Definition of the English Reformation
The English Reformation describes England’s separation from the Catholic Church and the creation of the Church of England under the reigns of King Henry VIII and his three children.
Causes of the English Reformation
When the Protestant Reformation began, England was a staunchly Catholic country. In 1521, King Henry VIII had actually earned the title Defender of the Faith for his treatise, Defence of the Seven Sacraments, which argued against Martin Luther’s theology. It was not until papal authority conflicted with his own that he challenged the Catholic Church at all.
Fig. 1 - portrait of Keng Henry VIII
Causes of the English Reformation: The “King’s Great Matter”
In a conundrum known as the “King’s Great Matter,” Henry VIII had to figure out how to end his marriage with Catherine of Aragon while still abiding by the Catholic provision against divorce. One of Henry VIII’s greatest concerns was having a male heir but Catherine of Aragon was out of childbearing years and had only produced a single daughter, Mary. Henry VIII needed a way to have a male heir, and when he met Anne Boleyn, marrying her seemed like the perfect solution
Fig. 2 - portrait of Anne Boleyn
Although King Henry VIII had informed Catherine of his decision in 1527, it was not until 1529 that the Legatine Court convened to determine the fate of their marriage. The ruling was less of a ruling and more of a postponement of the decision to a later date in Rome. Pope Clement VII was stalling because he didn't want to go back on a previous pope’s decision and he was also under the control of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Charles V happened to be the nephew of Catherine of Aragon and he was not going to allow her divorce to proceed.
Fig. 3 - portrait of Catherine of Aragon
Causes of the English Reformation: Creation of the Church of England
Frustrated by the lack of progress, Henry VIII began to make legislative moves toward a separation from the Catholic Church. In 1533, Henry VIII took the plunge and married Anne Boleyn in secret. Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer officially nullified Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine several months later. And several months after that, Elizabeth was born.
The Act of Supremacy, passed in 1534, marked England’s official separation from the Catholic Church, naming King Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England. He would go on to marry four more times producing a singular male heir, Edward, by his third wife.
Timeline of the English Reformation
We can divide the timeline of the English Reformation by the monarch who reigned at the time:
Henry VIII: began the English Reformation
Edward VI: continued the English Reformation in a Protestant direction
Mary I: attempted to revert the country back to Catholicism
Elizabeth: returned the country to Protestantism with a middle-of-the-road approach
Below is a timeline that highlights the key events and legislation of the English Reformation:
Date | Event |
1509 | Henry VIII took power |
1527 | Henry VIII decided to end his marriage with Catherine of Aragon |
1529 | Legatine Court |
1533 | Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn |
1534 | Act of Supremacy of 1534 Act of Succession |
1536 | Beginning of the dissolution of monasteries |
1539 | English Bible translation |
1547 | Edward VI took power |
1549 | Book of Common Prayer created Act of Uniformity of 1549 |
1552 | Book of Common Prayer updated |
1553 | Mary took power First Statute of Repeal |
1555 | Second Statute of Repeal |
1558 | Elizabeth took power |
1559 | Act of Supremacy of 1559 Act of Uniformity of 1559 Book of Prayer reinstated |
1563 | Thirty-Nine Articles passed |
Summary of the English Reformation
Even after the creation of the Church of England, King Henry VIII retained certain elements of Catholic doctrine and practices. He disliked papal authority, but not Catholicism itself. In the years following the Act of Supremacy and Act of Succession, Henry VIII and Lord Chancellor Thomas Cromwell worked to establish the doctrine and practices of the new Church of England. The Church of England slowly advanced in a more Protestant direction with the translation of an English Bible and the dissolution of monasteries.
The Act of Succession
required all government officials to take an oath accepting Anne Boleyn as the true queen and any children that she might have as the true heirs to the throne
Summary of the English Reformation: The Edwardian Reformation
When Edward VI ascended the throne at age nine in 1547, he was surrounded by Protestants who were ready to push the English Reformation farther than they could under his father. Thomas Cramner, who had annulled his father’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, wrote the Book of Common Prayer in 1549 to be used in all church services. The Act of Uniformity of 1549 enforced the use of the Book of Common Prayer and attempted to create uniformity in religion across England.
Fig. 4 - portrait of Edward VI
Summary of the English Reformation: The Marian Restoration
Mary I stopped her brother’s progress in its tracks when she ascended the throne in 1553. The daughter of Catherine of Aragon, Queen Mary I remained a staunch Catholic during her father and brother’s reign. In her first Statute of Repeal, she repealed any Edwardian legislation relating to the Church of England. In the second Statute of Repeal, she went further, repealing any legislation regarding the Church of England passed after 1529, essentially erasing the Church of England’s existence. Mary earned the nickname “Bloody Mary” for the approximately 300 Protestants she burned at the stake.
Fig. 5 - portrait of Mary I
Summary of the English Reformation: The Elizabethan Settlement
When Queen Elizabeth I came to power in 1558, she embarked on the task of leading the nation back to Protestantism under the Church of England. She passed a series of legislative acts between 1558 and 1563, known collectively as the Elizabethan Settlement, that attempted to settle the religious disputes plaguing the nation with a middle-ground form of Protestantism. The Elizabethan Settlement included:
The Act of Supremacy of 1559: reaffirmed Elizabeth I’s position as the leader of the Church of England
The Act of Uniformity of 1559: required all subjects to attend church where the Book of Common Prayer had been reinstated
The Thirty-Nine Articles: attempted to clearly define the doctrine and practices of the Church of England
Fig. 6 - portrait of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I faced opposition from both sides of the spectrum. As expected, Catholics were upset with their fall from power under a new Protestant queen. But more radical Protestants were also upset with the direction the queen was taking. They wished to remove any lingering influence of Catholicism on the Church of England.
However, Elizabeth I stayed the course and was able to appease the general population, bringing an end to the English Reformation, but not religious conflict in England
Impact of the English Reformation
When King Henry VIII first created the Church of England, there was not any large-scale opposition. The majority of the population did not care too much so long as there was a church service to go to on Sundays. Others actually wanted reform and were happy to see Protestantism taking hold in England.
The Dissolution of Monasteries
Between the years of 1536 and 1541, Henry VIII worked to close and reclaim the land of monasteries across England. While aristocrats were happy with the land they were able to claim, the peasant class had a less fortunate experience. Monasteries had been a staple in the community with their role in helping the poor, caring for the sick, and providing employment. When monasteries closed, the peasant class was left without these essential functions.
By the time of Queen Elizabeth I, however, the English population had experienced whiplash. They had been on the course towards a more heavy-handed Protestantism under Edward VI before being thrown into the Catholic reign of Mary I where Protestantism was a death sentence. Factions of radical Protestants, including Puritans, existed among staunch Catholics, both of whom felt they were not getting their way.
Historiography of the English Reformation
Historians disagree as to whether the English Reformation actually ended with the Elizabethan Settlement. The lingering religious tension boiled into the English Civil War years after Elizabeth I's reign. Historians who prefer to include the English Civil Wars (1642-1651) and developments after the Elizabethan settlement believe in the “Long Reformation” perspective.
The English Reformation - Key Takeaways
- The English Reformation began with the "King's Great Matter" that ended in Henry VIII's creation of the Church of England and split with the Catholic Church.
- Henry VIII was upset with papal authority, not Catholicism itself. Although the Church of England was moving in a Protestant direction, it retain elements of Catholic doctrine and practices.
- When his son, Edward IV ascended the throne, his regents moved the country even further toward Protestantism and away from Catholicism.
- When Mary I became queen, she attempted to reverse the English Reformation and bring the nation to Catholicism once again.
- When Henry VIII's last child, Elizabeth I, took power, she passed the Elizabethan Settlement which asserted a middle-ground form of Protestantism.
- Most historians agree the English Reformation ended with the Elizabethan Settlement, but historians who align with the "Long Reformation" perspective believe that the religious conflict of the years following should be included as well.
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