Religious Change Under Edward VI (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes

Religious Change Under Edward VI

Edward VI's religious beliefs

When Edward VI became king in 1547 at just nine years old, England's religious situation remained uncertain following the complex changes of his father's reign. However, Edward himself held clear Protestant convictions that would shape the direction of reform during his short reign.

Edward received his education from leading scholars who held reformist sympathies, including figures with strong Protestant leanings. This upbringing had a profound impact on the young king's religious development. Contemporary evidence shows that Edward was not merely a figurehead but genuinely engaged with Protestant theology. He attended sermons every Sunday and made detailed notes in his personal journal, demonstrating real intellectual interest rather than passive observation.

The king's commitment to Protestantism extended beyond personal belief into active involvement in religious policy. In 1551, Edward took a personal stance on his Catholic half-sister Mary's refusal to stop celebrating Mass in private, writing to her directly to demand her obedience to the new religious settlement. This action revealed both his Protestant convictions and his understanding of his authority as Supreme Head of the Church, a position he held despite his youth.

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, writing in May 1549, described Edward as possessing remarkable godliness for one so young:

Religious reform under Somerset (1547-1549)

Although Edward was a minor and could not rule independently, this did not prevent religious change. His regent, the Duke of Somerset, implemented reforms in the king's name that moved the English Church decisively toward Protestantism. Significantly, these changes began even before Parliament could meet to reverse the conservative legislation from the final years of Henry VIII's reign.

Early reforms (July 1547)

In July 1547, Cranmer published his Book of Homilies, a collection of sermons with a moderate Protestant perspective. These homilies served a practical purpose: they were to be read from the pulpit by clergy who lacked strong preaching skills, ensuring that Protestant messages reached congregations throughout England. The book represented an important step in standardising religious teaching across the country.

The same month saw the issue of new injunctions aimed at eliminating remaining Catholic practices from parish churches. These orders commanded that:

• All religious images were to be removed from churches
• Candles were forbidden except for two on the altar
• Clergy should discourage parishioners from leaving money for Masses in their wills

Parliamentary legislation (late 1547)

When Parliament finally assembled in late 1547, it systematically reversed the conservative religious settlement of Henry VIII's final years. The Act of Six Articles (1539), which had defended traditional Catholic doctrine, was repealed. This removed legal protections for Catholic beliefs and practices, opening the way for more radical reform.

Parliament also passed legislation allowing the dissolution of chantries. Chantries were side chapels in larger churches or separate buildings where priests said prayers for the souls of benefactors and their families. The belief that prayers could help souls in purgatory was fundamentally Catholic, and the dissolution of chantries represented both a theological statement (rejecting purgatory) and a financial opportunity (seizing chantry wealth). This mirrored the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII but targeted a different type of religious institution.

Accelerated change (1548-1549)

During 1548-49, the pace of reform increased dramatically and became notably more radical. Cranmer developed an English form of wording for the Mass, which had traditionally been conducted in Latin. This change made worship accessible to ordinary people who could not understand Latin, but it also fundamentally altered the nature of the service by removing the mystique associated with Latin liturgy.

In January 1549, the Act of Uniformity imposed Cranmer's new Book of Common Prayer across the entire country. This prayer book was written in English rather than Latin and presented a Protestant interpretation of worship. The Act of Uniformity made use of this single prayer book compulsory, meaning that every parish church throughout England had to follow the same form of service. This represented unprecedented religious uniformity and state control over worship.

Also in 1549, clergy were granted the right to marry. This directly contradicted Catholic teaching that priests should remain celibate and represented another significant break with traditional practice. Many clergy took advantage of this new freedom, though it would cause problems when Mary later tried to reverse the Reformation.

By 1549, English parish churches looked and sounded fundamentally different from just two years earlier. The changes were so dramatic and controversial that they contributed to serious rebellions in 1549, including the Western Revolt, which opposed the new Protestant settlement.

Religious reform under Northumberland (1550-1553)

After Somerset's fall from power, the Duke of Northumberland continued the programme of religious reform, pushing the English Church toward an even more explicitly Protestant theology.

Destruction of Catholic materials (1550)

In January 1550, Northumberland ordered parish churches to surrender all Catholic service books. Thousands of these volumes were subsequently burned in what historian Richard Rex described as probably the greatest episode of book-burning in English history. This destruction of liturgical texts served multiple purposes: it prevented any future return to Catholic worship, symbolically rejected the Catholic past, and ensured that parishes could only use the new Protestant prayer book.

The second Book of Common Prayer (1552)

By 1552, Cranmer had produced a revised and more thoroughly Protestant version of the Book of Common Prayer. This second prayer book reflected the influence of Martin Bucer, a continental Protestant reformer who had fled persecution abroad and arrived in England in 1549. Bucer's Calvinist theology shaped the theological direction of English Protestantism.

The second prayer book mandated significant changes to church furnishings and clerical dress:

• The Catholic stone altar was to be replaced with a simple wooden table, emphasising communion as a memorial meal rather than a sacrifice
• Clergy were instructed to wear a plain surplice (a simple white garment) instead of traditional, more decorated vestments

Theological development

The second prayer book also moved further away from the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation (the belief that bread and wine literally become Christ's body and blood during Mass). Instead, it adopted an increasingly Protestant interpretation that denied the real presence of Christ in the communion elements. This represented a fundamental shift in understanding one of Christianity's central sacraments.

The 42 Articles (1553)

In 1553, Cranmer published the 42 Articles, which clarified and codified the English Church's faith as Calvinist Protestant. These articles defined official doctrine on key theological questions and would later form the basis for Elizabeth I's 39 Articles. The articles represented the culmination of Edward's reforms, establishing a clearly Protestant doctrinal foundation for the Church of England.

Significance and impact

The religious changes under Edward VI were dramatic and far-reaching. Within six years, England moved from the ambiguous religious settlement left by Henry VIII to a clearly Protestant church with Calvinist theology. These changes affected every parish in the kingdom, transforming how people worshipped, what their churches looked like, and what clergy wore and did.

However, the reforms faced resistance. Conservative bishops were imprisoned, rebellions occurred in 1549, and many ordinary people struggled with the rapid pace of change. The use of state power to enforce religious uniformity set an important precedent, though the death of Edward in 1553 would lead to another dramatic reversal under his Catholic half-sister Mary.

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