The Tudor Society

Was Henry VIII Really Protestant?

King Henry VIII broke from Rome, dissolved the monasteries, and declared himself Supreme Head of the Church in England, so he was a Protestant, wasn't he?

Not quite.

In this video, we explore:

  • Why Henry VIII broke with the Pope, and it wasn't about theology
  • His 1521 book defending the Catholic sacraments against Martin Luther
  • The Act of Supremacy and what it really meant
  • The Six Articles and the continued persecution of Protestants
  • What changed under Henry—and what stayed Catholic
  • The king’s final days and the beliefs he clung to on his deathbed

Only 1 comment so far Go To Comment

  1. R

    I agree with you, Claire. Henry VIII was not a Protestant. For him, the founding of the Church of England was more political (to grant him a divorce), than religious. If he had lived longer, I doubt that he would have embraced Protestantism.

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Was Henry VIII Really Protestant?