Page 11 - History of Christianity II- Textbook

Henry VIII King of England, 1509-47

Henry VIII, king of England, had little interest in spiritual things; his
interest was in getting the church to approve of his lifestyle. In 1521 he
attacked Luther’s view of the sacraments and received the title
“Defender of the Faith” from the pope.

After the death of his brother, Henry had married his sister-in-law
(brother’s wife), Catherine of Aragon. They had no son to follow Henry
on his throne. Attracted by Anne Boleyn, the kind sought to rid himself of his unfruitful wife and take a
more attractive one who might bear him heirs. Claiming that he should not have married his elder
brother’s widow and citing Leviticus 20:21 as his biblical sanction, he asked the pope for a divorce. The
pope stalled. Impatient, Henry appointed Thomas Cranmer as archbishop of Canterbury who granted
him a divorce. Henry quickly married Ann, and in the same year, 1533, she gave birth to a child,
Elizabeth.

In 1534 the English Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, declaring the kind to be supreme head of
the Church of England. To promote English nationalism, Henry ordered an English Bible to be installed in
all churches. To promote his own agenda, Henry created a church in England that was no longer Roman
Catholic. He set up the country for years of terrible strife, where true faithfulness to Christ would cost
many their lives.

Truth about Henry VIII

2.4 Let’s Practice…

1. In what ways did Phillip Melanchthon assist Martin Luther in the Reformation?

2. What was Sebastian Franck known for?

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