English Reformations: Religion, Politics, and Society Under the Tudors

Rating:
Summary: Extremely well written!
Review: For some months, I've been educating myself about Anglicanism. In so doing, I've discovered the hard way that Anglican histories are sometimes not the most readable or well written books around. English Reformations is a happy exception to that.

That it's written by Christopher Haigh, a self-described "kind of Anglican agnostic," yet was recommended and given to me by a very orthodox professor illustrates its broad appeal among Anglicans. And as this amateur student of history and of historiography read, it soon became clear the book is exceedingly well researched. And the research is very well presented in a lucent and approachable manner. I even devoured the bibliography!

Haigh pointedly chose to use the plural "reformations" in the book's title. For, as he documents well, the direction of the Church of England went back and forth even under Henry VIII and all the more so under Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth. There was indeed more than one reformation in the Church of England. In reading, I could sense the awkwardness (to say the least) of Britons in every walk of life being caught in the middle of the struggle between Catholics and Protestants. One on the "right" side could all too easily be on the wrong side in a matter of weeks even. And to raise the stakes (Pun intended.), the struggle was often as much political as religious, a frequent theme of Haigh's.

I can't emphasize enough how well written English Reformations is. Haigh never writes down to his audience nor waters down his presentation. At the same time, the book is really a fun read. Even details, such as his frequent citing of church warden records, are set forth in a manner that is actually entertaining, often with delightfully dry humor.

If you want to get beyond the basics of the tumult of 16th century Church of England without your patience being tried by dusty and turgid writing, I highly recommend English Reformations.

Mark Marshall is the author of God Knows What It's Like to be a Teenager.

Rating:
Summary: Read alongside Dickens, English Reformation.
Review: Haigh, Christopher. English Reformations: Religion, Politics, and Society under the Tudors.

Generally presents history as accidental. The course of history is determined by local, short-term contingencies, not long-term trends. This is unlike Dickens with his great trends. Haigh is committed to the short-term contingency because he wants to show that the English Catholic Church showed no trend toward reformation-there was only Reformation dictated from above, encouraged by accidental circumstances.

Haigh attributes causation to English accidents and English particulars: personal, geographic, etc. Perceived "tips," like those Dickens points to, do not necessarily top "icebergs" of general trends.

Henry VIII was no hero of the reformation. He was a great persecutor of heretics. He would never imagine himself anything like them.

Sure, Edward VI could be called one, but Henry VIII, Haigh writes, didn't know he was having his son trained by Protestant sympathizers.

There were three political reformations in England. Henry VIII's, Edward VI's, and Elizabeth's. Each were temporary. The first was stopped by Henry himself-he was no Protestant, the second was stopped by Edward VI's death, and the least was turned into a Puritan hijacking.

The political reformation and the confessional are distinct things. Haigh sees no evidence of the decay of Catholic devotion when the reformation was being handed down from above.

Read this work alongside A.G. Dickens; trust neither implicitly.

Rating:
Summary: the complete guide to english reformations
Review: In this book Christopher Haigh puts the 16th century religious reformations in England into their true perspective. He sees the religious reformations not as 'The Reformation' nor the 'English Reformation' but as 'English Reformations' and that they were part of an ongoing movement which encompassed the 18th century religious reformations. Previous historians,e.g, Dickens and Elton believed that the Protestant reformation was a swift affair and complete by the time of the Religious Settlement of 1559. With the Reformation out of the way the natural next stage of study was 'The causes of the Civil War'.Haigh challenges this perspective and argues that the protestant reformation was less than inevitable and gradually enforced through parliament and by a slow but important process of evangelisation. For him Protestantism was not established in England until the end of Elizabeth I's reign. His arguements are compelling and sensible and, certainly for British undergraduates, his has become essential reading for the student of 16th century England. If there is one book on the reformation worth having then this is it. It is clear, well ordered and lays out the Parliamentary reforms as well as assessing the success of Protestant preachers. His final conclusion is that by the end of Elizabeth's reign England was indeed a Protestant nation, but without being a nation of Protestants.