Religious Change in Tudor England Explained in Four Phases

The English Reformation didn’t happen all at once. Instead, it moved through different phases during the rule of King Henry VIII and his children Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Each ruler had a different approach to religion which led to many shifts in church practices, beliefs and power.

Henry VIII: The Break with Rome

The first major change happened during the reign of Henry VIII. Although he broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, he didn’t fully turn England into a Protestant country. Instead, he created a moderate reform by making himself the head of the Church of England and closing down the monasteries. However, most religious practices in England still looked very traditional during his lifetime.

Henry’s decision wasn’t only about religion. A big part of it was political and personal. He wanted a son to carry on the Tudor line, but his marriage to Katherine of Aragon hadn’t given him a surviving male heir. When the Pope refused to cancel the marriage, Henry took matters into his own hands. He claimed that English kings had always been independent and didn’t need permission from the Pope. This helped him justify making his own church, with himself in charge.

Power and money also played a role. By breaking from Rome, Henry took control of church land and wealth across England. He closed down the monasteries and collected their riches, which made the Crown much stronger. Even though many traditional Catholic practices stayed in place, the balance of power had clearly shifted.

Edward VI: The Rise of Protestantism

After Henry’s death, his young son Edward VI took the throne. Edward was a strong supporter of Protestantism, and under his rule, the government pushed hard to remove Catholic traditions. Protestant leaders introduced new prayer books, changed church services, and tried to stamp out Catholic influence completely. This phase saw some of the most dramatic changes in English religion.

Edward VI’s reign brought a strong push toward full Protestant reform. Because he had been raised with Protestant ideas, he supported changes that went much further than his father ever allowed. Under Edward, the government began removing Catholic beliefs and practices from the English Church. This included shutting down chantries which were places that offered prayers for the dead, something Protestants rejected. Priests were now allowed to marry and many church traditions were simplified or removed.

A new prayer book introduced in 1552 replaced the Catholic Mass with Holy Communion which Protestants believed was only symbolic. Churches became plainer and priests no longer wore decorated robes. These changes showed a clear move away from Catholicism. Ideas like predestination also became more common, teaching that people could not earn their way into heaven with good deeds. This phase turned England into a more fully Protestant country, at least for a short time.

Mary I: The Return of Catholicism

When Edward died young, his half sister Mary I became queen. As a devoted Catholic, she reversed Edward’s Protestant reforms and tried to bring England back to Catholicism. This included restoring the authority of the Pope and reintroducing Catholic rituals. Her policies caused serious conflict, and many people resisted the return to the old ways.

Mary’s reign caused serious conflict because many people did not want to go back to the old ways. She took harsh measures against Protestants, including burning hundreds at the stake for refusing to convert. This earned her the nickname Bloody Mary. Many Protestants fled England during her time as queen.

Despite her efforts, Mary’s reign was short, and when she died, her half sister Elizabeth took over. The religious changes Mary tried to make would soon be challenged again.

Elizabeth I: Religious Compromise and Stability

After Mary’s death, Elizabeth I came to the throne. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth took a more balanced approach and aimed to create a middle way that blended both Catholic and Protestant ideas. This became known as the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. However, not everyone was happy. Some Catholics and extreme Protestants felt the changes did not go far enough. Still, Elizabeth’s compromise helped bring more stability after years of religious division.

The Elizabethan Settlement kept many traditional Catholic practices but rejected the Pope’s authority. It allowed some freedom of belief while requiring everyone to follow the same church services. Elizabeth was named supreme governor of the Church of England, giving her control over religious matters, though her power was less absolute than her father Henry VIII’s had been.

A revised prayer book combined Protestant ideas with traditional language and church decorations, making the church acceptable to more people. Elizabeth also carefully appointed bishops to keep the church connected to its history. This compromise brought stability after years of religious conflict and created a Church of England that was both Catholic and Protestant but fully neither. This middle way became a lasting feature of English religion.

Tudor Religion

From Henry’s break with Rome to Elizabeth’s efforts at unity, religion in Tudor England went through big changes. Each ruler left their mark on the church and each phase brought new challenges. Understanding these four phases shows how religion and politics shaped each other during this important time.

References

The Open University 2016, educational resource, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, viewed 2 August 2025.
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The Tudors – Edward VI – Protestantism, n.d., History on the Net, viewed 2 August 2025, (Link).
Queen Mary I – Reign of Fire and Faith, n.d., Old Royal Naval College, viewed 2 August 2025, (Link).
Elizabethan Settlement, n.d., An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, The Episcopal Church, viewed 2 August 2025, (Link).