How did education and humanism develop during the time of Henry VII?

• John Colet was the most significant voice in English education at the time

• the education system appointed governors from a city guild rather than choosing clergymen, these governors then laid down the curriculum, this removes a heavy church influence from the education system.

• William Lily [ a humanist ]was appointed as the head of this establishment , he included work by Erasmus

Why did renaissance ideas become more influential ?

• knowledge of classical learning increased among the elites in society

• a growing number of schools became influenced by humanist approaches to education

• Henry VIII saw himself as a promoter of new ideas and of humanism

• the crown needed well educated diplomats who could communicate with their counterparts in other countries in a fashionable elegant style

3 areas of the areas the renaissance impacted

• Lady chapel- example of late 15 century perpendicular Gothic architecture

• Rood Screen- erected in the 1530’s in kings college chapel in Cambridge university

What were the weakness of the church ? and how did they lead to reforms?

Corruption

• pluralism was the act of receiving profits from more than one church post

• simony was the purchase of church office and non residence , it was getting the profits of the post without being there and doing the job . this could lead to reforms in the church by assessing the use of church offices

• anti clericalism- the opposition of political and social importance of the clergy a key example of this was the murder of Richard Hunne in 1524 which was disguised as a suicide but he was actually killed

• The decline of monasticism - historians claim it lost its sense of direction, when Wolsey closed around 20 houses in the 1520’s and Monk hood declined

What were the 3 main changes to the structures of the church and what was their significance ?

• the King became the supreme head of the church , this was confirmed by the act of supremacy in 1534 the act didn’t grant supremacy on the king

• king appoints Cromwell as Vicegerent in spirituals in 1534, this meant Cromwell came only second to the king and therefore meant he outranked the archbishops and bishops, this gave Cromwell considerable power over the church however this post died with him

• Six new dioces , this was an attempt to improve the churches administration

Time line of the dissolution of monasteries

• Valor ecclesiasticus [ a survey] was set up by Cromwell in 1535 which uncovered the richness of the church

• Nesct stage amassing evidence to dilute monistaries, in 1536 evidence let Cromwell justify disolving small monestaries under £200 anum

• 1539 act of dissolving all remaining monistaries passed

• by march 1540 all remaining houses were dissolved

Attack made on traditional religious practice

• first began in 1536 with royal injunctions, they discouraged pilgrimages

• second set of injunctions were in 1538, these encouraged moral conduct

• in 1538 pilgrimages and veneration was condemned as ‘ work devised by mens fantasies’

1536 ten articles

• only 3 sacraments were seen as necessary: Baptism,Penance,Eucharist.

• but the definition of Eucharist was ambiguous

1537 Bishops Book

• Restored 4 sacraments omitted from the 10 articles

• praying to saints for remission of sins was one of them,

• But they were given a lower status than the others

1539 Six articles

• this reinstated Catholic doctrine

• denial of transubstantiation was deemed heretical

Supremacy

signified the change in power between Henry and the pope . The breakdown of Rome in 1534 was quickly followed by the Act of supremacy in the same year. Making Henry significantly more powerful domestically

Church organisation

• the king became the head of the church which gave Henry more power

• Cromwell was second to Henry which placed him politically above any churchmen

Religious practices

Tried to create a mix of both lutherian and catholic practices to please both sides

Monasteries

closures and dissolution heavily benefited the crown