| dc.description.abstract | This study examines the Anabaptist movement in England during the reign of Edward VI, 1547-1553. With the death of Henry VIII, the religious and political situation in England changed drastically. Edward's reign, under Somerset and then Northumberland, turned in the direction of Lutheran and Reformed Protestantism. With increased Catholic pressure on Continental Protestants, England became a haven for Protestant refugees. This, along with Somerset's tolerant nature and moderate policies, fostered the growth of religious extremism--both indigenous and foreign. As the authorities became increasingly aware of their presence and perceived them as a problem, suppressive measures were taken. The subsequent history of the Church of England owed much to the efforts of the Edwardian Reformers to achieve religious uniformity. This study considers the Anabaptist movement within the setting of the English Reformation under Edward. It demonstrates how Anabaptism influenced, and was influenced by, the efforts of the Edwardian Reformers. The account begins in Chapter 1 with the origins and rise of the Anabaptists on the European Continent and surveys their arrival and growth in Henrician England. Chapter 2 traces the religious policy of Somerset during the first three years of Edward's reign, and the spread of Anabaptism within that setting. The years of Northumberland's primacy are considered in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 is a study of the Forty-Two Articles of 1553 and their relationship to Anabaptism. The study demonstrates that the Articles were strongly influenced by Anabaptist doctrines and the intense concern of the authorities. The chapter also gives a discussion of particular Anabaptist beliefs. The last two chapters are biographical studies of two prominent Anabaptist figures in Edward's reign. Chapter 5 is a study of Joan Bocher, who was executed under Edward for her Anabaptist views. Henry Hart, the leader of a Kentish sect that denied predestination and emphasized the freedom of the will, is the subject of Chapter 6. The study shows that the distinctive views of the Anabaptists in Edwardian England were derived from the doctrines of Melchior Hofmann. These views often combined with indigenous religious radicalism, as the latter provided fertile soil for ideas from the Continent. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.) | |
