Margaret Clark
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263020
- eISBN:
- 9780191734199
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263020.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
For many students of history in the later 20th century, the name of A. G. Dickens was synonymous with the English Reformation. He was, however, a scholar of diverse and cultured interests, with a ...
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For many students of history in the later 20th century, the name of A. G. Dickens was synonymous with the English Reformation. He was, however, a scholar of diverse and cultured interests, with a desire to disseminate his learning to the widest possible audience. There is a clear progression in his academic career from its pioneering beginnings in the use of local archives, through national history, to the European studies that occupied his later years. Two of his books which have stood the test of time as widely-read teaching books are Lollards and Protestants and The English Reformation.Less
For many students of history in the later 20th century, the name of A. G. Dickens was synonymous with the English Reformation. He was, however, a scholar of diverse and cultured interests, with a desire to disseminate his learning to the widest possible audience. There is a clear progression in his academic career from its pioneering beginnings in the use of local archives, through national history, to the European studies that occupied his later years. Two of his books which have stood the test of time as widely-read teaching books are Lollards and Protestants and The English Reformation.
Nicholas Thompson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264683
- eISBN:
- 9780191734878
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264683.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
The call for religious unification was part of a polemical project itself. Irenic concerns nonetheless represent another use of reception for reformation study: the hermeneutic of ecumenism. Scottish ...
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The call for religious unification was part of a polemical project itself. Irenic concerns nonetheless represent another use of reception for reformation study: the hermeneutic of ecumenism. Scottish reception of the Strasbourg reformer Martin Bucer is a case in point. Bucer’s mediation between continental reformers and his prominent role in English Reformation history is more often noted than his appeal to Scottish divines in the seventeenth century. This chapter highlights the changing religious milieu of the Scottish Kirk as both Presbyterians and Jesuits alike appealed to Bucer’s writing. Bucer became a favourite of the Arminian Bishop and Royalist from Aberdeen, William Forbes. The chapter finds particular potency in Bucer’s ecumenical hermeneutic, which Forbes adopted as a means of bridging confessional divisions and even searching for agreement with moderate Catholics.Less
The call for religious unification was part of a polemical project itself. Irenic concerns nonetheless represent another use of reception for reformation study: the hermeneutic of ecumenism. Scottish reception of the Strasbourg reformer Martin Bucer is a case in point. Bucer’s mediation between continental reformers and his prominent role in English Reformation history is more often noted than his appeal to Scottish divines in the seventeenth century. This chapter highlights the changing religious milieu of the Scottish Kirk as both Presbyterians and Jesuits alike appealed to Bucer’s writing. Bucer became a favourite of the Arminian Bishop and Royalist from Aberdeen, William Forbes. The chapter finds particular potency in Bucer’s ecumenical hermeneutic, which Forbes adopted as a means of bridging confessional divisions and even searching for agreement with moderate Catholics.
Peter Marshall
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198204480
- eISBN:
- 9780191676307
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198204480.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, History of Religion
This chapter examines the phenomenon of overt expressions of hostility towards priests and the priesthood. Three interrelated problems are presented. First is the concept of ‘anticlericalism’ itself, ...
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This chapter examines the phenomenon of overt expressions of hostility towards priests and the priesthood. Three interrelated problems are presented. First is the concept of ‘anticlericalism’ itself, and its utility and deficiency as a historical tool. Second is identifying the contexts in which hostility to the clergy emerged, including their extent and significance. Lastly, is how critical and hostile attitudes towards priests are related to the progress of the English Reformation itself. The author argues in this chapter that in the early sixteenth-century, the long-drawn-out process of reform, which questioned long-held assumptions, tested political and religious royalties, and upset delicately balanced social structures, engaged lay attitudes in an unremitting dialectic, within which perceptions of the clergy both acted upon and reacted against the forms of religious change.Less
This chapter examines the phenomenon of overt expressions of hostility towards priests and the priesthood. Three interrelated problems are presented. First is the concept of ‘anticlericalism’ itself, and its utility and deficiency as a historical tool. Second is identifying the contexts in which hostility to the clergy emerged, including their extent and significance. Lastly, is how critical and hostile attitudes towards priests are related to the progress of the English Reformation itself. The author argues in this chapter that in the early sixteenth-century, the long-drawn-out process of reform, which questioned long-held assumptions, tested political and religious royalties, and upset delicately balanced social structures, engaged lay attitudes in an unremitting dialectic, within which perceptions of the clergy both acted upon and reacted against the forms of religious change.
John Craig
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264683
- eISBN:
- 9780191734878
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264683.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
This chapter notes that the purchase of books alone misrepresents the readership and reception of continental reform in English parishes. For instance, it argues that the demands of the laity for ...
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This chapter notes that the purchase of books alone misrepresents the readership and reception of continental reform in English parishes. For instance, it argues that the demands of the laity for work by Genevan reformers should be viewed alongside the concerns of parish administration as well as other purchases, such as occasional prayers. It is now evident that English Reformation was not simply an act of state as maintained by traditional accounts. New narratives focus attention on how lay reception shaped the nature of reformation, instead of quantifying reform through numbers in favour of or in resistance to the movement. Negotiation was a common practice for lay men and women, whether through the selective support of reform to suit individual interests, through the agitation for more zealous reform, or through the redefinition of orthodoxy in puritan communities.Less
This chapter notes that the purchase of books alone misrepresents the readership and reception of continental reform in English parishes. For instance, it argues that the demands of the laity for work by Genevan reformers should be viewed alongside the concerns of parish administration as well as other purchases, such as occasional prayers. It is now evident that English Reformation was not simply an act of state as maintained by traditional accounts. New narratives focus attention on how lay reception shaped the nature of reformation, instead of quantifying reform through numbers in favour of or in resistance to the movement. Negotiation was a common practice for lay men and women, whether through the selective support of reform to suit individual interests, through the agitation for more zealous reform, or through the redefinition of orthodoxy in puritan communities.
PETER MARSHALL
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198207733
- eISBN:
- 9780191716812
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207733.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
This introductory chapter surveys the recent scholarship in the social history of death, drawing attention to a relative neglect of studies on attitudes towards the dead. It discusses the benefits ...
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This introductory chapter surveys the recent scholarship in the social history of death, drawing attention to a relative neglect of studies on attitudes towards the dead. It discusses the benefits and limitations of social anthropology for the study of this theme, and places the book's argument in the context of the current historiography of the English Reformation, and of revisionist and post-revisionist approaches to the assessment of religious change in Tudor and early Stuart England.Less
This introductory chapter surveys the recent scholarship in the social history of death, drawing attention to a relative neglect of studies on attitudes towards the dead. It discusses the benefits and limitations of social anthropology for the study of this theme, and places the book's argument in the context of the current historiography of the English Reformation, and of revisionist and post-revisionist approaches to the assessment of religious change in Tudor and early Stuart England.
Madeline McMahon
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780197266601
- eISBN:
- 9780191896057
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266601.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
The Elizabethan archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker is best known for his efforts to collect medieval manuscripts, which had changed hands or been repurposed after the Dissolution of the ...
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The Elizabethan archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker is best known for his efforts to collect medieval manuscripts, which had changed hands or been repurposed after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and to construct from these sources a new history of the church in England. This essay looks at the complete process by which Parker and his circle collected, used, and printed books for their historical project. It argues that Parker’s work was not as pointedly confessional as it has typically been seen, in part because of the shifting sands of early modern religious discourse and in part because of how Parker engaged with the medieval sources he encountered. He learned from what he read—perhaps especially from late medieval historians. His practices in constructing church history reveal the extent to which he viewed himself in a continuous historiographical tradition, even as he sought to reform an ecclesiastical one.Less
The Elizabethan archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker is best known for his efforts to collect medieval manuscripts, which had changed hands or been repurposed after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and to construct from these sources a new history of the church in England. This essay looks at the complete process by which Parker and his circle collected, used, and printed books for their historical project. It argues that Parker’s work was not as pointedly confessional as it has typically been seen, in part because of the shifting sands of early modern religious discourse and in part because of how Parker engaged with the medieval sources he encountered. He learned from what he read—perhaps especially from late medieval historians. His practices in constructing church history reveal the extent to which he viewed himself in a continuous historiographical tradition, even as he sought to reform an ecclesiastical one.
Brian Cummings
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198187356
- eISBN:
- 9780191674709
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198187356.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, 16th-century and Renaissance Literature, 17th-century and Restoration Literature
The story of the English Reformation is the story of the politics of the vernacular, and at the same time, it is called vernacular theology. Fisher's problem is not just that there are no agreed ...
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The story of the English Reformation is the story of the politics of the vernacular, and at the same time, it is called vernacular theology. Fisher's problem is not just that there are no agreed meanings for the Bible in English, but that there is not even an agreed text of the English Bible. The argument between More and William Tyndale is demonstrated. Tyndale happily accepts More's dispraise: he has neglected other sciences of learning ‘saue grammar’. In making his comments on the translatability of grammatical forms from Hebrew to Greek to English, Tyndale could not avail himself of any grammar of the English language, since none existed until William Bullokar's Bref Grammar for English of 1586, followed by P.G's Grammatica Anglicana of 1594 (written in Latin). In Tyndale's time, ‘grammar’ meant the rules not of English usage but of Latin. The chapter also explores Sir Thomas Wyatt's Penitentiall Psalms. His Penitentiall Psalms are a masterpiece of suppressed scandal and of scandalous suppression, a triumph of obliquity in which, as he puts it, ‘His sylence semid to argew and replye’ (296).Less
The story of the English Reformation is the story of the politics of the vernacular, and at the same time, it is called vernacular theology. Fisher's problem is not just that there are no agreed meanings for the Bible in English, but that there is not even an agreed text of the English Bible. The argument between More and William Tyndale is demonstrated. Tyndale happily accepts More's dispraise: he has neglected other sciences of learning ‘saue grammar’. In making his comments on the translatability of grammatical forms from Hebrew to Greek to English, Tyndale could not avail himself of any grammar of the English language, since none existed until William Bullokar's Bref Grammar for English of 1586, followed by P.G's Grammatica Anglicana of 1594 (written in Latin). In Tyndale's time, ‘grammar’ meant the rules not of English usage but of Latin. The chapter also explores Sir Thomas Wyatt's Penitentiall Psalms. His Penitentiall Psalms are a masterpiece of suppressed scandal and of scandalous suppression, a triumph of obliquity in which, as he puts it, ‘His sylence semid to argew and replye’ (296).
W. P. Stephens
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263630
- eISBN:
- 9780191682629
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263630.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, History of Christianity
This study aims to unfold Zwingli's thought historically. Writings are examined from every period of his life, showing the development of his thought. This chapter notes some important areas where ...
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This study aims to unfold Zwingli's thought historically. Writings are examined from every period of his life, showing the development of his thought. This chapter notes some important areas where interpretations of various scholars differ. First, there is the question of the influences on Zwingli's development, including the relative importance of Erasmus, Luther, Augustine, and the humanist and scholastic thought he encountered. Second, there is the question of when he emerged as a reformer, a theological and a historical issue. Third, the relation of church and state raises other questions dealing with Zwingli's political role and his understanding of the prophet. Of his reformation practices, the most influential was the prophecy. Its impact can be seen in the development of prophesying in the English Reformation.Less
This study aims to unfold Zwingli's thought historically. Writings are examined from every period of his life, showing the development of his thought. This chapter notes some important areas where interpretations of various scholars differ. First, there is the question of the influences on Zwingli's development, including the relative importance of Erasmus, Luther, Augustine, and the humanist and scholastic thought he encountered. Second, there is the question of when he emerged as a reformer, a theological and a historical issue. Third, the relation of church and state raises other questions dealing with Zwingli's political role and his understanding of the prophet. Of his reformation practices, the most influential was the prophecy. Its impact can be seen in the development of prophesying in the English Reformation.
Carl R. Trueman
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263524
- eISBN:
- 9780191682599
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263524.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Church History
This book is a study of the Christian idea of salvation as seen through the eyes of five 16th-century English reformers: John Frith, John Hooper, Robert Barnes, John Bradford, and the famous Bible ...
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This book is a study of the Christian idea of salvation as seen through the eyes of five 16th-century English reformers: John Frith, John Hooper, Robert Barnes, John Bradford, and the famous Bible translator, William Tyndale. The book sets their views in context, both historically and intellectually, before engaging in a detailed and clear examination of all the relevant aspects of their thought, from election and justification to the relationship between sacraments and salvation. The picture that emerges reveals not only the extensive impact of continental thought upon English Reformation theology, but also the manner in which the writings of men such as Luther, Melanchthon, Bullinger, and Bucer were used (often selectively and sometimes surprisingly) by the English reformers to support their own distinctive concerns. It also becomes clear that by 1556, English Protestantism, even at its highest level, had already experienced serious doctrinal tensions concerning the nature of salvation, tensions which were a dark omen of future controversies.Less
This book is a study of the Christian idea of salvation as seen through the eyes of five 16th-century English reformers: John Frith, John Hooper, Robert Barnes, John Bradford, and the famous Bible translator, William Tyndale. The book sets their views in context, both historically and intellectually, before engaging in a detailed and clear examination of all the relevant aspects of their thought, from election and justification to the relationship between sacraments and salvation. The picture that emerges reveals not only the extensive impact of continental thought upon English Reformation theology, but also the manner in which the writings of men such as Luther, Melanchthon, Bullinger, and Bucer were used (often selectively and sometimes surprisingly) by the English reformers to support their own distinctive concerns. It also becomes clear that by 1556, English Protestantism, even at its highest level, had already experienced serious doctrinal tensions concerning the nature of salvation, tensions which were a dark omen of future controversies.
Peter Marshall
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198204480
- eISBN:
- 9780191676307
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198204480.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, History of Religion
This chapter first explores the social standing of priests in the pre-Reformation English Church. As seen in this chapter, their social standing was dictated not merely by the amount of income they ...
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This chapter first explores the social standing of priests in the pre-Reformation English Church. As seen in this chapter, their social standing was dictated not merely by the amount of income they received, but by where that income came from. Also, since the financial status of many clergies relied upon the laity, this discouraged lay subservience in practical matters and promoted a strong expectation of money. The latter part of this chapter, illustrates several instances of patterns of neighbourliness that the priests, at times, exercises which extend beyond their usual sacramental function. These include being guardians of valuable goods and documents, arbitrators in disputes, overseers and executors of last wills and testaments, and godfathers to laypeople's children.Less
This chapter first explores the social standing of priests in the pre-Reformation English Church. As seen in this chapter, their social standing was dictated not merely by the amount of income they received, but by where that income came from. Also, since the financial status of many clergies relied upon the laity, this discouraged lay subservience in practical matters and promoted a strong expectation of money. The latter part of this chapter, illustrates several instances of patterns of neighbourliness that the priests, at times, exercises which extend beyond their usual sacramental function. These include being guardians of valuable goods and documents, arbitrators in disputes, overseers and executors of last wills and testaments, and godfathers to laypeople's children.
Nigel Yates
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198269892
- eISBN:
- 9780191683848
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198269892.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The interest that was to emerge in the Victorian period in a revival of ceremonial in public worship was not without precedent in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The view that an interest ...
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The interest that was to emerge in the Victorian period in a revival of ceremonial in public worship was not without precedent in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The view that an interest in ceremonial was not part of the earliest phase of the Oxford Movement is also one that requires some careful modification. This chapter examines the relationship of Victorian ritualism to other High–Church developments in the 1830s and relates both to the wider aesthetic and antiquarian movements that were to provide the climate in which a reassessment of traditional Anglican spirituality proved such an attraction for a significant number of High–Churchmen, both clergy and laity. In addition to antiquarianism, medievalism, and romanticism, the Oxford Movement and the English Reformation are discussed, along with Tractarianism, ecclesiology, and ritualism and non-Anglican influences on Anglican ritualism.Less
The interest that was to emerge in the Victorian period in a revival of ceremonial in public worship was not without precedent in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The view that an interest in ceremonial was not part of the earliest phase of the Oxford Movement is also one that requires some careful modification. This chapter examines the relationship of Victorian ritualism to other High–Church developments in the 1830s and relates both to the wider aesthetic and antiquarian movements that were to provide the climate in which a reassessment of traditional Anglican spirituality proved such an attraction for a significant number of High–Churchmen, both clergy and laity. In addition to antiquarianism, medievalism, and romanticism, the Oxford Movement and the English Reformation are discussed, along with Tractarianism, ecclesiology, and ritualism and non-Anglican influences on Anglican ritualism.
Alexandra Walsham
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198208877
- eISBN:
- 9780191678172
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208877.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, History of Religion
Protestantism represented every indication of continuing vitality and vigour, a radical disjuncture with the Roman Catholic past and a violent disruption of the settled patterns of a late medieval ...
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Protestantism represented every indication of continuing vitality and vigour, a radical disjuncture with the Roman Catholic past and a violent disruption of the settled patterns of a late medieval piety which betrayed no signs of decline or decay. However, the book argues that there was a cluster of assumptions which penetrated every sector of English society, cutting across the boundaries created by status and creed, education and wealth. The book highlights the pivotal role played by providentialism in forging a collective Protestant consciousness, a sense of confessional identity which fused anti-Catholicism and patriotic feeling and which united the elite with their social inferiors. The book also emphasizes the debate on the English Reformation. Providentialism became a dangerously politicized discourse in the decades preceding the outbreak of the Civil War.Less
Protestantism represented every indication of continuing vitality and vigour, a radical disjuncture with the Roman Catholic past and a violent disruption of the settled patterns of a late medieval piety which betrayed no signs of decline or decay. However, the book argues that there was a cluster of assumptions which penetrated every sector of English society, cutting across the boundaries created by status and creed, education and wealth. The book highlights the pivotal role played by providentialism in forging a collective Protestant consciousness, a sense of confessional identity which fused anti-Catholicism and patriotic feeling and which united the elite with their social inferiors. The book also emphasizes the debate on the English Reformation. Providentialism became a dangerously politicized discourse in the decades preceding the outbreak of the Civil War.
Rosamund Oates
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199594795
- eISBN:
- 9780191741494
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199594795.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Religion and Literature
This chapter explores how Elizabethan clerics used the history of English Christianity to promote or criticise the Tudor Church. Ecclesiastical history was used in intra-confessional and ...
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This chapter explores how Elizabethan clerics used the history of English Christianity to promote or criticise the Tudor Church. Ecclesiastical history was used in intra-confessional and cross-confessional debates, and Elizabethan accounts of primitive Christianity reflect arguments about the future of the Protestant Church and nation. The chapter examines the range of histories produced in this period, and concludes by tracing the impact of history writing on popular perceptions of the Elizabethan Church.Less
This chapter explores how Elizabethan clerics used the history of English Christianity to promote or criticise the Tudor Church. Ecclesiastical history was used in intra-confessional and cross-confessional debates, and Elizabethan accounts of primitive Christianity reflect arguments about the future of the Protestant Church and nation. The chapter examines the range of histories produced in this period, and concludes by tracing the impact of history writing on popular perceptions of the Elizabethan Church.
Ronald Hutton
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203636
- eISBN:
- 9780191675911
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203636.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
This book explores the religious and secular rituals that marked the passage of the year in late medieval and early modern England, and tells the story of how these rituals altered over time in ...
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This book explores the religious and secular rituals that marked the passage of the year in late medieval and early modern England, and tells the story of how these rituals altered over time in response to political, religious, and social changes. The book examines a number of important and controversial issues such as: the character and pace of the English Reformation; the nature of the early Stuart ‘Reformation of Manners’; the context of writers such as Ben Jonson and Robert Herrick; the origins of the science of folklore; the relevance of cultural divisions in the English Civil War; the impact of the English Revolution; and the viability of economic explanations for social change. The book includes source material such as local financial records.Less
This book explores the religious and secular rituals that marked the passage of the year in late medieval and early modern England, and tells the story of how these rituals altered over time in response to political, religious, and social changes. The book examines a number of important and controversial issues such as: the character and pace of the English Reformation; the nature of the early Stuart ‘Reformation of Manners’; the context of writers such as Ben Jonson and Robert Herrick; the origins of the science of folklore; the relevance of cultural divisions in the English Civil War; the impact of the English Revolution; and the viability of economic explanations for social change. The book includes source material such as local financial records.
Peter Marshall
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198204480
- eISBN:
- 9780191676307
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198204480.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, History of Religion
In this scholarly new study, the author offers a fresh look at the impact of the English Reformation at parish level. The religious changes of Henry VIII and Edward VI had a profound effect upon the ...
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In this scholarly new study, the author offers a fresh look at the impact of the English Reformation at parish level. The religious changes of Henry VIII and Edward VI had a profound effect upon the clergy of the English church, raising questions as to its status, jurisdiction, and proper place in the divine scheme of salvation. This is the first full examination of the cumulative impact of these changes upon the relationship between priests in the parishes and the lay men and women who depended upon them for spiritual nourishment and religious instruction, and who not infrequently found them wanting in these and other respects. In structuring this book, eight paradigms of priestly ‘function’ was identified, eight contexts within which lay perceptions of the priest and his office may have been formed. This chapter provides a perceptive exploration of the role of the Catholic priesthood in the church and in the life of the community. Using a wide range of contemporary sources, the author demonstrates how the practical consequences of the Reformation undermined the fragile modus vivendi that had sustained the late medieval system.Less
In this scholarly new study, the author offers a fresh look at the impact of the English Reformation at parish level. The religious changes of Henry VIII and Edward VI had a profound effect upon the clergy of the English church, raising questions as to its status, jurisdiction, and proper place in the divine scheme of salvation. This is the first full examination of the cumulative impact of these changes upon the relationship between priests in the parishes and the lay men and women who depended upon them for spiritual nourishment and religious instruction, and who not infrequently found them wanting in these and other respects. In structuring this book, eight paradigms of priestly ‘function’ was identified, eight contexts within which lay perceptions of the priest and his office may have been formed. This chapter provides a perceptive exploration of the role of the Catholic priesthood in the church and in the life of the community. Using a wide range of contemporary sources, the author demonstrates how the practical consequences of the Reformation undermined the fragile modus vivendi that had sustained the late medieval system.
Martin Pugh
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780300234947
- eISBN:
- 9780300249293
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300234947.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter focuses on the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. Following Henry VIII's break with Rome in 1531, the English Reformation led Britain into a protracted struggle with the ...
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This chapter focuses on the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. Following Henry VIII's break with Rome in 1531, the English Reformation led Britain into a protracted struggle with the two great Catholic powers, Spain and France, for the next 300 years. The long-term effect was to define Britain as the leading Protestant power; but more immediately, it posed a far greater threat to England than Islam, and effectively destroyed the rationale for crusading activities. In this situation, the Islamic empires actually became a valuable balancing factor in European diplomacy. Henry's readiness to deal with the Muslim powers was far from eccentric during the sixteenth century. Both King Francis I of France and Queen Elizabeth I of England took the policy of collaboration much further.Less
This chapter focuses on the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. Following Henry VIII's break with Rome in 1531, the English Reformation led Britain into a protracted struggle with the two great Catholic powers, Spain and France, for the next 300 years. The long-term effect was to define Britain as the leading Protestant power; but more immediately, it posed a far greater threat to England than Islam, and effectively destroyed the rationale for crusading activities. In this situation, the Islamic empires actually became a valuable balancing factor in European diplomacy. Henry's readiness to deal with the Muslim powers was far from eccentric during the sixteenth century. Both King Francis I of France and Queen Elizabeth I of England took the policy of collaboration much further.
Geoffrey Rowell
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198205968
- eISBN:
- 9780191676871
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198205968.003.0020
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History, History of Religion
The English Reformation was essentially an event within the history of Western Christianity. The theological and political debates in England as on the continent of Europe were debates conditioned by ...
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The English Reformation was essentially an event within the history of Western Christianity. The theological and political debates in England as on the continent of Europe were debates conditioned by the history of Latin Christendom, the development of the papacy, the struggle between pope and emperor, and the failure of a quest for reform in the Conciliar Movement. Eastern Christianity was far away and for the most part under the Muslim domination of the Ottoman Empire. Yet the appeal of developing Anglican apologetic to the undivided Church of the early centuries and to the writings of the Fathers as interpreters of scripture, ensured that Greek patristic theology became one of the well-springs of the theology of the Caroline divines, and found remarkable expression in the sermons and devotions of Lancelot Andrewes.Less
The English Reformation was essentially an event within the history of Western Christianity. The theological and political debates in England as on the continent of Europe were debates conditioned by the history of Latin Christendom, the development of the papacy, the struggle between pope and emperor, and the failure of a quest for reform in the Conciliar Movement. Eastern Christianity was far away and for the most part under the Muslim domination of the Ottoman Empire. Yet the appeal of developing Anglican apologetic to the undivided Church of the early centuries and to the writings of the Fathers as interpreters of scripture, ensured that Greek patristic theology became one of the well-springs of the theology of the Caroline divines, and found remarkable expression in the sermons and devotions of Lancelot Andrewes.
Anthony Milton
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719064449
- eISBN:
- 9781781700815
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719064449.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
This chapter analyses the dominant themes in the published works of Peter Heylyn during the 1630s, particularly those relating to the English Reformation, Puritanism, Roman Catholicism and the ...
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This chapter analyses the dominant themes in the published works of Peter Heylyn during the 1630s, particularly those relating to the English Reformation, Puritanism, Roman Catholicism and the foreign Reformed churches. It explains that, among the Laudians, it was only Heylyn's writings which covered all the areas in religious dispute, specifically in his History of the Sabbath, Antidotum Lincolniense and the Briefe and Moderate Answer. The chapter argues that the lack of a coherent theoretical and historical underpinning to Heylyn's expressed position in his 1630s pamphlets reflects in part the contingent and disjointed polemical contexts in which his different works originated.Less
This chapter analyses the dominant themes in the published works of Peter Heylyn during the 1630s, particularly those relating to the English Reformation, Puritanism, Roman Catholicism and the foreign Reformed churches. It explains that, among the Laudians, it was only Heylyn's writings which covered all the areas in religious dispute, specifically in his History of the Sabbath, Antidotum Lincolniense and the Briefe and Moderate Answer. The chapter argues that the lack of a coherent theoretical and historical underpinning to Heylyn's expressed position in his 1630s pamphlets reflects in part the contingent and disjointed polemical contexts in which his different works originated.
David W. Kling
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- August 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780195320923
- eISBN:
- 9780190062620
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780195320923.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History, History of Christianity
This chapter examines conversion from the English Reformers to John Bunyan. Beginning with William Tyndale’s translation and annotations of the New Testament, the early evangelical movement promoted ...
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This chapter examines conversion from the English Reformers to John Bunyan. Beginning with William Tyndale’s translation and annotations of the New Testament, the early evangelical movement promoted a religious culture that uplifted conversion as an ideal of Christian life. By the end of the sixteenth century, Puritan practical divinity represented the first concerted effort to make conversion the standard that separated true Christianity from its counterfeits. In journals, diaries, treatises, and autobiographies, Puritans scrutinized their spiritual state and described conversion as a profound, overwhelming, totally transforming experience. In preaching and catechizing, they uplifted conversion as the sine qua non of the Christian life. Their rhetoric of conversion, including their detailed morphologies of conversion, became a ubiquitous feature of Protestant discourse in the seventeenth century. By century’s end, not only in England but also on the Continent and in New England, a reformulated understanding of conversion transcended ecclesiastical structures and increasingly centered on the individual’s direct relationship to God.Less
This chapter examines conversion from the English Reformers to John Bunyan. Beginning with William Tyndale’s translation and annotations of the New Testament, the early evangelical movement promoted a religious culture that uplifted conversion as an ideal of Christian life. By the end of the sixteenth century, Puritan practical divinity represented the first concerted effort to make conversion the standard that separated true Christianity from its counterfeits. In journals, diaries, treatises, and autobiographies, Puritans scrutinized their spiritual state and described conversion as a profound, overwhelming, totally transforming experience. In preaching and catechizing, they uplifted conversion as the sine qua non of the Christian life. Their rhetoric of conversion, including their detailed morphologies of conversion, became a ubiquitous feature of Protestant discourse in the seventeenth century. By century’s end, not only in England but also on the Continent and in New England, a reformulated understanding of conversion transcended ecclesiastical structures and increasingly centered on the individual’s direct relationship to God.
Constance M. Furey
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780226434155
- eISBN:
- 9780226434292
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226434292.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
What is the relationship between our isolated and our social selves, between aloneness and interconnection? Poetic Relations probes this question through a suggestive literary tradition: early ...
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What is the relationship between our isolated and our social selves, between aloneness and interconnection? Poetic Relations probes this question through a suggestive literary tradition: early Protestant poems in which a single speaker describes a solitary search for God. Offering new readings of well-known poems from the English Reformation—including poems by John Donne, George Herbert, Anne Bradstreet, and others—the book reveals that sources seemingly concerned with solitary experiences of faith and doubt in fact provide sophisticated expressions of relational selfhood. To highlight the significance of devotional poetry's relational selfhood, the book compares it to modern theories of subjectivity and selfhood by Judith Butler and Hannah Arendt, in particular. Instead of being constituted by shared frailties (as Butler observes), or defined by individual narratives (as Arendt contends), these relational selves are poetic, which is to say they are defined less by a beginning and an end than by the process of framing fleeting moments, creating images, and inhabiting the multiplicity of metaphor. By means of an analysis equally attentive to theological ideas, social conventions, and poetic form, Poetic Relations reveals how poets who understand introspection as a relational act, and poetry itself as a form ideally suited to crafting a relational self, offer us new ways of thinking about selfhood today—and a resource for reimagining both secular and religious ways of being in the world.Less
What is the relationship between our isolated and our social selves, between aloneness and interconnection? Poetic Relations probes this question through a suggestive literary tradition: early Protestant poems in which a single speaker describes a solitary search for God. Offering new readings of well-known poems from the English Reformation—including poems by John Donne, George Herbert, Anne Bradstreet, and others—the book reveals that sources seemingly concerned with solitary experiences of faith and doubt in fact provide sophisticated expressions of relational selfhood. To highlight the significance of devotional poetry's relational selfhood, the book compares it to modern theories of subjectivity and selfhood by Judith Butler and Hannah Arendt, in particular. Instead of being constituted by shared frailties (as Butler observes), or defined by individual narratives (as Arendt contends), these relational selves are poetic, which is to say they are defined less by a beginning and an end than by the process of framing fleeting moments, creating images, and inhabiting the multiplicity of metaphor. By means of an analysis equally attentive to theological ideas, social conventions, and poetic form, Poetic Relations reveals how poets who understand introspection as a relational act, and poetry itself as a form ideally suited to crafting a relational self, offer us new ways of thinking about selfhood today—and a resource for reimagining both secular and religious ways of being in the world.
