Cranmer Essay

[life_of_amesu]

The early years of the sixteenth century were rife with political and religious controversies. The reformation, as it came to be known, began in Germany and soon spread throughout Europe. For much of the early years of the conflict England remained aloof. This would change when Catherine of Argon, Henry VIII's first wife, failed to beget him a son

Comments

[anonymous]

For an explanation of why Cromwell may have decided to ally with the anti-Boleyn faction, see Ives's work on Faction in tudor court and his article The Fall of Anne Boleyn recosidered.

Cromwell wanted an alliance with Charles V whilst Anne always favoured a pro-French policy, plus she in herself was an obstacle to friendly relations between the Emperor and England as she was regarded as an usurper. Also, there was an issue over Willaim Brereton, whom I think Anne had patronage connections with, and his behaviour in the Welsh marches, which displeased Cromwell.

Also, I think above all it was the king Henry himself who had the biggest impact on the Refomation until 1547, when Cranmer I think was really able to expand theologically. I know that it isn't really your focus in this essay, but you should bear in mind that the king seems to have had quite precise ideas about what type of Reform he wanted.

[life_of_amesu]

see there is a probem when writing essays for uni - word count limits. xD I had to literally focus on just Cran and Crum. Which is a shame, because as you pointed out there were quite a few other things going on to motivate their actions at the time.

Henry did have very strong views, but they had a habit of changing depending on what he wanted. But that's not too surprising with him.
Also, when it came to theology Cranmer was very reformed, for the most part. Quite Calvinist to some extent whereas Henry wasn't and so any sort of extreme reform (such as full iconoclasm, rearranging views on the Eucharist etc.) had to wait till after Henry's death.

And if this is who I think it is - how are you? Sorry I haven't been online and never mind we're talking now.

La!

[linndechir]

Argh, sorry I'm only commenting now. I read this in the middle of the night and was too tired to comment, and then I didn't remember right away, sorry.

Either way, thanks a lot for posting this for me. :) This was really interesting, especially since I wasn't aware that there was a time when Cranmer and Cromwell didn't get along all that well. I suppose it just makes sense that it took them some time to realise how they could best work together, and I honestly rather like the idea of them bickering with each other. ;) Again, thank you for showing this to me, I'm always so happy to have more of these two in my life, in whatever form. ^^

[anonymous]

Also, THIS is how I imagine Cranmer:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Thomas_Cranmer.png

I've always had that image in my head, so when I can't remember, but ~I was talking to you about him and I said I always imagine him with a beard and you were like.. huh.. and then all I have ever seen since then is that clean shaven portrait
but I came across this today
and realised I wasn't completely making up the fact that he had a beard.

[life_of_amesu]

haha yeah. I remember that coversation. He was clean shaven until Henry's death wherein he decided it was time for a beard. There are two and a half theories I've heard about that. One is that Cranmer decided to grow the beard in mourning/memory of Henry. The other is that he was just doing what all good protestant preachers did which was grow a beard. The half a theory just combined the two and said ti was both.
I personally think it was probably a nice mixture of both. Though I'm not too sure how Mrs. Margarete Cranmer took to her husband suddenly sporting that bushy thing. Though, I suppose, since she was a good Protestant German woman she might not have minded too terribly.

[anonymous]

I think it's the second. You don't quite look respectable without a beard and definitely are the Protestant preachers were doing it - Calvin, Knox etc.
Probably the fashion just changed, in the second half of the 16th century everyone had beards apart from women and boys.
Why would you grow a beard in mourning? I thought people tended to shave as a sign of mourning rather than the other way round.

[life_of_amesu]

Yes, I think it was more the second than the first. And true, shaving was the usual show of mourning but being that Cranmer had nothing to shave, per se, it might have been the only visual way he had.
It also just might have been a damn good excuse to have a beard. xD