The late medieval church in Europe operated in an arena of political, economic, social and religious conflicts. These erupted in the early 16th century, leading to a series of ‘reformations’, attempts to renew or reformulate the Church. This course will outline these seismic changes and their lasting impact on the history and contemporary religious scene in England in particular, with the wider European scene as a backdrop.
In England, the rapid building of a strong state in the face of competing European struggles for power was accompanied by Tudor dynastic concerns. The tensions between Henry’s religious conservatism and the divisions in court and country led to a unique development of the relationship between church and state, one which influences Anglican thinking to this day.
In the second half of the 16th century, the monarchy continued to presume and defend a monolithic ‘church of the English people’ as part of the fabric of social cohesion. In reality, the roots of modern denominational divisions were beginning to be sown, often under severe political suppression.
The first half of the 17th century saw a bloody - but almost inevitable - clash of political, cultural and religious interests. In England, the House of Stuart distanced itself from its Puritan roots and created an increasingly dangerous stand-off between court and Parliament. In Europe generally, such clashes led to the Thirty Years’ War, to savage persecutions and a deep psychic dis-ease. The slightly later English Civil War had similar impact, and led the country eventually to a reformulation of political theory, and radically new theological understandings of the Church.
It is very difficult, even today, to study this period without bias, whether or not we share one of the religious or political perspectives. However we position ourselves, it is crucial for us to understand the significance of this period for interpreting the deep secularization of modern Europe, and how that might influence our current responses to new patterns of social and religious migration.
