The beginning of the reformation in England: reasons, date, results

The Reformation in Europe is a socio-political and religious movement that led to a break with the Catholic Church and the creation of a fundamentally new dogmatic teaching. In addition, this stage entailed the redistribution of land ownership, the creation of a class of the so-called new nobility and generally changed the cultural image of a number of Western European countries.

Background of the phenomenon

The beginning of the reformation in England was a continuation of the already outlined tendencies in other states of Western Europe. The fact is that in Germany at the beginning of the 16th century the teachings of Martin Luther were widely spread and a new Lutheran church was created, which was significantly different from the Catholic one. A number of historians are inclined to believe that such changes had deep socio-economic reasons. The fact is that in the era under review, monasteries and the church were the largest feudal landowners, and the bourgeoisie and the growing middle and small nobility were interested in obtaining land allotments. The royal authority, in need of their support, took a number of serious measures to confiscate the monastery and church property and handed them over to its adherents.

Reasons for changes in the country

The beginning of the reformation in England should be considered in the framework of the characteristics of its socio-economic, political and cultural development. This country was the first to embark on the path of active capitalist development. It was here that the active introduction of machines into production began, the invention of various technical devices that led to the rapid development of industry, trade. That is why in the state a layer of bourgeoisie and entrepreneurs, which were interested in enrichment and profit, was formed very early.

This new ideology was very widespread and even subsequently found support from the royal authority. Another reason that contributed to such a major change is the fact that absolutism has never been developed in this country. The beginning of the reformation in England should be connected with the last fact: the kings here especially needed the support of the bourgeoisie and the new nobility, which became the main economic and social force, so they could not be ignored.

The first years of the reign of the new king

The beginning of the reformation in England dates back to the first half of the 16th century. It was by that time that the prerequisites for radical changes in all spheres of life were already ripe enough. However, it should be noted here that in other European countries the formation of a new church has already begun, despite the fact that the Catholic authorities took serious measures to suppress it. The reformation began under the new king of the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII, having ascended the throne, initially supported Catholicism and even wrote a special pamphlet to the pope in defense of this faith. However, it is believed that the authorship was nominal and that the text belongs to his closest assistant Thomas More. Moreover, the king married Catherine of Aragon, who was an aunt to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He pursued a policy of rapprochement with Catholic France: in short, the beginning of his reign was marked by the support of Catholicism. However, very soon Henry VIII abruptly changed course, due to serious shifts in socio-economic and political development.

Family crisis

It has already been pointed out above that deep and serious prerequisites for changes in all spheres of life have matured in the country. The bourgeoisie and the new nobility wanted to get the land of monasteries and churches, which, in fact, was the impetus for the coup. The beginning of the reformation in England, the date of which usually refers to 1534, is, however, connected with an external factor. The fact is that the king wanted to divorce his wife, because she did not give male offspring and, moreover, was much older than him. A personal reason was added to this state calculation: Henry fell in love with Anna Boleyn, who demanded a legal marriage.

Break with Rome

The beginning of the reformation in England, the date of which is closely connected with the king’s domestic policy, was the result of a purely external push that led to a crisis in relations between the government and the Catholic Church. According to the rules of the time, only the pope could allow divorce . Heinrich turned to him with the expectation of obtaining permission to divorce. However, dad refused. The reason was the fact that he was actually under the complete control of Charles V, who was the nephew of Catherine of Aragon. Then the angry king announced that he no longer obeyed papal authority and proclaimed the independence of the English church.

Management Changes

The largest European event was the beginning of the Reformation in England. The year 1534 was a turning point in this regard: it was precisely then that the king issued the Act of Suprematism, which proclaimed him the head of the Church of England. This measure, however, did not mean a radical reorganization of church administration, since it essentially affected only the upper level of the administration, while the same structure continued to exist on the ground as before. The episcopate was also preserved.

Organizational innovations

The royal power and the reformation in England, in fact, were not too opposed to each other, as was observed, for example, in France. In Britain, by contrast, the government itself took the first step toward this political and religious upheaval. Despite the preservation of traditional Catholic rites and the episcopate, Henry VIII took control of the distribution of church income. In addition, the authorities received the right to appoint bishops. But the next steps turned out to be even more radical: the government went on the confiscation of monastic property: valuables and land. The latter did not remain in the treasury for a long time: they were distributed between the nobles and the growing bourgeoisie.

Distinctive features

The features of the reformation in England were as follows: firstly, it was not accompanied by serious cataclysms, as, for example, in France or Germany (in the first, Huguenot wars broke out for several decades, and in the second, religious wars and a peasant war began). Secondly, political, economic and religious reforms were carried out by the royal authority. In this you can see some similarities with the German principalities, in which a number of rulers also supported the new doctrine. However, in England all this was happening nationwide. Finally, the reformation took on a very moderate character in this country. According to some leading experts, the Anglican Church took a middle, intermediate, place between Catholicism and Protestantism. In England, Catholic rites and the episcopate were preserved.

Society attitude

One of the main themes in the history of early modern times is the reformation in England. Briefly about the attitude of public circles towards it, the following can be reported: the majority of the bourgeoisie and the new nobility adopted these reforms. However, there were also dissatisfied. Among the Protestants there were those who demanded even greater simplification of the church organization, following the example of the Calvinists. Others, on the contrary, advocated a return to Catholicism. The king equally persecuted both parts of the opposition, and thus the reformation in the country retained its moderate character. However, supporters of a more radical change in the church still retained and even strengthened their positions by the 17th century. They began to be called Puritans, and it was under their auspices that the English bourgeois revolution took place during the reign of Charles I Stuart.

Consequences of Church Reform

The results of the reformation in England were very serious for its socio-political and religious structure. Having distributed the lands of the new nobility and the bourgeoisie confiscated from the monasteries, the king thereby created a support in their person. Thus, a layer of people has formed in the country who are interested in continuing reforms and consolidating the existing situation. The new nobles wanted to keep the lands they received, and therefore they all unanimously supported the accession of Elizabeth I, the daughter of the king from Anna Boleyn, who took the course to preserve the changes that her father made.

Another result of the reformation was the creation of a new, Anglican, church, which still exists today. The moderate nature of the transformations contributed to its preservation and even spread, while more radical movements lost the number of their supporters.

Continuing Protestantism Policy

The years of reformation in England span the time from 1534, when Henry VIII issued the Act of Suprematism, and until 1603, when his daughter, Elizabeth I, died, which, in fact, consolidated the achievements of her father. It is characteristic that after the death of the king, his policy was continued by the regents with his young son Edward VI, who belonged to the Protestant party. However, he did not rule for long, and after his death, Henry's daughter Maria came to power, who began to pursue a policy to return Catholicism. She married the Spanish king, a supporter of Catholicism, and began the persecution of Protestants.

However, after her death, Elizabeth I proclaimed a course for the approval of a new teaching in the country. Henry's reforms were legalized, Protestantism was proclaimed as a state religion, and the transition to Catholicism was equated with treason. Catholics had to pay higher taxes than Protestants. Thus, in England the moderate reformation was finally established.

Value

The Reformation in England played a decisive role in the development of capitalism in the country. The fact is that the new religion proclaimed the main goal of the need for material enrichment and the accumulation of economic funds. This ideology was fully consistent with the aspirations of entrepreneurs and the bourgeoisie. From now on, their desire to increase their income received a dogmatic justification. A further deepening of reformist ideas is evidenced by the spread of the Puritan current, which advocated deepening reforms.

The development of capitalism in the context of the reformation

The Reformation in England should be seen in the context of changes in this Europe as a whole. The reason for its victory should be sought in the maturity of capitalist relations and the final formation of the class of the bourgeoisie, which supported this trend. While in some other countries, such as France, the Reformation movement was defeated due to the fact that feudal relations were still very strong there.

The Reformation in England (the table below illustrates its causes, course, and outcomes) was a stage in pan-European religious change.

England was essentially a country of victorious capitalism, and this socioeconomic layer required justification, which was what the Reformation gave it. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the reformation in its spirit perfectly corresponded to the English mentality with its practicality and efficiency.