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How Successful was James I?
He maintained Protestant rule and retained the loyalty of most of his subjects by pursuing an ecumenical policy among the various factions. This ecumenical spirit produced his greatest legacy, the King James Bible, which continues to carry his fame today.
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Reformation without the People: How the English Became Protestant
The Protestant Reformation did not come to England because of a religious revival or a sudden change of heart by the English people. King Henry VIII created the Church of England for personal reasons, and he never truly became Protestant in belief and practice. The schism with Rome did, however, allow for the political and ecclesiastic infiltration of Protestants that set in motion a thorough reformation under Edward VI and Elizabeth I.
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Why Did Henry VIII Turn England Protestant?
England’s King Henry VIII founded the Church of England—not from Protestant conviction—but because he needed to assert his autonomy from the Roman Catholic Church to divorce his queen, Catherine of Aragon, and marry his mistress Anne Boleyn. But a king in the 16th century needed the people to view his actions as sanctioned by God and the church.
