Henry VIII and the English Reformation

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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DECLARATION

I [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for the academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

The Reformation in England has since been the topic of considerable discourse, inviting unlimited interest about the changes effected by the event. Through the added legitimacy of an act of parliament, he placed himself at the head of the Church of England and could then pursue his desire to produce an heir The Pope responded to Henry's actions in 1538 by excommunicating the king and declaring him a heretic. In just a few years, cherished traditional religious elements were eliminated, such as the monasteries, shrines, relics - making a pilgrimage was forbidden, and paying any homage to the pope was declared treasonous. It is possible to conclude that, without the initial force of the crown, the Reformation would have been slow in coming to England, at the very best. The present research suggests that the strong hand of Henry Vlll, guided by his own political and personal ambitions, initiated the Reformation through a series of parliamentary acts, one of the most important of which were the acts that dissolved the monasteries

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

INTRODUCTION1

Background1

ANNE'S REFUSAL AND HENRY'S RESPONSE2

ALLIANCE WITH THE SCHMALKALDIC LEAGUE4

THE POPE'S RESPONSE AND THE CHURCH6

The radical consequences7

CONCLUSION9

INTRODUCTION

In 1534, Henry VIII made the decision to separate his country and himself from the Catholic Church, thereby making one of the most subversive acts by a monarch in English history. The Reformation in England has since been the topic of considerable discourse, inviting unlimited interest about the changes effected by the event. One of the most drastic alterations was the dissolution of the monasteries, which began in stages, but was completely accomplished by 1540. Though some might question the importance and the role the monasteries played in sixteenth-century England, these institutions had existed for centuries and were familiar, if not wholly endeared, to their respective communities.

As the Fidel Defensor, King Henry VIII had been a model Catholic monarch, charging against such Protestant leaders as Martin Luther. However, by the 1530's, personal and political ambition fueled his desire for reform, which directly affected the lives of his subjects. His desire to end his marriage to Catharine of Aragon would not be arranged by the pope, which necessitated such a drastic action as severing all ties to the Catholic ...