Religion and Change

Cards (28)

  • Times of extreme and unprecedented religious turmoil and turbulence in the country
  • Edward VI was brought up as a Protestant by his father and continued his education in this manner
  • Edward had more influence over matters of state towards the end of his reign due to the influence of Somerset and Northumberland
  • Edward, well educated on the matters at hand, had a falling out with his older sister, Mary, over her continued Catholicism when he was 13 and she was 34
  • Both Henry’s protectors/president of the council were strong Protestants, leading the country towards Protestantism during Edward's reign
  • 2 prayer books were published during Edward's reign, increasing in Protestant thoughts and actions each time
  • Under Somerset =
    -          Reintroduction of the royal injunctions: created by Cromwell in 1538, encouraged use of bible in English and church and Iconoclasm- statue removal. 
    -          1547- Parliament revoke previous legislation: Act of Six articles- Transubstantiation vs consubstantiation.  
    ·         Transubstantiation = Catholic, is the body and blood of Christ.  
    ·         Consubstantiation = Protestant, is the representative of Christ.  
  • In 1547, 2374 chantries were dissolved. Chantries were smaller add-ons at the end of churches, paid for by the richer upper class to ensure grace in the afterlife
  • 2500 priests were made redundant as a result of the dissolution of the chantries
  • A £160K payout was made during the dissolution of the chantries
  • The chantries were considered too Catholic because they were associated with the belief in purgatory, which was a Catholic concept. Chantry priests prayed for people to pass through purgatory, which was removed in the Protestant era
  • The £160K payout was used to fund Somerset's FP, which was about 20% of the Dissolution of the monasteries
  • The Prayer Book of 1549, also known as the Act of Uniformity and Book of Common Prayer, was a major reform in Somerset's religious legacy, written by AOC Cranmer
  • Despite being considered a conservative change, it introduced some key changes:
    • Implemented a single common form for services across England
    • Translated the Latin texts into English to promote understanding of the key texts
  • The book did not fully embrace the Catholic idea of Transubstantiation, leaving it ambiguous, which pleased Catholics
  • During this time, Catholics faced upheaval and tension due to:
    • Injunctions
    • Changes in the Prayer book
    • Closure of chantries, confraternities, and guilds, affecting holidays and festivities
  • The reform seemed like an attack on the Catholic church and its traditions, causing worry among the people
  • This reform marked a significant departure from the Catholic Church and Henry VII's version of Protestantism
  • Under Northumberland's rule after the coup, the following strategies were implemented:
    • Continue Protestant reforms that were too weak under Somerset
    • Steal as much money as possible from the Church
  • Northumberland, previously cautious and conservative, began pushing reforms in a more radical direction due to several reasons:
    • Archbishop of Canterbury Cranmer was becoming more radical, introducing the New Book of Common Prayer
    • Radical clergy such as Hooper and Ridley were prominent
    • Foreign influence from reformers like Bucer, Martyr, and Bullinger living in England, promoting Zwinglianism
    • Edward VI was coming of age, asserting his own opinions and ideas, which was the most important reason for the radical shift
  • -          Cranmer’s 42 Articles of Religion: published in July 1552.
    ·         Strongly protestant and determined to reform the country.
    ·         Confirmed a reformation pathway.
    ·         Influence by Calvin and Luther – rejected purgatory and emphasises Sola Fida.
    ·         The crown with Northumberland at the helm, and Cranmer on his heels, pursued a systematic policy of asset stripping, extracting money from the church though seizing the land and property of the bishops and their bishoprics.  
  • -          1553 Instructions to Bishops:
    ·         Alters were placed with communion tables.
    ·         Clergy shouldn’t wear vestments in services.
  • -          Treason Act 1552:
    ·         It was an offense to question royal supremacy. Anyone who said the king was a heretic would be ‘punished’ = forfeit all goods and face imprisonment.
  • -          Extracting Wealth from the Church:
    ·         Effects from Expenditure of Protectorate: plundering property of Bishops.
    ·         Bishops of Exeter and Winchester made ‘grants’ to the crown.
    ·         Gloucester and Worcester combined – crown skimmed off top. 
    ·         In January 153, the crown confiscated gold and silver church plate.
  • Prayer Book of 1552 changes:
    • Removal of remaining conservative ceremonies that didn't fit the regime radicalism
    • Conservatives could no longer find anything in the prayer book which they could accept
    • Rejected transubstantiation
    • Rewriting of baptism, confirmation, and burial services to make them more easily understood by congregations
    • Significance: showed Cranmer's desire for greater simplicity in church services
  • Radical reform of communion:
    • Needed a decisive change from the ambiguity of the 1549 prayer book
    • Showed influence of Zwinglianism in the Eucharistic declaration
    • Wafer was replaced by bread
    • Black rubric explained that kneeling in communion is for respect not adoration
    • Removed traces of Mass
  • Vestments changes:
    • Ban placed on catholic vestments due to superstition
    • Simpler clerical vestments were brought in, placing less importance on the pope
  • Church Music changes:
    • Restriction on the use of church music due to protestant belief that it hindered religious understanding
    • Reflected greater simplicity in the church