Abandoning the traditional narrative approach to the subject, Richard
Rex presents an analytical account which sets out the logic of Henry
VIII's shortlived Reformation. Starting with the fundamental matter of
the royal supremacy, Rex goes on to investigate the application of this
principle to the English ecclesiastical establishment and to the
traditional religion of the people. He then examines the extra impetus
and the new direction which Henry's regime gave to the development of a
vernacular and literate devotional culture, and shows how, despite
Henry's best intentions, serious religious divisions had emerged in
England by the end of his reign. The study emphasises the personal role
of Henry VIII in driving the Reformation process and how this process,
in turn, considerably reinforced the monarch's power.
This updated edition of a powerful interpretation of Henry VIII's
Reformation retains the analytical edge and stylish lucidity of the
original text while taking full account of the latest research. An
important new chapter elucidates the way in which 'politics' and
'religion' interacted in early Tudor England.