The Church before the Reformation/ Religion under Henry VII Flashcards
When was the Reformation of the Church
During the 1530s
When was Henry’s break from Rome finalised
1534
In what year was Colet’s Sermon carried out
1511
What can be said about open or recorded criticism of the Church before 1530
Such criticism was very limited before 1530
Who was John Colet
A humanist scholar and Dean of St Paul’s, who preached a sermon that historians have made famous
Which important man was a friend of John Colet
Erasmus
Who were Colet’s criticisms aimed at
Aimed at the clergy
What did Colet claim about the clergy
He claimed that too many of those who served the Church were unduly ambitious (over ambitious) as they were greedy, covetous and took too much interest in worldly affairs, as they strove to move up the ecclesiastical hierarchy, in search of greater powers and they were often found guilty of moral laxity due to this.
What did Colet’s sermon not mean
That the Church was about to be radically reformed
How can Colet’s criticism be described
Colet’s criticism was traditional, generalised and exaggerated
What was a layman
A normal person, not employed by the Church
What type of man was Colet and how did this effect the threat of his sermon in the eyes of the Church
Colet was a churchman, meaning just sermon and his criticism was less of a threat than it would have been if he was a layman
What did Colet’s sermon prove
That the Church contained reforming spirits who wanted to see change and improve the Church
What was the impact of Colet’s sermon
- Made people realise that the secular Church was very much of this world, meaning it was hard for the Secular clergy to minister to the layman and to decide how to work in the secular and fallen world without being tainted by it
- Not Church’s fault if King appointed men who were educated and able ministers instead of spiritual men.
- King often expected Bishops to work for him in Central Government, farther than busting themselves in their dioceses (lands)
What effect did the King have in the Church in England
The King dominated the Church in England as he was able to appoint top churchmen or prelates (e.g bishops, Archbishops, abbots and priors) both regular and secular and could use the Church’s great wealth and land as a rich source of patronage, to improve crown finance.
