Thomas Cranmer? Biography and theological emphasis (Reform 500)

Thomas Cranmer was Archbishop of Canterbury, the headquarters of the Church of England, during the reigns of Henry VIII of England and Edward VII of England, and is credited with creating the first two volumes of the Book of Common Prayer (1549 and 1552). ), which established the basic structure of the Anglican liturgy for centuries and influenced the English language. He was an important figure in the Protestant Reformation in England. He was one of the first Anglican martyrs; burned in 1556 at the request of Queen Mary I, on behalf of the Roman Apostolic Catholic Church.

1489? Early years: Thomas Cranmer was born on 2 July 1489 in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, England. His parents, Thomas and Agnes Cranmer, were poor and soon sent young Thomas back to school while he was still in school and his younger brother to religious services.

  • 1503? License: Thomas was sent to Jesus College.
  • Cambridge.
  • At the age of 14.
  • He studied there for eight years before completing his bachelor’s degree in arts.
  • While studying logic.
  • Classical literature and philosophy at university.
  • He also began collecting medieval school books.

1515-20, approximately? Film and first marriage: Some time after Cranmer graduated in Arts, he married a woman named Joan and was forced to leave Jesus College. Thomas Cranmer began working at Buckingham Hall (then retired as Magdalene College) to support his family. pregnant and died in giving birth.

1520? Back at Jesus College: When Joan died at her first birth, Jesus College showed her respect for Cranmer, restoring her scholarship. He began studying theology and by 1520 had been ordained, the university had already appointed him as one of his preachers.

1526? Ph. D . : He received his doctorate in theology in 1526

1529? Cranmer and Henry VIII: In August 1529 he held an informal meeting with Stephen Gardiner and Edward Foxe, two of King Henry VIII’s chief advisers, at which point the king wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, to marry his lover Anne. Boleyn The king desperately sought help and appointed Cranmer to royal service, asking him to help him divorce. Cranmer agreed to write a treaty for the king and requested the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

1532? Designated Ambassador: was appointed resident ambassador to the court of the Roman Emperor Charles V, in 1532; he was sent to Germany and ordered to establish contacts with Lutheran princes to learn more about Lutheranism.

1532? Second marriage: married Margaret, Lutheran and Niece of the eminent Lutheran scholar Andreas Osiander. The couple had a daughter and a son.

1532-33? Archbishop of Canterbury: Archbishop William Warham died in August 1532 and Cranmer was called to England. He was officially consecrated as the new Archbishop of Canterbury on 30 March 1533 in St. Stephen’s Chapel.

1533 Annulment of Henry VIII’s marriage: after the approval of his appointment by the Pope, Cranmer summoned his court in Dunstable in May 1533 and declared the king’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon null and void from the outset. The king had secretly married Anne Boleyn a few months earlier, and Cranmer declared that Henry and Anne’s marriage was valid.

1534? He began to join the Reformation: he has made it clear that he has broken with Rome and that he has established a new theological course, supported the cause of reform, gradually replacing the old guard of his ecclesiastical province with men who followed the new thought. , such as Hugh Latimer; intervened in religious conflicts, supporting reformers for the disappointment of religious conservatives who wished to maintain the bond with Rome. As a reformer, he played a key role in making major changes in the Church of England. with Thomas Cromwell and the two promoted the publication of a Bible in English.

1549-52? Book of Common Prayer: He is credited with authorship of the first two volumes of the Book of Common Prayer (1549 and 1552), which established the basic structure of the Anglican liturgy for centuries and influenced the English language. reforms during the reign of King Henry for political reasons. However, when King Edward VI came to power, Cranmer managed to promote the doctrinal changes he wanted to implement in the church.

1553? Death of Edward VI: Edward VI became seriously ill in 1553 and died. Although the king named his cousin Lady Jane Grey as his successor, Jane went 13 days after her ascension by Edward’s half-sister, Mary. Queen Mary was a devout Catholic and overthrew Edward’s Protestant reforms. His ascension to the throne also meant the fall of Thomas Cranmer. After the death of King Edward VI, Mary I became Queen of England and Ireland. He ordered more than 280 religious dissidents to be burned at the stake. ordered Protestant Cranmer to be arrested and convicted of treason.

1553-56? Persecution, torture and death: Thomas Cranmer was persecuted, physically and intellectually tortured, considered a heretic by the powerful religious of his time, in this horror show, ended his life in the terrible heat of fire. the horrors of religious intolerance overcate the sacred fire that burned within it. Thomas Cranmer was burned at the stake on March 21, 1556.

“I believe in God, Almighty Father, creator of heaven and earth. And do I believe every word and phrase taught by our Savior Jesus Christ, by his apostles and prophets, in the Old and New Testaments?

“The scriptures must often be in our hands, before our eyes, in our ears, in our mouths, but above all in our hearts. “

“While other sciences are good and must be learned, what no one can deny, yet the science of Christ is essential and surpasses all other knowledge in an incomparable way.

“Ignorance of the Word of God is the cause of all error, as Christ Himself told the Sadducees, saying that they made mistakes because they did not know the scriptures (Matthew 22:29). How will people avoid error if they remain ignorant?”And how will they come out of ignorance, if they do not read or hear what can guide them to knowledge?

“As for the Pope, I reject him, as an enemy of Christ, as an antichrist, with all his false doctrines. “

“If we confess to Christ, why are we not ashamed to ignore his doctrine, for every man is ashamed to ignore this learning he claims to have?”

Sources:

The book of martyrs (Christian world)? Pages: 333335

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