To what extent was the Church popular and powerful in 1485?

Why was the Church so powerful in 1485?
1. It owned about 1/3 of the land in England
2. It included a huge number of people including 35,000 ordained priests and 10,000 monks and nuns.
3. It had its own legal system which resulted in clergy being tried in seperate church courts
4. The Church in England was part of a wider Catholic Church which stretched across Europe and ruled by the Pope in Italy.
5. People's beliefs and fears - Life was short and unpredictable and the Church provided explanation for the events which effected peoples lives e.g. poor harvests or plagues.

What did people believe in 1485?

1. Most people with few exceptions followed the teachings and doctrine of Rome
2. That the Pope was the head of Church and the supreme authority over all spiritual matters
3. That the clergy held a special authority within the community. Priests interpretted the Latin Bible on their behalf and conducted the key ceremonies which marked the passing of time and life in the community.
4. People should submit to the authority of the Church in their lives.
5. There were 7 essential sacarments- The Eucharist, Baptism, Holy Orders, Confirmation, Marriage, Confession, Annointing the Sick
6. To avoid hell people shoudl attend church regulary, believe in the sacramanets and show thier faith in God.

What was the role of the Church in the community?

1. The Church would have been the most common and easily identifiable building within every community. - People were very proud of their Church and many made gifts and onations to the church to ensure the upkeep of its fabric. There is no doubt that when Henry VII came to the throne people supported the Church.
2. Most people when to Church regularly. The communisty would gather together to celebrate Holy Days and other festivals such as May Day.

In what ways were people challenging the Church during Henry VII's reign?

1. What was Humanism?

 Humanism was part of the renaissance movement which began in Italy and swept through Europe. Humanism was a positive movement which believed that improvement was possible through learning and study. 

2. How is humanism connected to religious beliefs?

Humanists became involved in the religious debate due to the poor quality of parish priests. They wanted to improve the quality of education of both clergy and laity. They attacked some of the church practices such as the selling of indulgences (document that cancelled out a punishment in purgatory). They were concerned that the exploitation of people's fear led souls away from God but also lined the pockets of the higher clergy.

3. Key Humanists

Erasmus - A Dutch humanist scholar who visited England in 1499. He was based at both Oxford and Cambridge during his stays in England. He wrote a variety of works attacking the the abuses of the Catholic Church. He challenged monks who did not live Godly lives. 

John Skelton - A poet and linguist who became one of the tutors to the future Henry VIII.

John Colet - Dean of St Paul's Cathedral and founder of St Paul's school. He travelled to Italy and delivered a set of lectures in which he denounced the abuses of the Church and the corruption of the clergy.

Thomas More - Scholar who wrote Utopia and later became Chancellor to Henry VIII

4. What was the impact of Humanism?

Only the most educated would have understood and had access to the new humanist ideas. Most people would have continued to follow a more medieval attitude towards religion. They would have continued to attend pilgrimage and believe in saints and miracles.

What was the impact of the Printing Press?

The printing press was first used in England in 1476. Edward IV had encouraged the printing of English books translated from the original Latin or French.  But what was its impact?

1. It helped to standardise English. There were 5 different dialects across medieval England. The use of a standard printed language helped to smooth these regional variations.

2.  It helped spread humanist ideas - although most books printed were stories such as Chaucer's Canterbury Tales or King Arthur. Henry VII encouraged the use of printing and even created a post in 1504, 'The King's Printer'. Both he and Henry VIII showed little interest in the printing of humanist ideas and instead preferred stories of brave knights.

3. The availability of books led to more gentry and noble classes learning to read. As a result more and more books were published. The nation became more literate. Books were expensive though so often they were shared or their ideas were then spread orally.