Around 1529, why was the Church still politically important in England?
Churchmen advised the Crown.
Senior clergy were deeply involved in royal government and administration.
What did Church teaching generally emphasise about monarchical authority in early Tudor England?
Obedience to rulers
Traditional teaching supported order and the duty to obey lawful authority.
Why did the Church hold major social influence in c1529?
It was wealthy and widespread.
Its land, courts, parishes and monasteries made it central to community life.
Fill in the blank:
In c1529 the Church’s political influence was strengthened because churchmen often served as royal _____.
advisers
Men such as Wolsey showed how closely Church and state could overlap.
What kind of cases were often heard in Church courts?
Moral and religious cases
They dealt with marriage, wills, sexual offences and clerical discipline.
Why were monasteries important in English society before the break with Rome?
They provided prayer and charity.
They were religious houses but also landlords, employers and centres of support.
What was the basic local unit of worship for most ordinary people?
Parish church
The parish church shaped the religious routine of daily life.
What term describes traditional religious devotion by ordinary laypeople?
Popular piety
It included masses, prayers, guilds, saints and concern for the dead.
Which belief about the afterlife remained important in English religion c1529?
Purgatory
Many people believed souls could be helped by prayer and masses.
What role did lay religious guilds play in the Church’s spiritual life?
Guilds supported worship, fellowship and prayers for members’ souls.
Why was the priesthood so important in traditional religion?
Priests mediated the sacraments.
They were essential for mass, confession and other rites of salvation.
Fill in the blank:
In traditional religion, the priest’s authority rested heavily on his role in administering the _____.
sacraments
This gave parish clergy a central place in spiritual life.
Why was printing important to religious change in the 1520s and 1530s?
It spread ideas quickly.
Print helped circulate both reformist criticism and orthodox responses.
Which medieval heretical movement left a legacy in England before the Reformation?
Lollards
Though limited in number, they preserved anti-clerical and scriptural ideas.
What was one lasting feature of the Lollard legacy?
Criticism of clergy and ritual
Lollards challenged aspects of orthodox practice and stressed scripture.
Which intellectual movement encouraged reform through scholarship and a return to original texts?
Humanism
Humanists sought moral and educational renewal rather than immediate schism.
Which Dutch humanist strongly influenced English reform-minded thinkers?
Erasmus
His scholarship and criticism of abuses shaped debate in England.
Which English humanist remained loyal to Catholicism while opposing heresy?
Thomas More
More attacked Protestant ideas despite supporting reform of abuses.
Which English churchman and scholar called for clerical reform and better preaching?
Colet
John Colet criticised corruption and encouraged a more serious clergy.
Fill in the blank:
English _____ such as Erasmus, More and Colet criticised abuses while seeking renewal rather than immediate separation.
Humanists
Their ideas helped prepare the ground for reform debates.
What does simony mean?
Sale of Church offices
It was widely criticised as a corrupt abuse of spiritual authority.
What does nepotism mean in the context of the early Tudor Church?
Favouring relatives for office
It was condemned as evidence of self-interest and corruption.
What does absenteeism mean in relation to clergy?
Not living in assigned benefice
Absentee clergy often neglected pastoral duties while drawing income.
True or False:
Anti-clericalism always meant rejecting Christianity itself.
False
Many people criticised clergy while remaining loyal believers.