Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-3-religious-change-under-edward-vi [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [A Level](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level.md) › [History](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history.md) › [Edexcel](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel.md) › Religious Change Under Edward VI # Religious Change Under Edward VI History: Edexcel A Level England, 1509-1603, topic 2.1.3 ## Impact of Religious Change under Edward VI The Church of England was clearly more Protestant in doctrine by the end of Edward VI's reign than at the start. This does not mean that everyone supported Protestantism. ### Changes in church appearance ![Changes in church appearance](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/cf102ef1-a336-4edd-9e9d-715278c42974/church-england.jpg) - Many ordinary sights in churches were changed. - Altars were replaced by communion tables. - The clergy was not to wear vestments (their liturgical robes). - All gold and silver ornaments were removed. - In 1547 iconoclasm (destroying images) swept across some churches. Somerset banned images from churches. - This was unsettling for the laity. ### Spread of Protestantism ![Spread of Protestantism](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/b3536444-241c-48f6-aa06-cef6cc11595a/protestant-church-protestant-.jpg) - Under Somerset, press censorship had been relaxed. This lead to a rise in pro-Protestant pamphlets spreading the Protestant message. - By 1553, the educated elites were more likely to be Protestant (but by no means all). - The reach of Protestantism was still patchy. Protestant strongholds included London and the south-east of England. ### Incoherent reforms ![Incoherent reforms](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/0204c8f0-771f-47f3-8262-87c92ec0bb71/reform-.jpg) - During Edward VI's reign, religious reform was not consistent. - This shows that there was still internal division amongst key Protestant reformers. - This can be seen in the difference between the 1549 and 1552 Prayer Book (the latter being more aggressively Protestant). - Whilst there was considerable theological change, the ordinary layman mostly noticed the visible changes to the Church. ### Historical interpretation of Edward VI ![Historical interpretation of Edward VI](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/15a3bff0-1ac3-49c2-9edd-0b74022f1b40/edward-vi-boy-.jpg) - After his death, Protestants championed Edward VI for his vigorous reforms and used his example to pressure monarchs, such as Elizabeth I. - But Edward VI's Reformation was driven by a small group of Church ministers (such as Cranmer). - This does not reflect how the ordinary population viewed the Reformation. - Historians such as Haigh argue that most people were reluctant recipients of Protestantism. ## Test yourself on Religious Change Under Edward VI - How did most of the laity feel in response to the changes to church appearance? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/c32e8aa5-abeb-44ce-b7ad-e2162a2d0658/section/95b99b8e-ffac-4df2-80e7-05ff559f8ed1/session) - Previous topic: [2.1.2 Impact of Religious Change Under Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-2-impact-of-religious-change-under-henry-viii.md) - Next topic: [2.1.4 Religious Change Under Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-4-religious-change-under-mary-i.md) ## History: Edexcel A Level England, 1509-1603 contents ### 1 Monarch & Government - 1.1 Tudor Monarchs - [1.1.1 Henry VII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-1-henry-vii.md) - [1.1.2 Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-2-henry-viii.md) - [1.1.3 Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-3-edward-vi.md) - [1.1.4 Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-4-mary-i.md) - [1.1.5 Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-5-elizabeth-i.md) - [1.1.6 Succession Disputes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-6-succession-disputes.md) - 1.2 Changing Role of Parliament - [1.2.1 Parliament & Henry VII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-1-parliament-and-henry-vii.md) - [1.2.2 Parliament & Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-2-parliament-and-henry-viii.md) - [1.2.3 Parliament After the Reformation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-3-parliament-after-the-reformation.md) - 1.3 Principal Servants to the Crown - [1.3.1 Principal Servants to the Crown](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-3-1-principal-servants-to-the-crown.md) ### 2 Religious Changes - 2.1 Tudor Monarchs & Religious Change - [2.1.1 The Henrician Reformation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-1-the-henrician-reformation.md) - [2.1.2 Impact of Religious Change Under Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-2-impact-of-religious-change-under-henry-viii.md) - [2.1.3 Religious Change Under Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-3-religious-change-under-edward-vi.md) - [2.1.4 Religious Change Under Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-4-religious-change-under-mary-i.md) - [2.1.5 Elizabethan Settlement](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-5-elizabethan-settlement.md) - 2.2 Catholicism & Survival - [2.2.1 Popular Attitudes to Catholicism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-1-popular-attitudes-to-catholicism.md) - [2.2.2 Catholicism Under Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-2-catholicism-under-henry-viii.md) - [2.2.3 Catholicism Under Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-3-catholicism-under-elizabeth-i.md) - [2.2.4 Catholic Nobility](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-4-catholic-nobility.md) - 2.3 Protestantism & Puritanism - [2.3.1 Protestant Influences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-1-protestant-influences.md) - [2.3.2 Protestantism Under Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-2-protestantism-under-edward-vi.md) - [2.3.3 Protestantism Under Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-3-protestantism-under-elizabeth-i.md) ### 3 State Control & Popular Resistance - 3.1 Tudor Control of the Country - [3.1.1 Councils](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-1-councils.md) - [3.1.2 Role of Nobility](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-2-role-of-nobility.md) - [3.1.3 Justices of the Peace](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-3-justices-of-the-peace.md) - [3.1.4 Lord Lieutenant](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-4-lord-lieutenant.md) - 3.2 The State & the Poor - [3.2.1 Reasons for Growth of Poverty](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-1-reasons-for-growth-of-poverty.md) - [3.2.2 Punishments for Paupers](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-2-punishments-for-paupers.md) - [3.2.3 Role of Charities](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-3-role-of-charities.md) - 3.3 Resistance to Tudor Rule - [3.3.1 Resistance to Tax & Subsidies](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-1-resistance-to-tax-and-subsidies.md) - [3.3.2 Uprisings Against Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-2-uprisings-against-henry-viii.md) - [3.3.3 Uprisings Against Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-3-uprisings-against-edward-vi.md) - [3.3.4 Uprisings Against Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-4-uprisings-against-elizabeth-i.md) - [3.3.5 Decline of Popular Resistance](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-5-decline-of-popular-resistance.md) ### 4 Economic, Social & Cultural Change - 4.1 Patterns of Domestic & Foreign Trade - [4.1.1 Wool & Cloth](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-1-1-wool-and-cloth.md) - [4.1.2 Exploration & Trade](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-1-2-exploration-and-trade.md) - 4.2 Changing Structure of Society - [4.2.1 Population](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-1-population.md) - [4.2.2 Dissolution of Monasteries](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-2-dissolution-of-monasteries.md) - [4.2.3 Enclosure](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-3-enclosure.md) - 4.3 Cultural Change - [4.3.1 Education & Literature](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-1-education-and-literature.md) - [4.3.2 Impact of Religious Change](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-2-impact-of-religious-change.md) - [4.3.3 Patronage](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-3-patronage.md) - [4.3.4 The Arts](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-4-the-arts.md) - [4.3.5 Cult of Gloriana](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-5-cult-of-gloriana.md) ### 5 Historical Interpretations - 5.1 Significance of Threats to National Security - [5.1.1 Spain](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-1-spain.md) - [5.1.2 The Spanish Armada](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-2-the-spanish-armada.md) - [5.1.3 Ireland](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-3-ireland.md) - 5.2 Court Politics - [5.2.1 Court Factions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-2-1-court-factions.md) - [5.2.2 Essex's Rebellion](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-2-2-essexs-rebellion.md) - 5.3 Elizabeth & Parliament - [5.3.1 Conflict with Parliament](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-3-1-conflict-with-parliament.md) - 5.4 Social Distress in the 1590s - [5.4.1 Social Distress in the 1590s](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-4-1-social-distress-in-the-1590s.md)