Reformation Flashcards
Was there much support for change in the Church before 1529?
No, and the decision to break with Rome largely came from Henry’s wish for a divorce, and as the church was also very wealthy, it meant that Henry would receive a lot of money
When did Henry end ties with Rome?
In 1533, with Anne Boleyn pregnant and declared the preamble to the Act in Restraint of Appeals, that ‘this realm of England is an empire’
What was brought in between 1534 and 1536?
Parliament passed a series of statutes which abolished papal authority in England, and in 1534 the Act of Supremacy brought the biggest change which recognised Henry as head of the Church in England, along with eh 1534 Treason Act, that made it a crime to criticise the changes, the marriage and the succession
Who was introduced as Archbishop of Canterbury?
Thomas Cranmer
Who was introduced as the King’s deputy in Church affairs?
Thomas Cromwell
What religious swings occurred after 1534?
1538-1539 there appeared to be a swing towards Protestantism or a more reformed religion, 1530-1540 saw a return to more traditional/Catholic practices, 1540-1543 saw a period of religious confusion and 1544-1547 saw the triumph of the reformed faction
What changes were there to popular opinion of monks and monasteries?
Once Henry was legally acknowledged as the head of the Church in England, questions about accompanying reform needed to be addressed. There were around 800 monasteries, covets and other religious houses across England and Wales, and monks and nuns were treated with awe and respect, and so separated themselves from the communities, avoiding daily contact if possible. However, by the 16th century the monasteries were viewed as corrupt, and the high regard they held almost vanished, with the number of regular clergy declining to about 10,000, with some monasteries having fewer than a dozen monks
What impact did the behaviour of the clergy have on the dissolution?
As head of the church, the king could order inspections on any religious establishment, and a survey was carried out on Cromwell’s orders in 1536, finding that abuse and corruption were common in the smaller monasteries, with monks not acting as they should, although the level of corruption was probably not much worse than the clergy as a whole. Cromwell instructed inspectors to find the most damaging evidence for each institution they visited, even if that meant listening to unfounded gossip and rumour
What impact did financial reasons have on the dissolution?
In 1536 there was a commissioned survey of property of the smaller monasteries, known as ‘valor ecclesiasticus’, which found that these monasteries had the potential to double toe crown’s annual income at a time when Henry needed money to further his ambitions abroad, making the seizure of the assets of the monasteries very tempting, and seizing land would also be a way of distributing it to get support from the noble and gentry, and as they were a constant reminder of the Roman Catholic Church, although Monks and nuns had to swear an oath recognising Henry as the head of the church, they were still potential sources of resistance to royal supremacy
How was the primary role of monasteries challenged by protestant theology?
The primary role of monasteries was to pray for the salvation of souls, not in keeping with protestant theology of individual faith in God, leading to them being reviewed as outdated and irrelevant institutions to those who wanted reform
What was Cromwell’s three part approach to rid the country of monastic traditions?
First he gathered evidence to show that religious houses were unfit to continue, secondly he began to dissolve smaller monasteries and finally he moved to abolish the rest
What was the Act of Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries?
It was passed in 1536 by parliament and closed all religious hoses with lands valued at under £200 per year
What was the Act of the Dissolution of the Greater Monasteries?
It was passed in 1539 by parliament and extended the closures to all religious houses except chantries
What was the Court of Augmentations?
It was established in 1540 with Richard Rich as Chancellor to handle the property and income of the dissolved monasteries
What happened to the dissolved monasteries?
Valuables were confiscated and melted down, including lead from their roofs. Many impressive monastic buildings that had been a feature of the medieval landscape fell into disrepair and became curling ruins whereas others were sold off to become houses for the wealthy, and the main beneficiaries were the king and the nobility
