The Catholic Priesthood and the English Reformation
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Author Description
The religious changes of Henry VIII and Edward VI had a profound effect upon the clergy of the English church, raising questions as to its status, jurisdiction, and proper place in the divine scheme of salvation. This is the first full examination of the cumulative impact of these changes upon the relationship between priests in the parishes and the lay men and women who depended upon them for spiritual nourishment and religious instruction, and who frequently found them wanting in these and other respects. It provides a perceptive exploration of the role of the Catholic priesthood in the church and in the life of the community. Using a wide range of contemporary sources, Marshall demonstrates how the practical consequences of the Reformation undermined the fragile modus vivendi that had sustained the late medieval system.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates how the religious upheavals of the English Reformation fundamentally altered the status, jurisdiction, and societal role of the Catholic priesthood. Peter Treharne Marshall utilizes a comprehensive array of contemporary primary sources to analyze the transition from the late medieval ecclesiastical system to the reformed church structure. The text argues that the practical consequences of these legislative and theological shifts dismantled the existing relationship between parish priests and their lay congregations, ultimately destabilizing the traditional framework of spiritual authority.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of the religious policies enacted during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI.
- Examination of the shifting expectations of lay parishioners regarding spiritual instruction and nourishment.
- Evaluation of the jurisdictional and status-based challenges faced by the clergy during the mid-sixteenth century.
- Synthesis of contemporary primary source evidence to reconstruct the daily reality of parish life.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Historians recognize this monograph as a foundational study for understanding the localized impact of the English Reformation on the clergy. Scholars frequently cite the text for its rigorous use of primary sources and its clear articulation of the breakdown in the medieval ecclesiastical order.
Page Count:
288
Publication Date:
1994-04-28
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0198204485
ISBN-13:
9780198204480
History
Religious History
European History
British History
Reformation
Catholic Church
