THE BEGINNING OF THE ENGLISH REFORMATION

This is an historico-theological essay on the English Reformation, covering the period from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I, written by a Catholic priest who is himself a convert from the Anglican Church. It is a serious intellectual study with frequent reliance upon Protestant historians to support the author's statements. It is not likely that it will be received with agreement and admiration by Anglicans generally, and even Catholic historians and theologians may consider the author's views somewhat exaggerated. The author does not see everything in terms of black and white and his approach is not that of the bigot. He has very decided opinions, however, and strong convictions about the unsavory roots in politics and economics of the English Reformation and Anglican theology, arguments for which he adduces in the present volume, as well as of the legend of Catholics as being ""rebellious, treacherous hypocrites with alien sympathies"". The author's thesis is that the English Reformation was historically ""the imposition of a foreign religion to justify an economic revolution, set in motion by the lust of a bad Catholic king who made himself and his successors the Spiritual Heads of a new State Church"". It is certainly a provocative, clearly written, well-documented statement of at least a partial truth which Catholics and non-Catholics alike, interested in factual history regardless of creed, would be well advised to read.