Scan barcode
A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
Fires of Faith: Catholic England Under Mary Tudor by Eamon Duffy
4.0
‘The imposition of religious conformity by lethal force is deeply repellent to modern sensibilities.’
Mary I can be considered England’s first undisputed female sovereign. In her five years as Queen (1553-1558), Mary repealed Edward VI’s religious laws, re-established Catholicism, and burned 283 (or 284) Protestant martyrs, earning herself the name ‘Bloody Mary’. Her reign is often seem simply as a cruel and ultimately futile attempt to return England to Catholicism (for which an heir was required) or, at least, to arrest England’s progress towards becoming a Protestant nation (which was inevitable once her half-sister Elizabeth was definitely her only heir). But is this a fair assessment of Mary I’s reign?
In this book, Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, argues that the management of the return to Catholicism was not ineptly handled. Instead, Professor Duffy puts forward a case that the process (largely driven by Reginald Pole, Cardinal and the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury) was well planned, and the arrangements put in place were both sensible and practical. Unfortunately, for Mary I’s place in history, five years was not sufficient time to bed down these reforms and the pall cast by the burnings overshadows the fact that the Protestantism installed during Edward VI’s reign was opportunistic, confused and destructive. The widely held view of Mary is also a consequence of the ultimate victory of Protestantism in England: history is written by the victors.
But looking beyond the fact of the Reformation to the possible causes of it (did the Roman Catholic Church need reforming, or did Henry VIII break with Rome simply to marry Anne Boleyn?) introduces some different possibilities for looking at Mary I’s reign. Cardinal Pole was very much involved in the Roman Catholic Church’s response to the theological and ethical issues posed by the Reformation, and was arguably well placed to lead a program of Roman Catholic restoration in England. And perhaps, given more time, such a campaign would have been successful.
I found this an interesting book, but it has left me with more questions than answers. I can accept that Mary I was motivated by her own beliefs and values and that, had she lived longer or had a Roman Catholic heir, her reign would undoubtedly be viewed differently. Reading this book is a reminder that historical fact and modern sensibilities are not always compatible. Professor Duffy’s book has made me curious: I don’t have a more favourable view of Mary I as a consequence, but I’m keen to read some other accounts of her reign.
'No 16th-century European state could easily imagine the peaceful existence of differing religious confessions.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Mary I can be considered England’s first undisputed female sovereign. In her five years as Queen (1553-1558), Mary repealed Edward VI’s religious laws, re-established Catholicism, and burned 283 (or 284) Protestant martyrs, earning herself the name ‘Bloody Mary’. Her reign is often seem simply as a cruel and ultimately futile attempt to return England to Catholicism (for which an heir was required) or, at least, to arrest England’s progress towards becoming a Protestant nation (which was inevitable once her half-sister Elizabeth was definitely her only heir). But is this a fair assessment of Mary I’s reign?
In this book, Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, argues that the management of the return to Catholicism was not ineptly handled. Instead, Professor Duffy puts forward a case that the process (largely driven by Reginald Pole, Cardinal and the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury) was well planned, and the arrangements put in place were both sensible and practical. Unfortunately, for Mary I’s place in history, five years was not sufficient time to bed down these reforms and the pall cast by the burnings overshadows the fact that the Protestantism installed during Edward VI’s reign was opportunistic, confused and destructive. The widely held view of Mary is also a consequence of the ultimate victory of Protestantism in England: history is written by the victors.
But looking beyond the fact of the Reformation to the possible causes of it (did the Roman Catholic Church need reforming, or did Henry VIII break with Rome simply to marry Anne Boleyn?) introduces some different possibilities for looking at Mary I’s reign. Cardinal Pole was very much involved in the Roman Catholic Church’s response to the theological and ethical issues posed by the Reformation, and was arguably well placed to lead a program of Roman Catholic restoration in England. And perhaps, given more time, such a campaign would have been successful.
I found this an interesting book, but it has left me with more questions than answers. I can accept that Mary I was motivated by her own beliefs and values and that, had she lived longer or had a Roman Catholic heir, her reign would undoubtedly be viewed differently. Reading this book is a reminder that historical fact and modern sensibilities are not always compatible. Professor Duffy’s book has made me curious: I don’t have a more favourable view of Mary I as a consequence, but I’m keen to read some other accounts of her reign.
'No 16th-century European state could easily imagine the peaceful existence of differing religious confessions.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith