The English Reformation – A Religious Revolution: MC08

The English Reformation

This five-unit course examines the Reformation of the Church in England, beginning during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 1520s and continuing to influence events well into the seventeenth century and beyond. The differing attitudes to religion were one of the main causes of the English Civil War of the 1640s and even, indirectly, the Troubles in Ireland of the 1970s. What began as a king's disappointment with the pope's refusal to oblige him overturned the English belief system that had been in place for centuries. In this course, we will consider how subsequent monarchs dealt with the changing situation that confronted them but, more importantly, how these religious upheavals affected the lives of the ordinary English people.

Note: This is an online course of downloadable or streaming audio lectures (plus transcripts) which can be done in your own time and you have lifetime access to the course once you have signed up and paid. There is no set start or end date, you can do it at your own pace. It is open internationally.

Click on "Full description" to find out more and click on the "Buy Now" tab to sign up and purchase.

Full Description
The course explores the religious changes in England during the sixteenth century and into the seventeenth; a time of great confusion over how best to prepare for the life hereafter. It must have caused bewilderment and terror among both clerics and laymen. Could you change your spiritual beliefs because a king decreed it? Yet the punishment could be death, if you didn't do so – superficially at least. Could a royal whim really convert hearts and minds to a new way of worshipping God? What were the European influences that contributed to not only the religious changes but the development of our culture and even our language?
Course Units:

  • Lesson 1 - The Medieval Church – 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!' - Toni looks at the medieval church and how the Roman Catholic Church had ruled every aspect of daily life. She considers the challenges to it: the Lollards and Martin Luther, and then considers what was actually reformed by the Reformation.
  • Lesson 2 - Henry VIII – A King's Desires Change Our History - In this lesson, Toni looks at how Henry VIII's need for a male heir and his quest for an annulment led to the break with Rome. We learn about how the English Reformation was put in motion.
  • Lesson 3 - A Cultural Revolution - In lesson 3, we learn about how the Bible in English came to be available in England, the impact on the common people of the dissolution of the monasteries and the religious changes of Edward VI's reign, and the Book of Common Prayer.
  • Lesson 4 - 'This Monstrous Regimen of Women!' - In this lesson, Toni takes us through the changes that the Catholic Mary I's reign brought to England, through to the Religious Settlement of Elizabeth I's reign. We learn about Cardinal Pole, the Marian regime and the persecution of Protestants, Elizabeth I's desire to please everyone, her religious settlement and the problems her excommunication caused.
  • Lesson 5 - Consequences of the Reformed Religion - In this final lesson, we learn about the social impact of the English Reformation and how Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I dealt with the Poor, before we move on to the Stuart line. Toni examines the King James Bible, the problems caused by James I's Catholic son, Charles I, coming to the throne, the Civil War and Puritanism, and the Restoration.

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($25 is approximately £19.80/€23.80/38.70AUD)

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  • 143 minutes (2 hours 23 minutes) of audio lectures.
  • 5 lessons - streaming audio or downloadable audio mp3 files.
  • Downloadable PDF transcripts of each lesson.
  • End of unit quizzes.
  • A further reading list.
  • End of course certificate.

Toni MountToni Mount is an author, history teacher and an enthusiastic life-long-learner. She's a member of the Research Committee of the Richard III Society and a library volunteer where she leads a Creative Writing group. She attends history events as a costumed interpreter.

She earned her research MA from the University of Kent in 2009 through her study of a medieval medical manuscript held at the Wellcome Library in London. Her BA (with First-class Honours) and her Diploma in European Humanities are from the Open University. Her Cert. Ed (in Post-Compulsory Education and Training) is from the University of Greenwich. Recently, she completed a Diploma in Literature and Creative Writing with the Open University. She's currently studying a range of modules on contemporary science and technology also with the OU.

Toni has written and published books including The Medieval Housewife & Other Women of the Middle Ages, Dragon's Blood & Willow Bark : The Mysteries of Medieval Medicine, Everyday Life in Medieval London, and Richard III King of Controversy. She is also the author of the Sebastian Foxley Medieval Mystery Series.

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Newton

Very good indeed. Thanks a lot !!!Read More →

Newton July 21, 2017

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Charlotte

I loved this course, I thought it was throughly enjoyable 🙂 thank you!Read More →

Charlotte July 27, 2017

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Wendy

Extremely enjoyable and informative, thank you.Read More →

Wendy August 8, 2017

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Enjoyed the course.

Caroline Heath December 30, 2018

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Christine

Yes, I enjoyed the course very much.Read More →

Christine February 22, 2023

Is there a guarantee?
Yes, see our Guarantees page.
Do I need to do the quizzes to complete the course?
No, they're optional but they're a good way of ensuring that you've taken in the information and they're also fun too.
How long does the course take?
You can do the course in your own time. Each lecture is between 15 and 30 minutes in length and you watch or listen to them at your convenience, so you can set your own pace. You have lifetime access to the course.
Do I need to buy any books or extra materials?
No, the audio lectures and transcripts are all you need. There is a list of further reading material if you want to read more about the subject, but this is optional.
When does the course start?
Our courses are online and you can start at any time and complete the course in your own time.
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Module 1 The Medieval Church – 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'
Toni looks at the medieval church and how the Roman Catholic Church had ruled every aspect of daily life. She considers the challenges to it: the Lollards and Martin Luther, and then considers what was actually reformed by the Reformation.
Unit 1 The Medieval Church  
Module 2 Henry VIII – A King's Desires Change Our History
In this lesson, Toni looks at how Henry VIII's need for a male heir and his quest for an annulment led to the break with Rome. We learn about how the English Reformation was put in motion.
Unit 1 Henry VIII  
Module 3 A Cultural Revolution
In lesson 3, we learn about how the Bible in English came to be available in England, the impact on the common people of the dissolution of the monasteries and the religious changes of Edward VI's reign, and the Book of Common Prayer.
Unit 1 A Cultural Revolution  
Module 4 'This Monstrous Regimen of Women!
In this lesson, Toni takes us through the changes that the Catholic Mary I's reign brought to England, through to the Religious Settlement of Elizabeth I's reign. We learn about Cardinal Pole, the Marian regime and the persecution of Protestants, Elizabeth I's desire to please everyone, her religious settlement and the problems her excommunication caused.
Unit 1 This monstrous regimen of women  
Module 5 Consequences of the Reformed Religion
In this final lesson, we learn about the social impact of the English Reformation and how Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I dealt with the Poor, before we move on to the Stuart line. Toni examines the King James Bible, the problems caused by James I's Catholic son, Charles I, coming to the throne, the Civil War and Puritanism, and the Restoration.
Unit 1 Consequences of the reformed religion