The Reformation beyond Germany: England and Scandinavia

The English Reformation had a predominantly political and dynastic origin, tied to Henry VIII's effort, beginning in 1527, to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon after Pope Clement VII, under pressure from Charles V, refused to grant it. The Act of Supremacy of 1534 declared the king the "only supreme head on earth of the Church of England," formally breaking with papal jurisdiction, while Thomas More was executed in 1535 for refusing to accept it and the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536-1541) confiscated vast monastic properties for the crown. Despite the break with Rome, Henry VIII largely preserved traditional Catholic doctrine, reaffirming transubstantiation through the "Six Articles" of 1539.