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To what extent did Edward and Mary flop religion? - Coggle Diagram
To what extent did Edward and Mary flop religion?
PARA ONE: Edward's religion was not a flop
Edward was fairly successful in religion, in continuation from his father's protestant reformation
Edward oversaw the removal of the chantries which played an integral role in the lives on many local communities, the attack upon them affected the parishes in a way that destruction of the monasteries had not. Edward's commissioners visited every country and dissolved 3k chantries, along with 90 colleges, 110 hospitals and thousands of confrateries, and they confiscated thousands of minor parish endowments.
The dissolution of chantries ultimately ended the act of praying for the dead.
1548 proclamation enforced the removal of superstitious images --> people did comply but ....
Edward also experienced success with policies such as the
1549 Book of Common Prayer
CAVEAT: Some opposition was exhibited through risings such as the Prayer Book Rebellion (Western Rebellion, Arandale and Robert Welsch) though this was short lived and did not necessarily reflect the views of the general population. Lord Russell shut it down. Momentary humiliation.
Compliance was often superficial, with many people outwardly obeying the new laws while secretly holding onto their old beliefs and practices
Edward's religious policy was successful as he legitimised / furthered / consolidated the protestant reformation of his father. Moves like the removal of chantries established such power, and proved more influential of a move than that of his father (dissolution of the monasteries)
PARA TWO: Mary's religion wasn't really a flop but it was hectic
Edwardian bishops were present until 1554 which would been to instrumental to her implementation of a counter-reformation
In 1553, when Mary carried out the Act of Repeal (repealing Edward's religious policy), she fundamentally undermined her faith, whereby the papacy and divine law were supposed to prevail over statute law. Mary had recognised a sovereignty
of Parliament here
CAVEAT: She did experience some support from long-time support from loyal Catholic ministers like Sir Reginald Pole after he returned from exile in 1554, which strengthened her position in Parliament
Mary, though experiencing minor conflict, was able to implement a counter-reformation, and thus her policy wasn't entirely unsuccessful
The switch in regime was confused
The first act of repeal (1553) reversed Edward's changes, very soon into her reign
One of the main causes of the Wyatt rebellion of 1554 was clergy who had lost office within the transition between Protestantism and Catholicism which probably left them skint
CAVEAT: However, there were also bigger causes of the rebellion such as Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain --> were people really that bothered?
The switch is regime was arguably confused and unclear, which indicates a less of success, or a crisis of religion in the mid-tudor period.
Taking over from Edward VI, Mary was forced to replaced and persecute his protestant ministers so as to implement as counter-reformation.
For example, Thomas Cranmer, (Archbishop of Canterbury) and an influential figure during the reign of Henry VII and Edward VI was tried and executed in 1556 (he had legitimised the divorce between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon)
Overall, though the switch between regimes was confused, both monarch were able to implement their respective policy with little opposition, and thus religion alone is not indicative of a mid-tudor crisis.