16th February 2023
Thomas Sutton Lecture 2023
How the Reformation “Broke” the English Church?
Lecture by Dr Emma J. Wells, Lecturer in Ecclesiastical and Architectural History at the University of York. Specialising in the late medieval and reformation English parish church/cathedral, pilgrimage, the cult of saints, and the ‘senses’, as well as built heritage more generally.
When we think of the pre-reformation parish church and cathedral, prior to King Henry VIII’s ‘stripping of the altars’, the image conjured is often an arena of sensory delight, which stands in sharp contrast to the austere, suppressed image of its Protestant counterpart. But how true is this picture? In this lecture, Dr Emma J. Wells explains what these changes were, why they occurred, and where their impact can still be seen today—and assesses whether Henry VIII was really the perpetrator behind this upheaval.
This lecture is kindly supported through a generous donation by Diploma Plc.