The beginning of the Reformation in England: causes, date, results

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

Preconditions of the phenomenon

The beginning of the Reformation in England was a continuation of the already emerging trends in other countries of Western Europe. The fact is that in Germany at the beginning of the XVI century the teaching of Martin Luther was widely spread and a new, Lutheran church was created, which differed significantly from the Catholic one. A number of historians are inclined to believe that such changes had profound socio-economic reasons. The fact is that in the period under consideration the monasteries and the church were the largest feudal landowners, and the bourgeoisie and the middle and small nobility gaining strength were interested in obtaining land allotments. The royal government, which needed their support, went on a series of serious measures to confiscate the monastic 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 within the framework of its socio-economic, political and cultural development. This country was the first to step 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 the state formed a very early layer of the bourgeoisie and entrepreneurs who were interested in enriching and making profits.

This new ideology has become very widespread and even later found support from the royal authorities. Another reason that contributed to such serious changes is the fact that absolutism has never been developed in this country. The beginning of the Reformation in England should be linked to the latter fact: the kings here especially needed the support of the bourgeoisie and the new nobility, which became the main economic and social force, so that 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 at that time that the prerequisites for radical changes in all spheres of life had already matured sufficiently. However, it should also be noted here that the formation of a new church has already begun in other European countries, despite the fact that the Catholic authorities have taken serious measures to suppress it. The appearance of the Reformation began with the new king from the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII, having ascended the throne, first 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 Mor. Moreover, the king married Catherine of Aragon, who was an aunt to the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, 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, which was caused by serious shifts in socio-economic and political development.

Family crisis

It has already been pointed out 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 hold of the lands of monasteries and churches, which, in fact, served as the impetus for a coup. The beginning of the Reformation in England, the date of which usually refers to 1534, is connected, however, with an external factor. The fact is that the king wanted to divorce his wife, because she did not give male offspring and besides was much older than him. To this state calculation the personal cause was added: Heinrich 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 that time, only the Pope could resolve the divorce . He turned to him and, in order to get permission for a divorce. However, the pope refused. The reason was the circumstance that he was in fact under full control of Charles V, who was the nephew of Catherine of Aragon. Then the angry king announced that he no longer obeys papal authority and proclaimed the independence of the English church.

Changes in management

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

Innovations in the organization

The royal power and the Reformation in England, in fact, were not too much opposed to each other, as was observed, for example, in France. On the contrary, in the UK the government itself took the first step towards this political and religious coup. Despite the preservation of the traditional Catholic ritual and episcopate, Henry VIII took over the distribution of church revenues. In addition, the power received the right to appoint bishops. But the next steps were even more radical: the government went on the confiscation of monastic property: jewelry and land. The latter did not remain in the treasury for a long time: they were distributed among the nobles and the bourgeoisie that was gaining strength.

Distinctive features

The features of the Reformation in England were the following: firstly, it was not accompanied by serious cataclysms, as, for example, in France or Germany (in the first several decades the Huguenot wars erupted, and in the second, religious wars and peasant war began). Secondly, political, economic and religious reforms were carried out by the royal power. 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 all over the country. And finally, the Reformation took a very moderate character in this country. According to a number of leading experts, the Anglican Church took the middle, intermediate, place between Catholicism and Protestantism. In England, the Catholic rite and episcopate have survived.

The attitude of society

One of the main themes in the history of the early modern era is the Reformation in England. In brief about the attitude of the public to it, the following can be reported: the majority of the bourgeoisie and the new nobility adopted these reforms. However, there were dissatisfied. Among the Protestants there were those who demanded even more simplification of the church organization, following the example of the Calvinists. Others, on the contrary, advocated a return to Catholicism. The king equally pursued 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 preserved and even strengthened their positions by the 17th century. They were called Puritans, and it was under their auspices that the English bourgeois revolution took place during the reign of Charles I Stewart.

The Consequences of Church Reform

The results of the reformation in England turned out to be very serious for its social, political and religious structure. After distributing the land confiscated from the monasteries of the new nobility and the bourgeoisie, the king thereby created in his person a support. Thus, the country has formed a layer of people interested in continuing reforms and consolidating the existing situation. The new nobles wanted to retain the lands they had received, and so they all unanimously supported the accession of Elizabeth I, the daughter of the king from Anne Boleyn, who took the course to preserve the changes 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 changes contributed to its preservation and even spread, while more radical currents lost the number of their supporters.

Continuation of the policy of approving Protestantism

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

However, after her death, Elizabeth I proclaimed a course to approve the new teaching in the country. Heinrich'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, the reformation of the moderate type was finally established in England.

Value

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 means. This ideology fully corresponded to the aspirations of entrepreneurs and the bourgeoisie. From now on their desire to increase their incomes has received a dogmatic justification. The further deepening of the reformist ideas is evidenced by the fact of the spread of the Puritan trend, which promoted the deepening of reforms.

The development of capitalism in the context of the Reformation

Reformation in England should be considered in the context of changes in this Europe as a whole. The cause of its victory should be sought in the maturity of capitalist relations and the final design of the bourgeois class, which supported this trend. While in some other countries, for example in France, the reform movement was defeated because feudal relations were still very strong there.

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

England was in essence a country of victorious capitalism, and this social and economic stratum required justification, which the reformation gave him. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the Reformation in its spirit was perfectly in line with the English mentality with its practicality and efficiency.