Published in 1965: It has been maintained by an eminent scholar recently dead that the chief content of modern history is the emancipation of conscience from the control of authority. From that point of view the student of Tudor times will not be exclusive in his choice of heroes. He will find room in his calendar of saints for More as well as for Cranmer. Both had grave imperfections, and both took their share in enforcing the claims of authority over those of conscience. Nor perhaps is it true to say that they died in order that we might be free; but they died for conscience' sake, and unless they and others had died conscience would still be in chains. That was Cranmer's service in the cause of humanity his Church owes him no less, for in the Book of Common Prayer he gave it the most effective of all its possessions.

Self-serving lacky, self-deceiving puppet, Swiss Protestant partisan, or sensible Erasmian humanist: which, if any, was Thomas Cranmer? For centuries historians have offered often bitterly contradictory answers. Although Cranmer was a key participant in the changes to English life brought about by the Reformation, his reticent nature and lack of extensive personal writings have left a vacuum that in the past has too often been filled by scholarly prejudice or presumption. For the first time, however, this book examines in-depth little used manuscript sources to reconstruct Cranmer's theological development on the crucial Protestant doctrine of justification. The author explores Cranmer's cultural heritage, why he would have been attracted to Luther's thought, and then provides convincing evidence for the Reformed Protestant Augustinianism which Cranmer enshrined in the formularies of the Church of England. For Cranmer the glory of God was his love for the unworthy; the heart of theology was proclaiming this truth through word and sacrament. Hence, the focus of both was on the life of on-going repentance, remembering God's gracious love inspired grateful human love.

The first major biography of its subject in more than thirty years makes use of new British manuscript sources to draw a rich portrait of Henry VIII's archbishop of Canterbury who guided England through the Reformation. UP.

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) played a formative role in the creation and development of the Church of England, from his dramatic appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1532, through his granting of Henry VIII's divorce from Queen Katharine, his emergence under Edward VI as a determined reformer in the mould of his European contemporaries, and to his martyr's death under Mary Tudor in 1556. He is best remembered as the prime creator of the two Books of Common Prayer of 1549 and 1552 which stand at the head of Anglican liturgical identity and tradition. This book seeks to offer a survey of his growth and development as theologian and leader of the church through the lens of his written work: not only liturgy, but also homilies, correspondence and official doctrinal statements. This volume introduces Cranmer as a churchman, theologian and liturgist whose original contribution to Anglican spirituality in its earliest, formative moments cannot be underestimated.

Excerpt from Thomas Cranmer: And the English Reformation, 1489-1556 It has been maintained by an eminent scholar re cently dead that the chief content of modern history is the emancipation of conscience from the control of authority. From that point Of view the student of Tudor times will not be exclusive in his choice of heroes. He will find room in his calendar of saints for More as well as for Cranmer. Both had grave imperfections, and both took their share in enforcing the claims of authority over those of conscience. Nor perhaps is it true to say that they died in order that we might be free; but they died for conscience' sake, and unless they and others had died conscience would still be in chains. That was Cranmer's serv ice in the cause of humanity his Church owes him no less, for in the Book of Common Prayer he gave it the most effective of all its possessions. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Published in 1965: It has been maintained by an eminent scholar recently dead that the chief content of modern history is the emancipation of conscience from the control of authority. From that point of view the student of Tudor times will not be exclusive in his choice of heroes. He will find room in his calendar of saints for More as well as for Cranmer. Both had grave imperfections, and both took their share in enforcing the claims of authority over those of conscience. Nor perhaps is it true to say that they died in order that we might be free; but they died for conscience' sake, and unless they and others had died conscience would still be in chains. That was Cranmer's service in the cause of humanity his Church owes him no less, for in the Book of Common Prayer he gave it the most effective of all its possessions.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II CRANMER AND THE DIVORCE OF CATHERINE OF ARAGON OF all the incidents affecting Cranmer's life the most important is the divorce of Catherine of Aragon.1 That divorce and its ramifications were the web into which the threads of Cranmer's life were woven. Through it he first attracted the notice of Henry VIII.; to his services in that cause he owed his elevation to the See of Canterbury, the part he played in the history of the English Reformation, and, finally, his martyrdom. It therefore becomes imperative to indicate as briefly as may be the origin of that episode and its influence on the Reformation in which Cranmer lived and moved and had his being. Without some such introduction it is impossible to weigh Cranmer's character in the balance, or to estimate the effect of his career on English history. 1 It is impossible to avoid the use of the term "divorce" in spite of its obvious inaccuracy. From neither of the two conflicting points of view was there any divorce at all. The Anglican view was that Henry VIII. and Catherine had never been legally married, and the so-called divorce was really a declaration of nullity. Roman Catholics, on the other hand, declared that they were legally married and as the Pope gave sentence to that effect, there was no legal " divorce." Hence Harpsfield's treatise on the subject is entitled " The Pretended Divorce." Nor, indeed, does the canon law recognise such a thing as divorce at all; there may be separation a mensa et toro, but that does not destroy the marriage-bond at all; or there may be a declaration that a marriage has been null and void from the beginning. These declarations were common in the early sixteenth century, the complexities of the canon law affording considerable facilities...

Thomas Cranmer’s place in English history is firmly established, yet the complexities of his character have remained obscure and he continues to be one of the most problematic figures of the Tudor period. Susan Wabuda’s biography sheds fresh light not only on the private Cranmer, but also on the qualities that enabled him to master a shifting political landscape and to build a new English Church. Athletic by nature, Cranmer enjoyed hunting and he was a keen collector of books. He was blessed with several lifelong friendships and twice risked his career by marrying the women he loved. A skilled debater and a deft politician, Cranmer sought to balance his long-term plans for the Church against the immediate demands of survival at court. Obedient at all times, yet never entirely trustworthy, he had to reconcile the will of his God with the will of the monarch he served. For too long, Cranmer’s legacy has overshadowed the life of the man himself, but this new biography enriches and extends our understanding of both. Accessible and informative, it will be essential reading for students and scholars of the English Reformation and the Tudor age.