2. Did Elizabeth's reign settle religion in England?

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we consider the question, ‘Did Elizabeth's reign settle religion in England?’, focusing in particular on: (i) the traditional view that Elizabeth’s reign represented the end of the Reformation, and the reasons for this view, e.g. the longevity of the 1559 Book of Common Prayer; (ii) the survival of Catholicism in Elizabethan England, particularly in certain areas of the country (e.g. Northumbria, Lancashire, etc.), and the concepts of recusancy and church papistry; (iii) the emergence of Puritanism and Presbyterianism in this period; (iv) the emergence of ‘avant-garde Conformists’ in this period, who want to reorient the Elizabethan church along more conservative lines, e.g. a greater emphasis on the sacraments, a reigning in of predestinarianism, etc. (v) the extent to which local church services would have differed depending on where you were in the country; and (vi) the idea of the Elizabethan church as a ‘middle way’ – but between what?

Course

In this course, Professor Susan Doran (University of Oxford) explores the idea of the reign of Elizabeth I as a ‘golden age’ through six key questions: (1) Why has Elizabeth's reign been seen as a Golden Age?; (2) Did Elizabeth's reign ‘settle’ religion in England?; (3) Did Elizabeth's reign see a new consensus politics?; (4) Was there new economic and imperial activity under Elizabeth?; (5) How far was there a cultural renaissance under Elizabeth?; and (6) Was there an educational revolution under Elizabeth?

Lecturer

Susan Doran is Professor of Early Modern British History at the University of Oxford. She has a substantial publishing record which reflects a particular interest in the religious and political history of the Tudors, especially Elizabeth I. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College and Director of Studies in History at Regent’s Park College.