The Importance of the Church of England in 1558 (Edexcel GCSE History)

Elizabeth’s relationship with the Church of England

How Important Was Religion in 1558?

• Religion played an incredibly important role in Elizabethans’ day-to-day lives

• The Church dictated people’s lives from ‘cradle to grave’ 

  • People went to Church every Sunday

  • As a baby, the Church would christen them

  • The Church would marry them

  • When they died, they would have a funeral at the Church

• Elizabethans believed in the importance of celebrating religious festivals

  • Harvest festivals prayed for a successful harvest and the avoidance of famine

  • Holy Days like All Saints Day called for Catholics to take Mass

• The Church gave support to the local community

  • The Church taught their congregation the values needed to lead a good life

    • Elizabethans strongly believed in the concepts of heaven and hell

  • They provided food and shelter for the poor

• After the English Reformation in 1532, beliefs about religion divided communities

  • Some decided to risk their safety by continuing to practice Catholicism They listened to the Pope over the English monarch

    • Some Catholics refused to attend Church of England services

  • Others embraced Protestantism

    • They listened to the teachings of the Church of England

  • The religious division in Europe added to the conflict within England

The Roles of the Church of England

• Henry VIII created the Church of England in 1532

• The Church of England adopted the responsibilities previously undertaken by the Catholic Church

• The diagram below highlights the roles of the Church of England:

What did the Church of England do in Elizabethan times?

A concept map showing the roles that the Church of England fulfilled in Elizabethan times