Portrait of Renewal: Archbishop Thomas Cranmer

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Portrait of Renewal: Archbishop Thomas Cranmer

Barry Kowald HCHT 503: Early Modern Christianity November 22, 2014

! 2 ! Introduction The study of church history records many instances of movements, which have brought new life and vitality to the church, when needed most. Such movements spurred on renewal, which ultimately shaped the future of the church, and established practices in use to this very day. For centuries, the clergy read the Scriptures, said the daily offices, and celebrated the Eucharist in Latin. At the outset of the English Reformation, Thomas Cranmer found himself politically and strategically placed in a position where he could effect lasting change. While Cranmer initially ascended to the archbishopric for political reasons, his liturgical and lectionary contributions remain over 450 years later. Thomas Cranmer’s portrait of renewal traces his beginnings at the dawn of the English Reformation with his consecration as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the development of a new liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer, and the emphasis on reading the Scriptures with use of a common lectionary. Consecration as Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer was born on July 2, 1489, in Nottinghamshire, England.1 He studied Erasmus, the classics, logic, and philosophy at Cambridge University.2 As such, his acumen in these academic disciplines, particular the works of Erasmus, gave him a solid humanistic foundation, especially since Erasmus published the first Greek New Testament.3 Moreover, his extensive study of Scripture and Lutheran literature, combined with his interaction with Lutheran

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1. M. J. Tucker, "Thomas Cranmer." Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia (January 2014): Research Starters, EBSCOhost, accessed November 11, 2014, http://0-search.ebscohost. com.library.regent.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ers&AN= 88367635&site=eds-live. 2. Ibid. 3. Sharon Rusten with E. Michael, The Complete Book of When & Where in the Bible and Throughout History (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2005), 214.

! 3 ! theologians, would influence his theology, liturgy, and polity.4 For example, while serving as a fellow at the Jesus College, Cranmer experienced concern regarding the Pope’s authority over English affairs, particularly as he, according to Williams, Stevenson, and Rowell, “played a major role in trying to justify Henry VIII’s divorce from Katherine of Aragon.”5 This support drew attention from the king’s court, and paved the way for his candidacy as the Archbishop of Canterbury. Prior to these discussions, Cranmer did not fare well as a candidate to follow Archbishop Warham for consecration as the Archbishop of Canterbury, especially since he was a married priest.6 According to Lim, “Cranmer became archdeacon of Taunton in 1530, and while staying in Nuremberg in 1532, he married Margaret, niece of the famous Lutheran theologian Andreas Osiander. In so doing he broke his priestly vow of celibacy...”7 However, the Boleyn family positioned Cranmer based on the likelihood that he would continue to argue on behalf of the king’s divorce, while at the same time maintain ecclesiastical relations with Rome.8 Moreover, he wanted a loyal archbishop. In Cranmer, Henry VIII would have such a primate who would

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4. Joan Lockwood O'Donovan, Emory University Studies in Law and Religion, vol. no. 1, Theology of Law and Authority in the English Reformation (Atlanta, Ga.: Scholars Press, ©1991), 82-83. 5. Rowan Williams, Kenneth Stevenson, and Geoffrey Rowell. Love's Redeeming Work: The Anglican Quest for Holiness (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), eBook Religion Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost, 28, accessed November 10, 2014, http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu /login.aspx?direct=true&db=e093 mww&AN=694152&site=ehost-live. 6. Paul Ayris, "The rule of Thomas Cranmer in diocese and province." Reformation & Renaissance Review 7, no. 1 (April 1, 2005), ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost, 70, accessed November 10, 2014, http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001583580&site= ehost-live. 7. H. P. C-Lim, “Cranmer, Thomas,” ed. Timothy Larsen et al., Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 164. 8. Ayris, 70.

! 4 ! obediently serve the king and remain undeniably loyal.9 As such, Thomas Cranmer was consecrated as the Archbishop of Canterbury on March 30, 1533.10 Development of a new Liturgy Cranmer’s humanistic foundation prepared him well for the political realities of the day, because the humanistic thinking of the day found its inextricable link to the world of politics.11 Thus, his savvy would prove useful during a time of significant change, requiring adroit persuasive skills in proposing the development of a new liturgy, about which O’Donovan opined, “Fortunately, the supreme ruler [Henry] proved susceptible of wise persuasion and allowed the reformation of religion to proceed apace.”12 Therefore, the Archbishop had the wisdom, the knowledge borne out of his humanistic education, and the vision to affect renewal with respect to the church’s liturgical practices. Prior to the draft of the first Book of Common Prayer, canonical obligations included praying the daily offices, which were designed for monastic life, where the clergy and other members of the order were required to pray seven liturgical offices per day. These hourly liturgies consumed a considerable amount of time and were nearly impossible to observe because of the other activities required in some of the members’ academic endeavors and other aspects of their vocation.13 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9. Peter Newman Brooks, Cranmer in Context: Documents from the English Reformation (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1989), 23. 10. Tucker. 11. Diarmaid MacCulloch, Thomas Cranmer: A Life (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1996), 24-5. 12. O'Donovan, 86. 13. Paul F. Bradshaw, "The daily offices in the prayer book tradition." Anglican Theological Review 95, no. 3 (June 1, 2013), ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost, 447, accessed November 10, 2014, http://0-search.ebscohost. com.library. regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db =rfh&AN=ATLA0001949293 &site=ehost-live.

! 5 ! In 1535, Franciscan Cardinal, Francis de Quiñonez published his Breviary, which truncated the prayer services to make them more manageable for private observances without losing any of the seven hours.14 However, Quiñonez’s Breviary passed out of use thirty-three years after Pope Paul III authorized it,15 because the Council of Trent decided, according to Bradshaw, “…to annul every breviary that did not have a two-hundred-year tradition behind it and replace it with the form of the Roman Breviary then authorized.”16 As the English Reformation dawned, Archbishop Cranmer would take Quiñonez’s work and Anglicize it in the form of the daily offices of a new English Prayer Book, since he already knew it and received much influence from it.17 However, Cranmer wanted to take these offices and combine them into Morning and Evening Prayer, written in English, so that both the laity and the clergy would say the offices twice daily, which was feasible if the number of offices were reduced from seven to two.18 Lay people would then observe two daily prayer offices, said in the common language of the people, which would revolutionize private and public prayer life in the church for centuries to come, and thereby serve as a conduit for renewal in the life of the church. In addition to the daily offices, Cranmer made significant changes to the liturgical worship, especially the Eucharist. In 1544, he drafted a new liturgy for the King, about which O'Donovan described, “It provides a common service for the realm, based on the familiar Sarum !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 14. Bradshaw, 448. 15. Ibid. 16. Ibid., 451. 17. Ibid., 452. 18. Ibid.

! 6 ! Use, conservative in tone and entirely in Latin.”19 However, for a common service to truly affect renewal in the realm, Cranmer went further in his effort to write a prayer book in English, so that the entire realm could actually read it. In 1548, Cranmer published a final English draft on the previous work, which included substantial theological changes in the communion service, namely the removal of the verbiage regarding the sacrifice of the mass.20 The laity would now have a prayer book they could actually read without knowing Latin. Moreover, both the Parliament and the Convocation (Bishops) granted the laity the privilege of receiving communion in both kinds.21 What this meant is that the parishioners no longer received bread only, but they received the chalice as well. With the development of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, Cranmer included the influence of his extensive knowledge of Patristic literature, particularly the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and quite possibly The Liturgy of St. James.22 Other renewal influences included Durandus’ Rationale, about which Spinks observed in the Oblation during the Canon of the Mass, “Durandus refers to the agency of the Holy Spirit.”23 While the theology of the prayer book revealed some of the Lutheran reformers’ inputs, Cranmer reached further back across the one-and-a-half millennia of church history, contained in his extensive library, to capture the liturgical thought of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, born at Pentecost.24 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 19. O'Donovan, 86. 20. Ibid. 21. Ibid. 22. Bryan D. Spinks, "Renaissance liturgical reforms: reflections on intentions and methods." Reformation & Renaissance Review 7, no. 2-3 (August 1, 2005), ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost, 277, accessed November 10, 2014, http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu /login.aspx?direct=true&db= rfh&AN=ATLA0001630972&site=ehost-live. 23. Ibid. 24. Spinks, 275.

! 7 ! However, the prayer book required yet another revision, which was prompted by Cranmer’s theological trajectory toward a more Protestant view of the Lord’s Supper, and in response to a rebellion, whereby the Cornish preferred Latin as more understandable and intelligent. In response, Cranmer refuted their argument using Scripture.25 In the end, he developed a liturgy in the 1552 Book of Common Prayer, which would have been agreeable to Zwingli, in part because Cranmer renamed the service as Hall wrote, “The Eucharist was now unequivocally termed the Lord’s Support or Holy Communion, making it clear it was a service of remembrance of Christ’s death and passion.”26 As a result, the new edition preserved not only the ancient liturgical practices dating back to Pentecost, but included Protestant theological distinctives as well, and which reflected his mastery of the English language.27 The overall purpose of finding this middle ground, or the via media,28 was to lead “a Christ-like life.”29 In summary, Cranmer’s purposes in developing a new liturgy were best summarized by Bates who opined, “Cranmer could be said to embrace…five implicit principles, summarized as simplicity, conformity, language, involvement, and agreement.”30 Simplicity would exclude the

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 25. Noeline V. Hall, "Archbishop Cranmer--He Burnt Well : An Historical Reappraisal." Colloquium 25, no. 1 (May 1, 1993), ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost, 14, accessed November 10, 2014, http:// 0-search.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true& db=rfh&AN=ATLA0000869878&site=ehost-live. 26. Ibid. 27. Ibid. 28. J. Barrington Bates, "Expressing what Christians believe: Anglican principles for liturgical revision." Anglican Theological Review 92, no. 3 (June 1, 2010), ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost, 457, accessed November 10, 2014, http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu/ login.aspx?direct=true&db= rfh&AN=ATLA0001795219&site=ehost-live. 29. Hall,15. 30. Bates, 458.

! 8 ! “vain repetition” that piqued the Puritans.31 Conformity would bring the whole kingdom in line with one liturgy. Language would require the use of the English language as consistent with St. Paul’s admonition to edify the church with an understandable language.32 Involvement means that worship is not for spectators, but requires the clergy and the laity to work together in worship.33 In modern terms, this means antiphonal or responsive reading. Agreement, which means, according to the Preface of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, as cited by Bates, “agreeable to the mind and purpose of the old fathers.”34 In other words, according to Bates, “…the liturgy must be unifying to the church and edifying to the people.”35 All of these elements led to a period of renewal in the life of the Anglican Church and remains in use to this very day in the form of the Morning and Evening Prayer, Holy Communion, and a Common Lectionary. Scriptures and the Common Lectionary The Book of Common Prayer would not be complete without a Common Lectionary, which would provide the impetus for daily Bible reading in the New and Old Testament. Simply put, Archbishop Cranmer held the Scriptures in the highest regard, about which Hall expounded, “In accordance with the law of God Cranmer believed it the duty of the King to obey Scripture, which for Cranmer was the means of renewal, a reaching to the essence of the early Church.”36 In this portrait of renewal, we have already seen the depth of Cranmer’s scholarship panning the !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 31. Ibid. 32. 1 Cor. 14:2-19. 33. Bates, 459. 34. Ibid. 35. Ibid., 461. 36. Hall, 11.

! 9 ! entirety of church history, and yet his primary focus was the Scripture, which ultimately led to his theological conclusions.37 This focus on Scripture found its emphasis in the “extensive lectionary for Morning and Evening Prayer.”38 The lectionary included twice-daily readings in the Old and New Testaments; moreover, the entire Psalter was read monthly following the daily lectionary.39 The purpose of the lectionary in the daily offices, according to Cranmer, was to restore the centrality of daily Scripture reading as practiced in the ancient church.40 Daily Scripture reading serves as a vital aspect of renewal in the life of the church, because God’s Word is alive and exudes Holy Ghost power, which sparks renewal of both the spirit and the mind.41 This renewed focus on Scripture reading led to the encouragement of the laity to attend morning and evening prayer services, where they would pray the offices and hear the Bible read to them in English. As a result, daily prayer and hearing God’s Word became the norm in the devotional life of the English for centuries to follow.42 The renewal emphasis clearly brings the focus back to reciting the Psalms, reading the Scripture, and daily prayer within the lectionary pattern of a liturgical calendar.43 For the generations to follow, Cranmer laid out a pattern of worship, prayer, and Bible study, which in the modern sense, according to Bradshaw, “…offer[s] a richer experience of participation in the church’s praise and prayer than that found in many !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 37. Ibid. 38. Spinks, 276. 39. Bradshaw, 452. 40. Ibid. 41. Rom. 12:2; Heb. 4:12. 42. MacCulloch, 511. 43. Bradshaw, 452.

! 10 ! books of private prayer and daily devotion on the market today.”44 However, Bradshaw’s point should be understood as an endorsement of the Book of Common Prayer rather than a rejection of other fine devotional material available at the local Christian bookstore. Cranmer’s legacy following the 1552 Book of Common Prayer includes revisions that closely resemble his original work, including the 1928 and 1662 versions of the Book of Common Prayer, which remains in use in many parishes.45 As Bradshaw pointed out, “Even in the twentieth century nearly all revisions have adhered unswervingly to the principle that fundamental to the offices is the orderly recitation of the whole Psalter and the systematic reading of the whole Bible.”46 In the era in which we live, the church needs to maintain the same level of devotion that underscored Cranmer’s emphasis on the Scripture and prayer, for these are the keys for renewal in the Church. Conclusion Cranmer’s portrait of renewal paints a picture of a learned scholar, well versed in humanistic studies, who oversaw the Church of England’s separation from Rome. His loyalty to Henry VIII, in arguing his case for divorce, led to the king’s approval and subsequent consecration as the Archbishop of Canterbury. His accession to the See at Canterbury afforded him the opportunity to transform the model of daily prayer offices, which encouraged participation by the laity, thereby renewing their devotional prayer life. His design of the liturgy resulted in the versions of the Book of Common Prayer, which synthesized practices going back to the ancient patristic fathers, while conforming the Protestant views of the Lord’s Supper. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 44. Ibid., 460. 45. Bates, 461. 46. Bradshaw, 456.

! 11 ! Finally, the Lectionary outlined a twice-daily system for reading through the entire Bible in one year, thereby encouraging the laity to read the Scriptures. According to Hall, “His creation represents the heart of Anglican beliefs. It can be said that finally with this man’s execution the ‘reformed’ Church catholic was baptized by fire.”47 Thomas Cranmer died on March 21, 1556, at Oxford, where he was burned at the stake.48 However, his legacy lives on as a vivid portrait of renewal.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 47. Hall, 17. 48. Tucker.

! 12 ! Bibliography Ayris, Paul. "The rule of Thomas Cranmer in diocese and province." Reformation & Renaissance Review 7, no. 1 (April 1, 2005): 69-110. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2014). http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library. regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001583580&site=ehost-live. Bates, J Barrington. "Expressing what Christians believe: Anglican principles for liturgical revision." Anglican Theological Review 92, no. 3 (June 1, 2010): 455-480. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2014). http://0search.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN= ATLA0001795219&site=ehost-live. Bradshaw, Paul F. "The daily offices in the prayer book tradition." Anglican Theological Review 95, no. 3 (June 1, 2013): 447-460. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2014). http://0-search.ebscohost.com.library. regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001949293&site=ehost-live. Brooks, Peter Newman. Cranmer in Context: Documents from the English Reformation. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1989. Hall, Noeline V. "Archbishop Cranmer--He Burnt Well: An Historical Reappraisal." Colloquium 25, no. 1 (May 1, 1993): 10-19. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2014). http://0-search.ebscohost. com.library.regent.edu/ login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0000869878&site=ehost-live. Larsen, Timothy, D. W. Bebbington, and Mark A. Noll. Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003. MacCulloch, Diarmaid. Thomas Cranmer: A Life. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1996. O'Donovan, Joan Lockwood. Emory University Studies in Law and Religion. Vol. no. 1, Theology of Law and Authority in the English Reformation. Atlanta, Ga.: Scholars Press, ©1991. Rusten, Sharon with E. Michael. The Complete Book of When & Where in the Bible and Throughout History. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2005. Spinks, Bryan D. "Renaissance liturgical reforms: reflections on intentions and methods." Reformation & Renaissance Review 7, no. 2-3 (August 1, 2005): 268-282. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2014). http://0search.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db= rfh&AN= ATLA0001630972&site=ehost-live. Tucker, M. J. "Thomas Cranmer." Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia (January 2014): Research Starters, EBSCOhost (accessed November 11, 2014). http://0-search.

! 13 ! ebscohost. com.library.regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN= 88367635&site=eds-live. Williams, Rowan, Kenneth Stevenson, and Geoffrey Rowell. Love's Redeeming Work: The Anglican Quest for Holiness. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. eBook Religion Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2014). http://0search.ebscohost.com.library.regent.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e093mww&AN=69 4152&site=ehost-live.