King Henry VIII of England (1491 – 1547)

Hi everyone, we will meet this Sunday (new day), May 4 for our meeting.

For this week please read the next two sections of Chapter 17: Reformations Radical and Magisterial: Anabaptists and Henry VIII and Strassburg, England and Geneva (1540 – 60).

Please write a summary of one of the following:

1. Discuss the development and beliefs of the Anabaptists.  What were their connections with Zwingli?  Do you agree with their beliefs about infant baptism and adult baptism?  What were their connections with the radicals of this time?  Discuss the ways they were brutally persecuted by other Christians.
2. Discuss the events that led to the Reformation in England with Henry VIII.  Discuss his relationships with Thomas Cromwell and the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer and how they aided Henry VIII in accomplishing his goals.  Were the overall effects of Henry’s reforms good or bad as a whole for England and Christianity there?
3. What was the impact of William Tyndale‘s English translation of the Bible?
4. Discuss the impact Archbishop Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer in 1549 and English Prayer Book in 1559 had on Anglicanism and all of English-speaking Christianity.  Discuss the liturgical legacy of Evensong on Western Christendom.
5. Discuss how Martin Bucer‘s writings impacted John Calvin‘s views on restructuring the Church around 1541.  How did Bucer affect Calvin’s other beliefs?  Why was he so drawn to Bucer’s thoughts in the first place?
6. Discuss the impact that Calvin’s Institutions of the Christian Religion had upon all of Christendom.  How did his doctrine of predestination come about?  How was it different from Luther’s views?  How did the ‘Chalcedonian Definition’ help shape his views on the ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’ church, election, the Eucharist, etc.
7. What do you believe was John Calvin’s lasting legacy for the Reformation and beyond?  Why?

John Calvin (1509 – 1546)

Please have your written submissions by Saturday night at 10:00pm.