He extended some of the changes Henry VIII had begun. The Reformation was one of the most transformative events in the history of the British Isles. Summary: A history of the house of Tudor, and how their rule transformed England both religiously and politically, and the influence of the vernacular scriptures on the English people. Each of the countries that went through this process did so in a different way. Earlier the Roman Catholic Church had supreme powers. The Reformation, a 16th-century religious and political challenge to papal authority promoted by Martin Luther, King Henry VIII and others, led to the Thirty Years War and the Counter-Reformation. King Henry VIII started things off by being dissatisfied with his marriage … The Reformation led to the reformulation of certain basic tenets of Christian belief and resulted in the division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new Protestant traditions. The book "Five English Reformers," by the late Anglican Bishop J. C. Ryle, is an inspiring tale of the early English martyrs who stood up for what they believed to be the truth of Scripture, in the face of the reigning religious establishment, eventually paving the way for the English Reformation … By Professor Andrew Pettegree Last updated 2011-02-17. The Church was fined. She later began to persecute Catholics and by the end of her reign England was a fully Protestant country. Each of the countries that went through this process did so in a different way. Title page of Leo X's papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. The Protestant Reformation during the 16th century in Europe almost entirely rejected the existing tradition of Catholic art, and very often destroyed as much of it as it could reach. The English Reformation Reformation means “The act of reforming or the state of being reformed. Message Transcript. This is why this specific event is called the English Reformation, as it changed … The Reformation began in 1517 when a German monk called Martin Luther protested about the Catholic Church. Lesson Summary Let's review our wild ride through the English Reformation. Henry VIII broke ties with the church During the reign of Henry VIII, however,the tide turned in … Henry enjoyed the support of the middle class in his action. She wanted to create an inclusive Protestant church that allowed her to be in authority whilst enabling former Catholics to feel that they could follow Protestant forms of worship. It might sound silly, but 500 years ago the Catholic Church had the greatest power in Europe to write the rules. He took England to war to stop the Catholic French King Louis XIV from increasing his power. Hardcover $87.76 $ 87. Many religious groups in England had … When Henry’s son took the throne for the five years that he ruled, he was strongly Protestant like his father. A summary of the Reformation Attempts to reform (change and improve) the Catholic Church … She first tried to promote a 'middle way' in religion. Despite the zeal of religious reformers in Europe, England was slow to … They were both Catholics and tried to relax the laws against Catholics. E-mail Citation » This account of the English Reformation as a combination of religious change imposed “from above” and enthusiastic popular acceptance of Protestantism by the death of Edward VI in 1558 was accepted as the definitive interpretation of the subject by a generation of readers. The English Reformation was carried out by royal authority. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Churches in Western Europe are known as the Reformation. By the Act of Supremacy in 1534, Henry VIII became head of the English church. His followers became known as Protestants. 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