AS FP1, HVII, Religion Flashcards
(20 cards)
The function of the Church and Churchmen
Who were the influential nobles and churchment during Henry VII’s reign?
Nobles :
John de Verre, 13th Earl of Oxford
Lord Daubeney
Churchmen :
John Morton, Lord Chancellor + Cardinal
Richard Fox, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal by 1547
Conceptual Awareness - The function of the Church and Churchmen
What was the focus of religious experience during Henry VII’s reign?
During the reign of Henry VII all English people belonged to the Catholic Church in Rome, the 8000 parish churches were the focus of religious experience.
Additionally, the guilds and confraternities offered charity, good fellowship + an opportunity to give back to the community.
The function of the Church and Churchmen
What was the societal / political positions of bishops?
It was common for senior churchmen to enjoy psoitions of serious influence and power. Some offices of state, especially that of the Chancellor, were monopolised by clergymen.
Most senior clergymen under Henry were expected to be competent administrative professionals, often with legal training (e.g Bishop Fox).
The function of the Church and Churchmen
How did Henry VII use the Church to reinforce Royal Power?
Henry VII used the Church to reinforce royal power, he kept a tight control over Church appointments, selecting loyal, well-educated churchmen for important state posts.
The Church also strengthened royal control across the realm through its administrative structure in which Archbishops + Bishops were responsable for running their dioceses.
The function of the Church and Churchmen
What was Henry VII’s relationship with the Popes of his reign?
The Pope had no objection to Henry using the wealth of the Church to reward those he had given high political office to.
Henry declared his allegiance to Pope Innocent VIII who granted a dispensation for his marriage to Elizabeth, declaring their marriage legitimate.
Henry contributed £4000 in 1501 towards Pope Alexander VI’s crusading levy.
Religious Community, Beliefs and Services
How was the Church involved in daily life?
The Church provided the outward structures of community life, the Church controlled how an individual thought, reasoned and behaved.
The Church’s social role
What practice from Henry VII’s reign shines a light on why the dissolution of the monastaries caused such distress?
Benefactors would leave donations for the foundation of charities, benefactors saw these donations as a way of benefiting the religious experience of themselves and the community.
The Church’s social role
Guilds were enormously popular, how many were in the small parish of Salle in Norfolk alone?
There were seven guilds in the small parish of Salle.
The Church’s social role
How did pilgrimages emphasise the importance of the parish as the key focus of the local community?
A simple form of pilgrimage happened on Rogation Sunday, involved the whole community.
Religious Orders
Describe the state of religious communities in Henry VII’s reign?
- By c1500 one percent of adult males in England were monks.
- There were over 900 religious communities which could be found all over the country.
- Monks were often drawn from wealthy parts of society whereas friars were often from lower down the social scale.
The Lollards, Heresy and Anticlericalism
Who were the Lollards?
Lollards wanted the translation of the Bible in English and believed the Catholic Church to be corrupt, their views were considered heresy but still persisted in parts of southern England.
Their popularity declined in the 15th century and other forms of heresy were quite rare ; criticism of the church existed but was rare.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
What was humanism?
Humanism was a form of Renaissance thinking which challenged the reliability of Latin + Greek translations it was an intellectual trend amongst believers in the Catholic Faith.
Particular emphasis on free-will.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
Was Humanism popular in Henry VII’s reign?
Humanists, such as William Grocyn began to lecture at Oxford, John Colet believd it was a way to reform the Church and Erasmus had made visits to England.
At the time of Henry VII’s reign, Humanism and the Renaissance had little impression on England. English Intellectualism was mainly scholastic and viewed as outdated by Humanists.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
What were the developments in education?
53 new grammar schools were founded between 1460 and 1509, central to the grammar’s school cirriculum was the study of Latin but the 1480s saw the beginning of a humanistic approach.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
How did the Church and Drama interact?
Plays were sometimes presented in association with the Church Ale Festivals, e.g in Hertfordshire in 11490.
Performances were important occassions which set out straight forward and religious messages for the moral improvement of the audience.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
What was the evolution of music in Henry VII’s reign?
Music had begun to evolve, e.g polyphonic choral music emerged and some of the most important composers in England had strong links to Henry for instance Thomas Browne + Robert Fayrtax.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
What was Art and Architecture like under Henry VII?
There was a massive amount of building and rebuilding which occured in Parish Churches in the Gothic perpindicular style.
English culture still followed the Gothic style of North Western Europe which was seen as visually primitive, the new industry of printing was still only concerned with medieval culture such as Chacuer’s Canterbury tales + Chivalric romances.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
When was the printing press invented?
1478, by William Caxton.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
How did Humanism evolve after Henry VII’s death?
After the king’s death in 1509 humanism gained in popularity and a humanist concept for chivalric literature emerged.
Humanism, Arts and Learning
Summarise religion, humanism, arts and learning in Henry VII’s reign?
- Healthy relationship between church and state
- Little dissent although patches of lollardy did exist, the church fulfilled people’s spiritual needs and was in need of reform.
- Culture remained strong, speed of cultural change remained slow.
- Humanism was evident in education but its full impact would not be felt until the reign of Henry VIII.
- Visual culture remained gothic.
