The impact of Christian humanism and the Protestant Reformation on the social progress of women in Tudor England

The movements of Christian humanism and the Protestant Reformation impacted the intellectual development of Tudor women. The writings and actions of prominent members of the Christian humanist movement, including Sir Thomas More, Desiderius Erasmus, and Thomas Elyot advocated scholarly study for women and challenged the medieval Catholic notion that women's emotions overpowered their rational faculty. The Protestant tenet that spiritual enlightenment and salvation could be gained through the private reading of scriptures demanded literacy skills of all women, regardless of class, in order to fulfill their religious obligation. Through the efforts of liberal minded humanists, both Catholic and Protestant, Tudor women had the opportunity to gain literacy skills, but they still had to contend with cultural restrictions and used tactics that allowed them to participate successfully in the intellectual discourse of their day.