The Pre-Reformation Church Flashcards
(28 cards)
What was Heresy?
When someone believes in any other faith other than that of the monarch (Catholic)
Who was the most significant heretic?
Martin Luther - Founder of the Protestant faith
What did Martin Luther believe?
Faith was the most important thing ‘Justification by Faith Alone’
Priests were the same as every other person
Bible should be translated to all languages
What was Henry named by the Pope and why?
‘Defender of the Faith’ because he passionately defended the Catholic Faith
What book did Henry write to defend the Catholic Faith?
‘Assertio Septum Sacramentorum’ (In Defence of the 7 Sacraments)
How big a threat to the church was heresy? Why?
Not much of a threat - Lutheranism had a limited impact outside of Germany.
Easier to stop ideas entering because England is an island.
Few Lutherans in England - only small group of scholars in Cambridge - White Horse Group (Wider population not interested)
Few Lollards - not widely supported
Who were the Lollards?
Followed 14th Century theologian John Wyclif
What did the Lollards call for?
English Bible
Closure of monasteries
Priests to be treated as normal people
What did William Tyndale do?
Wrote an English Bible in 1525 and smuggled them into England
What was the punishment for being caught with an English Bible or being a heretic?
Executed
What was Anti-Papalism?
The belief that the Pope shouldn’t be the leader of the Church in England
Why were people anti-papal?
Church shouldn’t be led by a foreign Pope
How did Wolsey cause anti-papal feelings?
He brought the powers of the Pope into England - some people didn’t welcome interference from Rome.
His behaviour - wealth and illegitimate children
How big a threat to the church was anti-papalism? Why?
Not much of a threat - Limited in England as Pope was seen as remote figure without much day-to-day control of the church (no need to oppose him)
Some people who didn’t support the Pope preferred Erastianism
What was Erastianism?
The belief that the King should be head of the church not the Pope
Why were Erastian beliefs limited in England?
King had already established himself as protector of the church in England after conflict with the Pope in the 13th Century
The King not the Pope had control over appointments in the Church
When was the Pope’s power shown to be limited?
When Henry overruled Wolsey’s choices for Church appointments on at least 2 occasions (1518 + 1528 when Wolsey tried to appoint his son Bishop of Durham)
What was anti-clericalism?
Anger towards the clergy who began to see the clergy as corrupt
What caused anti-clericalism?
Bishops and Priests abusing their positons of power and failing to meet their duties
Some monks and priests had illegitimate children
Simony
Absenteeism
What was simony?
When church positions were sold to the highest bidder and not given to the most suitable candidate
What was absenteeism?
When bishops didn’t live in their diocese but still collected the tax
When was the Hunne Affair?
1514
What was the Hunne Affair?
Richard Hunne (merchant) refused to pay extortionate mortuary fee when his son died.
Church accused him of heresy + arrested him.
While awaiting trial he was found hung in his cell.
Church officials claimed suicide - supporters convinced it was murder.
Church still found him guilty and took his property.
Led to several years of anti-clerical feelings in London (summed up corruption of the church)
How much of a threat was anti-clericalism?
More of a threat than heresy and anti-clericalism (Hunne Affair) but still not a major threat - most popular books of the period were religious texts which firmly upheld the Catholic Church
Many people actively defended the church
Open challenges limited.
