Who was Thomas Cranmer?

Thomas Cranmer (1489—1556) was the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury and a pivotal figure in the English Reformation. He played a leading role in the Church of England’s separation from the Roman Catholic Church. Cranmer’s story is interlaced with the lives of three British monarchs: King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, and Queen Mary I, also known as Mary Tudor. His most enduring legacy is his work on the Book of Common Prayer. On March 21, 1556, Thomas Cranmer was executed for heresy and treason.

Thomas Cranmer was born on July 2, 1489, in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, England. His father was also named Thomas Cranmer, and his mother was Agnes Hartfield. The family came from a modest background of independent farmers. Cranmer’s early education took place at the local school in Aslockton. At fourteen, he began his formal education at Jesus College, Cambridge.

Cranmer immersed himself in theological studies at Cambridge, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1512 and a master’s in 1515. Around this time, he was appointed to a fellowship at Jesus College but soon relinquished it to get married. When Cranmer’s wife died in childbirth, he resumed his fellowship. He was ordained as a priest in 1523 and completed his doctorate of divinity in 1526. The stage was set for Cranmer’s future ecclesiastical career.

During his years at Cambridge, Cranmer had begun meeting regularly with other scholars to discuss the radical reforms being led by Martin Luther in Germany. However, his involvement in the English Reformation did not begin in earnest until he was introduced to King Henry VIII in 1529. Henry was seeking to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled so that he could marry his new love, Anne Boleyn. Cranmer, who had gained a reputation as a theologian and scholar, proposed that the matter be resolved through consultation with universities across Europe rather than relying solely on the pope’s authority.

Cranmer traveled to Europe as the king’s ambassador, and while in Germany, he met the Lutheran theologian and reformer Andreas Osiander and his niece, Margaret. He was so taken by Osiander’s Reformed theology and his niece that, despite his priest’s orders, Cranmer married Margaret in 1532. They kept the union hidden for fifteen years.

By the time the aging archbishop of Canterbury died in August 1532, Henry VIII had become thoroughly enamored with Thomas Cranmer’s pragmatic approach to ecclesiastical affairs. In March 1533, he appointed Cranmer as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Immediately, Cranmer annulled the king’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon and declared his marriage to Anne Boleyn valid. The two had already secretly wedded in January.

As archbishop, Cranmer played a vital role in facilitating Henry VIII’s break from the Roman Catholic Church and establishing the Church of England. Cranmer’s support of the king’s religious reforms extended to the dissolution of monasteries and the redistribution of their wealth, which further solidified the king’s control over the newly independent church.

However, it wasn’t until King Edward VI succeeded the throne in 1547 that Thomas Cranmer was able to implement radical reforms in the Church of England. The new king was only nine years old, allowing Cranmer to influence his religious education significantly. The archbishop took direct charge of doctrinal matters in the church. That same year, he published his Book of Homilies, requiring all clergy to emphasize Reformed theology in their sermons.

To further move the church in the Protestant direction and spread the evangelical faith, Cranmer actively promoted the publication of the Great Bible, an English vernacular Bible first published in 1539. He removed celibacy as a requirement to the priesthood and opened the way for communion to be offered to the laity. Under Edward VI, Cranmer began his work on the production of the Book of Common Prayer (1549) and the Forty-Two Articles (1553), which would later become the basis of the Thirty-Nine Articles (1563).

These documents formed the foundation of Anglicanism, particularly the Book of Common Prayer, a groundbreaking liturgical text that standardized worship practices across the Church of England. Cranmer’s eloquent prose and theological insights shaped the prayers, psalms, and liturgies contained within the book, making it accessible to everyone.

The Book of Common Prayer underwent several revisions during Cranmer’s lifetime. The 1552 edition was the most significant, reflecting Cranmer’s growing Protestant convictions, incorporating more Reformed elements, and distancing the Church of England further from its Catholic roots. The book’s enduring influence is evident in its continued use in present-day Anglican worship.

Cranmer’s fortunes changed dramatically with the accession of Queen Mary I (the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon) in 1553. A steadfast Catholic, Mary began a relentless campaign against Protestants. She sought to reverse her father’s religious reforms and restore papal authority in England. Cranmer was arrested and charged with heresy. After a lengthy trial involving torture and coercion, he was found guilty and sentenced to death.

On March 21, 1556, Thomas Cranmer was burned at the stake in Oxford, England. In final declarations of defiance, Cranmer rejected the pope as an enemy of Christ and retracted the earlier recantations he had been forced to sign to avoid the stake. He then reaffirmed his Protestant faith, declaring that his right hand, which had signed the recantations, would be the first to burn. Cranmer’s martyrdom cemented his status as a hero of the Reformation and a symbol of religious conviction.

Thomas Cranmer’s contributions to the English Reformation and the establishment of the Church of England are undeniable. His practical approach to church matters, his liturgical writings, and his dedication to his faith have significantly influenced the history of Christianity. His books contain some of the most well-known prayers in Christendom. Today, Cranmer is remembered not only as an influential archbishop but also as a martyr who gave his life for the cause of religious reform.