The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation

As an Episcopal priest, I'm constantly explaining to people that it wasn't really Henry VIII that started the Church of England so that he could get a divorce. He broke from the authority of Rome, yes, but he remained more or less a committed Catholic in spirituality and theology until his dying day.People who know a bit more about Anglicanism's history consider that it is Elizabeth I who really got Anglicanism going, but McCulloch turns our attention gently towards Elizabeth's younger half-brother, Edward VI. It was during his reign that the first Books of Common Prayer were published, which firmly launched the church of the realm into Protestant directions. But Edward was just a boy, wasn't he? Wasn't he basically a puppet of his Protestant-minded minders? Well, yes and no. And the exploration of this point is, for me, the finest part of McCulloch's scholarship (which is top-notch, as usual).This book is recommended for those who are very interested in the Reformation in England, but perhaps should only be read after books that treat of the entire era, such as  English Reformations: Religion, Politics, and Society under the Tudors  or  The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England, 1400-1580 .

This is an interesting book about the history and politics that shaped the Reformation in England during the reign of Edward VI. It includes references to original sources as well as reproductions of portraits and wood cuts of the period. MacCulloch asserts that this period of time is not given enough respect by historians. It was during this time that the Book of Common Prayer, a form of which is used by the Anglicans today, was first published. It was also during this time that the Church of England changed to an evangelical theology. It is very readable by non-scholars as well.

Heavy on religion and religious views ofEdward and his siblngs.

It was all about the reformation and almost nothing about Edward

Diarmaid MacCulloch should have a well merited following by now. His extremely readable books finally made Church History a fascinating subject. His mastery of theology, ecclesiology, iconography, architecture, ceremony, and other dimensions of Tudor England are unrivalled, and he weaves them into a comprehensive whole. The depth and quality of his research are exemplary, and his prose is very good literature.In this book he shows how most events which make the pace of Edward VI's reign seem frantic, were prepared but had to be postponed during Henry VIII's last years. Even during his first year, Edward's establishment under the Duke of Somerset's protectorate was reluctantly forced to appease the Emperor Charles V, the majority of lay politicians, and conservative bishops as powerful as Stephen Gardiner of Winchester. After Somerset's disgrace, John Dudley, first Earl of Warwick and later Duke of Northumberland maintained a more consensual relationship with the Lords. He made peace with France and Scotland, and inaugurated a phase of political reconstruction at home, thus permitting the evangelical revolution to recover its pace.Dr. MacCulloch lets us see that in England as in the Continent, the cost of being too specific on the Lord's Supper was soon perceived, since the matter was admittedly of more importance to traditionalists and evangelicals alike than justification by faith, and also produced more martyrs. This determines a very gradual, even stealthy accumulation of arguments and liturgical reforms up to 1550, although at least Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer and Thomas Cranmer had much earlier become convinced that the Lutheran doctrine of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist was as blasphemous as the Roman doctrine of transubstantiation. Nevertheless, MacCulloch argues convincingly that Cranmer's convictions on the Lord's Supper are more in agreement with Heinrich Bullinger's than with either Zwingli's or Calvin's theology. Whether, as John Knox believed, had he reigned longer Edward would have evolved into a doctrinaire Calvinist, is now a moot point.One of this book's main attractions is that it conveys a sense of indebtedness to a very young and serious boy, a great promise that flickered and died. Edward is portrayed as a real believer, not just an immature tool of vested interests. Since he appears to have been gifted with a more thoughtful and less egotistical character than his father, it's very possible that he would have grown up to be a great leader of the Reformation, and Cranmer could have finally convened the General Council of Reformed Churches of which he dreamt.Regardless of how much anglo-catholicism and theological liberalism alike have done to demolish the Edwardian heritage, it's possible that in a critical juncture such as the one Anglicans worldwide find themselves in today, MacCulloch's closing lines might awaken their concern:"Perhaps the Anglican Communion, most enigmatic member of the Christian family of Churches, might show more gratitude for Edwardian mischief -or at the very least, some remembrance and understanding".The book carries ninety-two well-chosen illustrations, with very helpful captions. The bibliography includes primary sources in manuscript and in print, secondary sources, and unpublished dissertations. Though softbound, the book is very sturdy, and should survive casual handling. It's quality work from the University of California Press.

MacCullogh's treatment of Edward's role in the sixteenth century English Reformation is a stimulating read. However, judging by the number of references to MacCullogh's other work on Thomas Cranmer, a serious student of the English Reformation would be better served to read the latter.