The 16～(th) Century's English Protestant Reformation: Its Origins And Essential Characteristics

The English Protestant Reformation was such a crucial historical episode that it marked the watershed between the early modern England and the medieval England. This paper is an attempt to explore its origins as well as the essential characteristics from the perspectives of economy, religion and politics. The ultimate end of this paper is to learn from the history, since the present of today is ceaselessly sinking into the history.This paper proposes that underlying the English Reformation there were three deep-rooted major forces. In the first place, by the late Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church had degenerated into a corrupt super-national institute of power. There had been a strong outcry for reformation among the pious Christians within or without the Church. However, since any reforms would impair the existing privileges of the Church, the vested interests headed by the pope had been resistant to any reforms. Despite this, the demand for reform was constant, which constituted the origin of Protestantism.Secondly, with the development of the economy, the feudal system of enfeoffment together with the concept of Christendom that prevailed in the medieval Europe had been disintegrating. There was a growing trend toward independent nation-states, who were increasingly impatient with the heavy economic burden and political restrictions imposed by the Roman Catholic Church. However, England, a peripheral country on the European arena in the beginning of 16th century, was unable to subjugate the Church to her own advantage. Therefore, there had been potential crisis between the Church and the state. In addition, a new class represented by the gentry and merchants, the incipient bourgeois, had been emerging in the late Middle Ages. This growing class was destined to struggle for a new social order agreeable for its growth and development through alliance with any possible power.The working of these major forces was fully reflected in the essential characteristics of the Reformation. First, religion and politics collaborated. Protestantism not only provided the theoretical basis for such political moves as breach with Rome, achievement of royal supremacy or the dissolution of monasteries, but also prepared necessary social support. Meanwhile, with the support of political power Protestantism was promoted and established. Secondly, royal power, the embodiment of nation-state as well as the national power at the time, played a leading and decisive role in the Reformation. Since the top concern of royal power would be political, the final product was destined to be a reflection of the balance between different interested parties. That's why the Anglican Church still retained some Catholic elements.Despite the historical trend toward Protestant reformation, it was rather contingent about the way that the reformation was occasioned and developed. This paper shall focus on the critical contingent factors in the beginning of the Reformation as well as those in the reign of Queen Mary and Elizabeth I.