augustians

1. Who were the Lollards? What did they believe?

1. They placed stressed on the understanding of the bible and favored the bibles translation into english,they were skeptical about transubstantiation and the principles of the eucharist , they also denied the idea of a special status associated with priesthood, , they found the catholic  church to be corrupt

1. What were they accused of?

1. Accused of having heresy beliefs - the denial of validity of the key doctrines of the church

Humanism

development of the renaissance of the fourteeenth century and was founded on the rediscovery of original latin and greek texts

Printing Press:

The printing press was introduced to England in the late 15th century, It allowed for the rapid spread of books and learning, including religious texts and classical works. The works of Erasmus and other humanist scholars began to be printed and circulated widely, paving the way for the Reformation.

Thomas Moore

author of utopia

WIlliam Grocyn

earliest humanist scholar

lectured at oxford in the 1480s on plato and aristotle

Erastianism

- 1489 Statute of Uses: closed legal loopholes used by the Church and other landowners to avoid paying feudal dues

- 1509: by the end of his reign, Henry had appointed 16 bishops who were lawyers and only 6 who were theologians (ensuring clergy were primarily administrators for the state)

- revenue from vacant bishoprics: received over £6000 per annum by keeping bishoprics vacant and taking their revenues

absenteeism

Absenteeism were priests neglected their parishes undermined the churches credibility

Pluralism allowed clergy to hold multiple positions, leading to conflicts of interests and reduced pastoral care

Simony, the sale of church positions highlighted corruption within the church hierarchy.

The quality of clergy carried significantly with some failing to adhere to their vows and lacking proper education, which was problematic given latin services

political engineering

1485-1486: John Morton secured papal recognition of Henry’s legitimacy as King

- 1486: marriage dispensation for Henry to marry Elizabeth of York

- 1493: John Morton elevated to rank of Cardinal by the Pope = stronger relationship between Church and Crown

- 1504: Feudal Aid granted by Parliament for Prince Arthur’s knighting

erasmus book

1504: Erasmus publishes ‘The Handbook of a Christian Soldier’, advocating for internal faith over outward rituals