"Against God's Word": Government, Religion and the Crisis of Authority in Early Reformation Norwich
This essay explores the problem of authority that the Reformation raised in early modern society. In 1547 the Norwich guild of Saint George was compelled to reorganize in the wake of the Chantries Act, which dissolved all of England's intercessory institutions. The following year, three members...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers, Inc.
1994
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| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 1994, Volume: 25, Issue: 2, Pages: 353-369 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This essay explores the problem of authority that the Reformation raised in early modern society. In 1547 the Norwich guild of Saint George was compelled to reorganize in the wake of the Chantries Act, which dissolved all of England's intercessory institutions. The following year, three members refused to hold the guild's annual feast. They were disenfranchised, and one was imprisoned as he contested civic officials' authority to punish him. The affair was finally settled when the jailed feastmaker took his case to Westminster. In a letter to Norwich authorities, Protector Somerset affirmed their right to punish the feastmaker, while at the same time he ordered the restoration of his civic privileges. An analysis of this episode reveals that the conflict revolved around changing conceptions about the location and exercise of authority, the place of individual conscience, and the relationship of the individual to the community. |
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| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/2542886 |