The Gospel and Henry VIII Evangelicals in the Early English Reformation [Paperback]

An appraisal of the religious policies of the final years of Henry VIII's reign.This book is about one critical but neglected phase of the early English Reformation: the last years of Henry VIII's life, 1539 47, conventionally seen as a time when the king persecuted Protestants. The book argues that Henry's policies were much more ambiguous; that he continued to give some support to Protestantism; and that many Protestants also remained loyal to the king. It also examines why they eventually adopted a more radical, oppositional stance, and argues that it was largely during these years that English Protestantism's eventual identity was determined.This book is about one critical but neglected phase of the early English Reformation: the last years of Henry VIII's life, 1539 47, conventionally seen as a time when the king persecuted Protestants. The book argues that Henry's policies were much more ambiguous; that he continued to give some support to Protestantism; and that many Protestants also remained loyal to the king. It also examines why they eventually adopted a more radical, oppositional stance, and argues that it was largely during these years that English Protestantism's eventual identity was determined.The last years of Henry VIII's life, 1539-47, have conventionally been seen as a time when the king persecuted Protestants. This book argues that Henry's policies were much more ambiguous; that he continued to give support to Protestantism and that many accordingly also remained loyal to him. It also examines why the Protestants eventually adopted a more radical, oppositional stance, and argues that English Protestantism's eventual identity was determined during these years.List of figures; List of tables; Acknowledgements; Notes on the text; List of abbreviations; Introduction; Part I. The Regime and the Reformers: 1. A counter-reformation?; 2. Fearing God and honouring the king; Part II. The Faces of Reform: 3. The exiles; 4. Pulpit and printshop; 5. The univelãW