AS FP2 : Henry VIII, Religious ideas and reform Flashcards
(26 cards)
How far was the church in need of reform in 1529?
During the reign of Henry VIII, Renaissance ideas began to flourish, particularly among elite groups in society ; what was the impact of humanism on education?
- John Colet, Paul’s school London - school governors came from city guilds rather than the clergy and the ciriculum contained humanist elements.
- Magdalen college, Oxford, adopted platonist teachings.
How far was the church in need of reform in 1529?
What is some evidence for the growing influence of Renaissance ideas on English culutre?
- Knowledge of classical learning increased amongst elite groups
- Growing number of schools influenced by humanist education.
- Henry VIII saw himself as a promoter of new ideas and of humanism
- Increase in the need for well-educated diplomats who could communicate eloquently with their counterparts abroad.
- Presence of Thomas More, Thomas Lupset and Thomas Starkey in England, influential humanists.
Weaknesses of the Church
What were the believed abuses and corruption of the Church?
A range of offences involving courruption was associated with the Church, these including pluralism (recieving profits from more than one post), simony (the purchase of church office) and non-residence.
The best example of a corrupt Churchman is Wolsey who, despite being Archbishop of York, never spent any time there
Weaknesses of the Church, conceptual awareness
What was the state of the Church before the reformation?
The clergy composed of 2 archbishops, 21 bishops, 9,000 parish priests and 40,000 chantry priests. Most low-level clergymen had a salary of £8 a year, whereas bishops could be paid £2000 a year and fulfilled administrative duties which took them away from their dioceses.
Monastaries could have revenues in excess of £4000, e.g Glastonbury, and received endownments.
Weaknesses of the Church
What is some evidence for the growing anticlericalism in Henry VIII’s reign?
Murder of Richard Hunne.
There was growing anticlericalism in Henry VIII’s reign :
- Church owned 1/3 of all land and some believed that it was more invested in collecting rents and tithes than serving the people.
- Church charged high fees for reading wills and burial services :
Murder of Richard Hunne, 1514
Richard Hunne refused to pay a mortuary fee for his son’s death, he was later found dead in his cell, evidently murdered but covered up to look like a suicide. Disasterous for the reputation of the Church and Wolsey was forced to beg for forgiveness in parliament.
- Clergy had special benefits meaning they were exempt from being judged outside the church courts.
- Widespread pluralism, wolsey had multiple offices and resided at the luxurious hampton court.
- Some clergy behaved inappropriately, living with mistresses and fathering illegitemate children. Wolsey had a mistress and a son.
Weaknesses of the Church
What is the evidence for an early decline in monasticism?
Precedents for dissolving monastaries already existed by the 1530s, Wolsey secured the dissolution of around 20 houses in the 1520s.
Evidence of early English protestantism
What is the evidence for early english protestantism?
There is some evidence for the existence and influence of German reformers in London and east-coast ports since the 1520s. There was a nucleus of future reformers based in the White Horse Inn in Cambridge, the most influential of which being Thomas Cranmer.
Robert Barnes (1540) and Thomas Binley (1533) were part of this group but were later burnt for heresy.
Otherwise, evidence for committed evangelism is thin.
Erasmianism and the Reformation
Evidence of humanism persisting during Henry VIII’s reign :
- Two influential humanists existed in royal circles, Thomas More and Bishop Fisher, however they both paid with their lives for their opposition to religious changes.
- Cranmer had the king’s favour
- Humanist, John Cheke, tutored Edward and Roger Ascham tutored Elizabeth.
- Katherine Parr was a humanist and patron of arts and literature.
Erasmianism and the Reformation
What was the impact of the influence of contential reformers in England?
There is little indication that continential reformist ideas were popular outside university and court circles ; Lutherian ideas enetered England in 1520 and were quickly denounced, with Henry being rewarded with the title of “Defender of the Faith” in 1521 for his book, “Defence of the seven sacrements.”
Lutherianism was established in areas where lollardism originally existed, however levels of literacy in England were low adn the extent to which new ideas could be spread were limited.
Reformation parliament
What type of reformer was Henry?
Henry was a reluctant reformer, it was Anne’s pregnancy in 1533 that pushed him to break with Rome.
Reformation parliament
Give the dates and corresponding acts of reformation parliament.
1531 - English clergy collectively accused of praemanire and fined.
1532 - submission of the clergy
1533 - Act of appeals / Annates
1534 - Act of Supremacy / Succession and treason.
Reformation parliament
What changes were made to the Church’s structure through the reformation parliament?
1534, Act of Supremacy ; Henry becomes Supreme Head of the Church, displacing the Pope. He appoints Cromwell as the Vicegerent in Spirituals, 1534, Cromwell was only second to the King in the Church hierarchy, giving him considerable power.
Six new dioceses were created in an attempt to improve the administration of the Church.
No other reforms were made to the structure of the Church, in this way the Church of England differed to the reformed Churches of Europe.
Attacks on religious practices
What and when were the first set of Royal Injunctions?
Royal Injunctions, 1536 placed a restriction on the number of Holy Days and discouraged pilgrimages.
Attacks on religious practices
What and when were the second set of Royal Injunctions?
Royal Injunctions 1538, pilgrimages, veneration of relics and images were condemned as “works devised by men’s fantasies.” Clergy who upheld the virtue of these must publically recant.
English Bible in every church, and the ‘Advancement of True Religion’, 1543, restricted public reading of the Bible to upper-class males.
Changes to Doctrine
What and when was the Act of Ten Articles?
The Act of Ten articles removed all seven sacrements, except Baptism, Eucharist, and Penance ; Radical changes with some conservative elements.
Changes to Doctrine
What and when was the Bishop’s book?
The Bishop’s Book, 1537, restored ommitted sacrements, it was more conservative reflecting Henry’s increasing paranoia about sinning and international relations.
Changes to Doctrine
What and when was the Act of Six Articles?
The Act of Six Articles, 1539, reasserted catholic doctrine in a response to the tension created by Henry’s excommunication and the Treaty of Nice (1538).
Changes to Doctrine
What and when was the King’s Book?
The King’s Book, 1543, revised the Bishops’ book with the emphasis on conservative elements, some lutherian ideas.
Changes to Doctrine
What does the lack of a consistent pattern to doctrinal change reflect about Henry?
There was no consistent pattern of doctrinal change, which reflected the King’s inability to make up his mind about such matters.
Dissolution of the monastaries
What and when was the Valor Ecclesiasticus?
The Valor Ecclesiasticus, 1535, was a commission into the wealth and corruption of the church in England - though exaggerated by Cromwell - it found that the monastaries were cirrupt and needed to close down.
Dissolution of the monastaries
What were the motivations behind the cclosing of the monastaries?
- Valor Ecclesiasticus
- Financial necessity, the government needed money to strengthen its defences, pay for troops in Ireland and meet the rising costs of administration, monastic rents would yield £136,000 a year.
- Political security, by closing the monastaries Henry ended the final enclave of papal power.
Dissolution of the monastaries
What was the process of the dissolution of the monastaries?
As early as 1532 some heads of houses were encouraged to surrender their keys to the king. Those who co-operated recieved good pensions and conditions.
The first Act of Dissolution (1536) shut down monastaries with an income below £200.
Second Act of Dissolution (1539) shut down the remainder.
The Acts fof 1536 adn 1539 compelled submission, to refuse was tantamount to treason.
From 1536, a Court of Augmentations operated in London to handle the collection of rents, pension payments and to resolve disputes.
Dissolution of the monastaries
What were the results of the dissolution of the monastaries?
- Pilgrimage of Grace
- From 1539 most monks and nuns recieved pensions, but they were not inflation proof.
- Land sales began in 1540, brought the crown £800,000 by 1547, plate sales produced £80,000 ; purchasers were gentry, nobles and merchants.
- Henry founded a small number of grammar schools and almhouses.
- Trinity college, Cambridge, was completed, and Christ Church, Oxford, founded.
- Eight Cathedrals were re-endowed with lands.
- Six new Dioceses established.
- An unknown number of holy relics and ancient manuscripts were destroyed.
Dissolution of the monastaries
What was the economic benefit of dissolving the monastaries?
Monastric wealth was 10% of Kingdom’s wealth, Crown income increased from £120,000 pa to £250,000 pa
