POWER

4 Dissent and the break with Rome
KEY TERMS
Make sure you know what these
terms mean and can use them
confidently in your writing.
● annul
● anticlericalism
● chantry
● clergy
● humanism
● indulgences
● Lollards
● Lutheran
● Reformation
● relics
FOCUS TASK
Why did Henry break with Rome?
1 Review the cards you have been making (heir, conscience, power, money,
individuals, reformist ideas). Arrange them on a large sheet of paper in order
of importance. Then add lines and comments to show connections between
the reasons.
Who drove the changes to the Church?
2 Historians including Christopher Haigh and A. G. Dickens disagree about who
was driving the changes to the Church in England in the 1520s.
a Dickens argues that the Reformation was driven from below – i.e. there was
popular call for change.
b Haigh argues it was driven from above – by those in power.
Which viewpoint is supported by the work you have done in this topic?
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1 Explain why Henry VIII reformed the Church in 1530s. (10)
2 Explain the role of Cromwell in reforming the Church in 1530s. (10)
3 Study the sources in this topic. How far do they convince you that Henry VIII was
manipulated into reforming the Church in England?
TOPIC SUMMARY
Uncorrected proof
Henry VIII breaks with Rome
1 Henry VIII was a religious man who came to believe that he could not have a son
because God was punishing him for marrying his brother’s wife.
2 Henry petitioned the pope for an annulment, but the pope refused.
3 The king became so desperate that he looked at ancient texts to see if he had
any powers to grant his own divorce.
4 When his lover Anne Boleyn fell pregnant, he married her secretly and urged
his ministers to pursue the annulment as quickly as possible.
5 Henry VIII became Supreme Head of the Church of England and granted his
own annulment.
6 Not everyone supported Henry’s actions – some Catholics were willing to die
rather than renounce the Catholic Church.
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