Essay On How Accurate Is It To Say That Was Truly Protestant In 1509-88

How accurate is it to say that, in the years 1509–88, England went from being a nation that was Catholic to one that was genuinely Protestant?

The years 1509-88 were notably turbulent with regards to the religious inclination of the nation through the reigns of various monarchs with often conflicting interests and aims. The idea of England being ‘genuinely Protestant’ or not will be assessed by examining the changes made to the doctrine of the Church, the format of church services and the physical appearance of the Church across England. As a result, although many aspects of the Church in England took a largely Protestant manifestation - especially with regards to doctrinal changes - it is difficult to argue that the nation was entirely ‘genuinely

During Henry VIII’s reign, the Bible was translated into English for the first time as a result of the 10 Articles of 1536 which additionally recognised only baptism, Eucharist and penance as sacraments, denoting a Protestant disposition. Edward’s 1552 Second Act of Uniformity enforced the Second Book of Common Prayer which outlined the Protestant way in which services would be carried out, in English, amongst other Protestant changes. Finally, Elizabeth’s Uniformity Bill in 1559 made it compulsory for this prayer book to be used in churches, proving a continuation of the Protestant way in which services were to be carried out and the continued use of English liturgy and the Bible in English. Hence, much of the legislation drafted in the period 1509-88 caused a more Protestant way of carrying out Church services to be adopted in England, proving again that England did become a largely Protestant nation, this time in the way religious practice was carried out. However, it would not be true to say that England became ‘genuinely Protestant’ at this time because of Catholic changes made under Mary with regards to Church services and the Bible. When

In the first instance, Cromwell’s comprehensive survey and evaluation of Church lands Valor Ecclesiasticus in 1535 initiated a drive to make English Churches more Protestant in appearance and led to the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a process which pillaged monasteries across England from 1536-40 in a catastrophic act of cultural destruction. Under Edward VI there were evangelical campaigns which led to the removal of images, stained glass windows and other Catholic features in churches through the iconoclasm that ensued. Finally, under Elizabeth many paintings were whitewashed, chalices, rood screens and stone altar were removed, resulting in the more simplistic appearance of churches synonymous with Protestantism. Consequently, the appearance of Churches in England throughout the years 1509-88 was largely dictated by Protestant influences and the simplification of Church interiors. On the other hand, this development (like the other factors) was undeviating in Protestant theology due to the reign of Mary. She attempted to restore Catholic features to Church buildings by reinstating things such as rood screens, altars, images and other necessary pieces of