SOCIAL IMPACT OF RELIGIOUS CHANGE

PUSH FACTORS (AWAY from Catholicism)

• Corruption amongst clergy:

  • abuses thought to have been growing, e.g. pluralism, non-residence, simony (purchasing church office) - Wolsey had been guilty of ALL)

• Anti-clericalism:

  • some lawyers objected to use of church law over common law

  • Hunne’s case - serious clergy misconduct - dressed up a murder as a suicide

  • Fish’s Supplication of the Beggars was used by govt in 1529 to support its attack on church corruption (however, purely convenient for H - doesn’t mean the anti-clerical feeling was widespread)

• Decline of monasticism: Wolsey had already dissolved around 20 monasteries in 1520s for financial/efficiency reasons and many monasteries had become businesses rather than religious institutions

PULL FACTORS (TOWARDS Protestantism)

• evangelists such as Luther and Zwingli emphasised the justification in the eyes of god (which came through faith alone) formed by reading and hearing the scriptures.

  • began to reject cornerstones of catholic faith, e.g. masses, saints, pilgrimages and church hierarchy all distractions from true faith.

  • Went much further than Erasmus but still believed in papal supremacy and the catholic doctrine.

• H’s title of “Defender of the Faith” had been revoked in 1536 following the BWR and H later excommunicated

• However H8 made parliament confer the title on him in 1544 - now a defender of the Anglican faith

DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES - IMPORTANCE

• early 16th century - at least 825 religious houses in England and Wales. Over 500 were monasteries. Many owned much land and employed many labourers. By 1540 - they were all closed

• Devoted their lives to saying prayers for the souls of the living/dead.

• Most poor in society went to them for assistance - if they no longer existed those who had to go to them would suffer even more

DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES - CAUSES

• 1535 Valor Ecclesiasticus conducted survey of property and value of monasteries. This revealed that if obtained they had the potential to double the crowns income and with H wanting to further his ambitions abroad the money was much needed.

• Permanent reminders of the Catholic Church - even though monks and nuns had been forced to swear an oath recognising H as the head of church, they were potential centres of resistance to royal supremacy. For those who wanted genuine Protestant reforms they were outdated institutions

DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES - IMPACT (Negative)

• smaller monasteries doses by statute in 1536, larger ones occupying land worth more than £200 were forced to surrender in 1537 and 1540.

• Monastery possessions vandalised and stolen in dissolution process

• As cost of foreign policy continued to rise in 1540s as well as inflation - H and successors sold most of ex-monastic lands. H had lost control of the land and possibility of using it to further raise money through the collection of taxes

• Caused social upheaval:

  • they offered help and shelter to the poor in communities across England

  • The monks and nuns who had lived and worked in monasteries lost their jobs and homes

DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES - IMPACT (Positive)

• H achieved vast amount of wealth - amounted to 10% of the crowns wealth.

• The money helped finance foreign policy until at least the end of his reign

• Establishment of Protestantism benefitted as Catholicism as prevented from being able to return to the abandoned monastic lands (acted as a barrier for Mary I’s reintroduction of Catholicism)

Reasons Henry was RIGHT to dissolve the monasteries

• the 30 richest monasteries were as rich/richer than the wealthiest nobles - acquired over centuries by people who hoped to ‘buy’ their way into heaven

• Wolsey had previously closed down monasteries with the full blessing of the pope as some of the religious houses in England had “decayed” - the lack of people in them had stopped them from being effective.

• Many religious houses relied on the local population to work or them for free

Reasons Henry was WRONG to dissolve the monasteries

• at least 6 were given royal permission to remain open (as the act gave H the right to do this) but they had to pay for their survival (usually a years income). Would’ve earned him £13k - shows he did it for finance not religion.

• For Valor Ecclesiasticus the visits were orchestrated by Legh and Layton - both trusted employees of Cromwell. It is assumed that they suitably adjusted the report to fit in with Cromwell’s plan.

• Govt commissioners were fast with shutting down the houses as they feared the moveable wealth/treasure of the houses would ‘disappear’. All of the valuable metals owned by the smaller monasteries were taken and melted down by govt.