Henry VIII fundamentally changed the nature of religion in England by breaking free of the Catholic Church. This established the groundwork for England to become a Protestant country.
Despite the radical changes he initiated, Henry was generally quite conservative when it came to religious matters, and it's important to remember that a number of true believers in the Protestant cause were put to death during his long reign.
The official position of the court changed rapidly during these turbulent decades, largely in response to political developments in Europe. When Henry needed to make alliances with Catholic powers, persecution of Lutherans and Calvinists was stepped up. When he needed the support of Protestant powers, it was time to crack down on those who adhered to the old faith.
Henry conceived of the Church of England in political rather than confessional terms, as primarily an instrument of his kingly power. In breaking free from Rome, he was affirming what he believed to be his God-given right as sovereign to determine the religious life of his realm.
Once he'd established himself as Supreme Head of the Church of England, loyalty to the new church was equated with loyalty to the king. Those who did not, or could not, subscribe to the new order were to be regarded as traitors who owed their allegiance to a foreign pope—or in the case of Calvinists, to a foreign ideology—and not to the king of England.
Although die-hard Protestants trod warily in case they incurred the wrath of the king, they took the opportunity given to them by the break with Rome to lay the groundwork for an authentic Reformed Church in England, one that would replicate the state church of Calvinist Geneva.
But they had to be careful. So long as the erratic Henry was alive, there was always the danger that his religious policy might change at the drop of a hat. As that policy was largely dictated by political necessity, the balance of power within the state between conservatives and reformers was always subject to change, with fatal consequences for the losers.
To some extent, Henry encouraged such tensions between the rival factions because they diverted his nobles' attentions away from potentially plotting against him. Throughout his entire reign, Henry was highly insecure about the stability of his throne. He saw the establishment of the Church of England, free from the Pope's control and with himself as its Supreme Head, as a way of consolidating his power and making himself the closest thing that England has ever had to an absolute ruler.
After failed attempts to obtain a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII took momentous steps that led to “The Reformation,” a significant occurrence in the history of religion. Prior to the reformation, all of England’s inhabitants including King Henry VIII prescribed to Catholicism. In fact King Henry VIII was such a strong adherent that he was bequeathed the title “Defender of the Faith” by the...
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pope for his efforts in protecting Catholicism against the Protestants. However, all these changed upon the pope’s denial of Henry’s request for a divorce.
Through enactment of the Act of Supremacy formulated by Henry VIII and his parliament, England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of England became an independent entity from the Roman Church and the king of England was appointed as leader of the church. As such, the Pope had no influence over any religious matters in England and this paved way for transformation to Protestantism.
The “Dissolution” led to the closure of all monasteries and convents in England and the wealth obtained from such establishments channeled to other courses like strengthening of England’s defense against aggressors. During his reign as leader of the church, King Henry VIII permitted the translation of the bible from Latin to obtain an English version. The “Lord’s Prayer” was also recited in English as opposed to Latin, which was in use when the Pope led the church. In addition to the above, under King Henry VIII, priests were not allowed to marry.
Further Reading
King Henry VIII came into conflict with the Roman Catholic Church when he desired a new wife and the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Bolelyn in hopes of having a male child and, thus, preserve his lineage. Pope Clement, who was virtually a prisoner of Catherine's nephew, Charles V of Spain, was reluctant to raise the ire of Spain's king by annuling a marriage for which Henry had been granted a dispensation in the first place. The Pope dragged the case on for years; frustrated Henry consulted with Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was himself a very clever man. Disenchanted with Rome, Cranmer lent his support to Henry; and, with the Machiavellian skill of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII convinced Parliament to repudiate the authority of Rome over the English church and the king's subjects.
Henry VIII was then made head of the Church of England and Protestants moved into positions of prominence in the country. Also, Henry suppressed the monasteries and put their property and wealth at his own disposal, reducing the power of the Catholic Church in England.
Why did Henry VIII change his religion?
Until the 16th century, England was officially Roman Catholic and considered the Pope to be their religious leader. When Henry VIII, who lived from 1491 to 1547, decided he wanted to divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon, he had to ask for permission from the Pope. The Roman Catholic Church holds that marriage is for life, and only in exceptional circumstances may an annulment be granted. Because Henry wanted a divorce because Catherine was not giving birth to boys, the Pope turned down Henry's request. In 1534, Henry decided he was now the religious leader of England. With the Act of Supremacy, he established the Protestant Church of England. Though this formation was really motivated by his desire for a divorce, Henry was likely also inspired by the Protestant Reformation sweeping across mainland Europe.
In 1517, Martin Luther produced his Ninety-Five Theses, a criticism of the decadence and wrongdoings of the Roman Catholic Church. This inspired the Reformation throughout Europe, and Henry's Act of Supremacy officially brought the Protestant Reformation to England. From that point on, the culture of religion and Christianity in England was forever changed. Religious power no longer lay with some absent power; instead, it was vested in the hands of the ruling monarch.
How did Henry VIII influnce religion in England?
This is a good question. King Henry VIII was one of the most important figures in the historical development of England. A little context is necessary to understand this point.
First, we need to realize that when Henry VIII became King of England, the Protestant Reformation was in full swing. Moreover, there were a group of people in England called the Lollards, who also had protestant leanings. This allowed for the Protestant movement to gain traction.
Second, when Henry VIII left the fold of the Catholic church, this allowed the the church of England to develop apart from the authority of the Catholic church. This fact allowed for their to be a English reformation, the creation of a Common book of Prayer, and a distinctly Protestant view of the world in terms of faith.
In light of these points, Henry VIII perhaps unwittingly started England in a Protestant direction, which Queen Elizabeth would bring to the next level.
What are three things Henry VIII of England changed about religion and why did he make these changes?
When King Henry VIII was denied a divorce by the Catholic authorities, he took it upon himself to break from the Roman Catholic Church and establish the Church of England. While there was a lot of debate about what the rules and doctrines of the new church would be, it basically resembled the Roman Catholic Church when Henry died in 1547. There were three key reforms that Henry VIII made. First, the pope in Rome would no longer have any authority over the Church of England. The king of England would be the supreme head of the church. This act was backed by Parliament in 1534. Secondly, Henry closed all of the monasteries of England and sold church property. Henry looted all of the gold and silver of the monasteries for the royal bank and allowed his subjects to take much of the material wealth. The third reform of Henry was to allow the publication of an English Bible and more people were granted access to read it than beforehand. The reforms of Henry would be rescinded by his heir, but re-instituted by Elizabeth I (1558-1603.) All of these reforms were motivated by self-interest as Henry wanted to be granted the divorce and he was able to secure much of the wealth that existed in the monasteries.
Why did King Henry VIII have a significant impact on English religion?
Henry VIII formed his own church, and proclaimed it the state religion of England.
Henry VIII was King of England from 1509 until 1547. His first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had been married to Henry's brother, Arthur. At the time, special consent of the Roman Catholic church was needed and obtained so that Catherine could marry Henry. They were married for over twenty years, and had one surviving child, Mary. Henry reportedly had various mistresses, including Mary Boleyn. Henry wanted Mary Boleyn's sister Anne as another mistress, but she refused. Henry petitioned the Pope for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine on the grounds she had been married before. He was refused, despite repeated requests and threats. Henry then proclaimed himself head of the church in England and turned England towards Protestantism. The new church had a lot of similarities to the Roman Catholic church, but various differences exist--fewer sacraments, for example. But the newly formed church allowed Henry to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. They had one child, Queen Elizabeth I. Henry had Anne beheaded in 1536.