History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 418 - Diarmaid MacCulloch on the British Reformations
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Apr 9, 2023 AI Snips
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Top-Down Reformation Driven By Ministers
- Henry VIII wanted the king as head of the Church, not a Protestant doctrinal overhaul.
- Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer pushed a reform that gained momentum beyond the king's intentions.
Lollardy Prepared The Ground
- England had a persistent pre-Reformation dissent movement called Lollardy dating to the 14th century.
- That grassroots dissent meant official reforms could interact with an existing anti-clerical sentiment.
Cranmer's Logic For Royal Supremacy
- Cranmer argued the king is God's representative, so the Pope could be labeled anti-Christ.
- That logic allowed the monarch to replace papal authority while retaining church structures.