After the death of Edward VI in 1553 his sister Mary Tudor succeeded him after the very short term of Lady Jane Grey. She was crowned Queen Mary I of England and Ireland and reined for a total of five and a half years. Mary I became known for restoring the papal authority over the English Church and the cruel Protestant persecutions which gained her the nickname Bloody Mary. This paper will explore Reformation among both Edward VI and his half-sister Mary I and will deal with the question whether Edward’s religious reforms or those of Mary’s were more successful/left a greater impact on the English church.
The list of cited works is going to include A.G. Dickens with his renowned book The English Reformation who provides detailed accounts of the religious perception of the clergy and common people. Also I would like to mention Amos Blanchard’s account of John Foxe’s Actes and Monuments as he was a Marian contemporary who collected the accounts of executions of Protestant martyrs and published them in the Elizabethan era. Also I will draw on works by Lehmberg, Haigh and Doran. Some scholars, like W. R. D. Jones and Geoffrey Elton, claim that the reigns of both Edward and his sister Mary were also characterized by a mid-Tudor crisis. However, I decided to omit this topic as it offers enough material for a separate paper.
The first chapter deals with Edward VI’s reign over England. Therefore the chapter is split into three parts dealing with the three different Protectors during the under-aged king’s reign. A special focus is set on the significant religious changes which they evoked during Edward’s time. The second chapter concerns itself with the religious reforms during Mary’s reign. Again it is divided into sub-chapters which tackle the difficulties with restoring popish authority over the Church of England and also the political resistance Maria experienced by the Council Members. As a conclusion I will then collect and reflect on the gathered data and assess that the reforms during Edward’s reign had a greater impact on further religious development than Mary’s. By the end of this paper I will have established the view that the reforms during Edward VI’s reign were more successful than those of Mary I.
For the future development I hope that further events of that time can be uncovered and that future leaders learn from these past mistakes.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Edward VI's Reign (1547-1553)
- The Regent Council under the Duke of Somerset
- England under the Duke of Northumberland
- Success of Edward's reforms
- Queen Mary I (1553-1558)
- Restoring Popish Authority
- Persecution under Bonner
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The aim of this paper is to examine the religious reforms implemented by Edward VI and Mary I, and to assess which monarch had a greater impact on the Elizabethan religious settlement. The author argues that Edward VI's reforms were more successful and had a greater impact on the development of the English church.
- The religious reforms of Edward VI and Mary I
- The impact of these reforms on the Elizabethan religious settlement
- The role of the Regent Council in Edward VI's reign
- The challenges of restoring Catholic authority under Mary I
- The success of Edward VI's reforms in establishing Protestantism in England
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter focuses on the reign of Edward VI, exploring the influence of the different Protectors who governed during his minority. It details the key religious reforms implemented during this period, highlighting their impact on the English church.
The second chapter examines the religious reforms of Mary I, detailing the challenges she faced in restoring Catholic authority after Edward's Protestant reign. It also analyzes the political resistance she encountered from the Council Members.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on the English Reformation, examining the religious reforms of Edward VI and Mary I, with particular emphasis on their impact on the Elizabethan religious settlement. Key themes include Protestant and Catholic beliefs, the role of the Regent Council, the persecution of Protestants under Mary I, and the influence of figures like Archbishop Cranmer and the Duke of Somerset.
- Quote paper
- Katharina Schumacher (Author), 2008, The English Reformation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/193095
