The Reformation of the Church

[Winter_Rose]

Hi guys and gals! I love history and am interested in the Reformation of the church in England in the 16th century. Does anyone know of any good movies or documentaries about it?

Many thanks.

 

[ctb95]

Hi guys and gals! I love history and am interested in the Reformation of the church in England in the 16th century. Does anyone know of any good movies or documentaries about it?

Many thanks.

I’ve heard that A Man For All Seasons is good. It won an Oscar for best picture, I believe.

 

[crai7]

Hi guys and gals! I love history and am interested in the Reformation of the church in England in the 16th century. Does anyone know of any good movies or documentaries about it?

Many thanks.

“The Tudors” series gives it a fair bit of coverage - Thomas Cromwell and the fall of Sir Thomas More are covered detail. Can’t remember the season.

 

[Murmurs]

Similarly the recent adaptation of Wolf Hall on the BBC, again which is period related but the early Reformation pervades it. I see you’re in the UK so maybe you saw it when it was broadcast but if you didn’t - do see it; one of the best bits of TV I’ve seen pretty much ever.

I can’t offhand think of any documentaries which really stood out but if something occurs I’ll pop back later

Welcome to the forums!!!

 

[ProVobis]

I’ve heard that A Man For All Seasons is good. It won an Oscar for best picture, I believe.

Also, Anne of a Thousand Days.

 

[Elizium23]

Similarly the recent adaptation of Wolf Hall on the BBC, again which is period related but the early Reformation pervades it. I see you’re in the UK so maybe you saw it when it was broadcast but if you didn’t - do see it; one of the best bits of TV I’ve seen pretty much ever.

Yes, one of the best bits of anti-Catholicism in quite a while.

To the OP: You can start with “The Real Story of the Reformation” which was just recently on Catholic Answers Live. The author, Steve Weidenkopf, had much to say about this part of history.

 

[Murmurs]

Yes, one of the best bits of anti-Catholicism in quite a while.

To the OP: You can start with “The Real Story of the Reformation” which was just recently on Catholic Answers Live. The author, Steve Weidenkopf, had much to say about this part of history.

I don’t think that makes it a bad programme. No one’s saying you should get history from it! (Nor about Thomas More from ‘A Man for all Seasons’!). It doesn’t stop it being a genuinely fantastic drama. (I don’t think it’s anti-catholic so much as pro-Thomas Cromwell, who admittedly wasn’t very enamoured of the Catholic Church).

Apart from your own suggestion Elizium23, (which I’m going to check out now ) - most of these have been entertainment/period-pieces, any other documentaries we might think of?

 

[7_Sorrows]

I think there is also a book called The History of the Reformation in England and Ireland. I am sure there are many books on the topic.

 

[CatholicWhovian]

I don’t think it’s anti-catholic so much as pro-Thomas Cromwell, who admittedly wasn’t very enamoured of the Catholic Church

It portrays St. Thomas More as a villain who lusted for power and took delight in seeing heretics burn. It doesn’t get anymore anti-Catholic than that.

Just a bit of a segway, in real life, St. Thomas More did admit to being behind the burnings, but he asked for forgiveness and admitted his fault - which Wolf Hall never portrayed, to my knowledge.

 

[7_Sorrows]

It portrays St. Thomas More as a villain who lusted for power and took delight in seeing heretics burn. It doesn’t get anymore anti-Catholic than that.

Just a bit of a segway, in real life, St. Thomas More did admit to being behind the burnings, but he asked for forgiveness and admitted his fault - which Wolf Hall never portrayed, to my knowledge.

I thought he held people at his house.

 

[CatholicWhovian]

I thought he held people at his house.

Wait… lemme check using the power of… Google!

 

[CatholicWhovian]

I thought he held people at his house.

Oh yeah… I double checked. He DID held people in his house. He didn’t burn any heretics. But he did admit to holding them in his house. Mea culpa. Sorry…

 

[Richard_White]

I’ve heard that A Man For All Seasons is good. It won an Oscar for best picture, I believe.

Yes, A Man for All Seasons is an awesome account of the life of Saint Thomas More and his amazing steadfastness to his Catholic Faith and to the Church during a time of heresy and persecution from King Henry VIII and his “Church of England.”

May God bless you abundantly and forever!

 

[Murmurs]

It portrays St. Thomas More as a villain who lusted for power and took delight in seeing heretics burn. It doesn’t get anymore anti-Catholic than that.

Just a bit of a segway, in real life, St. Thomas More did admit to being behind the burnings, but he asked for forgiveness and admitted his fault - which Wolf Hall never portrayed, to my knowledge.

Well it is drama (as I’ve pointed out already). It doesn’t portray many historical characters in all that accurate a light! (I feel your pain; my degree is in history and virtually anything set not-in-the-present has at least one major thing that sets my teeth on age, for being ahistorical, whether its characters or attitudes or how they used cutlery…) If you can get past that, just enjoy it for entertainment.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Well it is drama (as I’ve pointed out already). It doesn’t portray many historical characters in all that accurate a light! (I feel your pain; my degree is in history and virtually anything set not-in-the-present has at least one major thing that sets my teeth on age, for being ahistorical, whether its characters or attitudes or how they used cutlery…) If you can get past that, just enjoy it for entertainment.

that is how I look at it - as entertainment - not a history lesson.

 

[CatholicWhovian]

Well it is drama (as I’ve pointed out already). It doesn’t portray many historical characters in all that accurate a light! (I feel your pain; my degree is in history and virtually anything set not-in-the-present has at least one major thing that sets my teeth on age, for being ahistorical, whether its characters or attitudes or how they used cutlery…) If you can get past that, just enjoy it for entertainment.

Well personally I’m liberal when it comes to the arts and entertainment, but it crosses the line when it involves anything blasphemous, or anything borderline anti-Catholic - regardless if it’s fiction or not. I don’t know, it’s just me.

 

[vandrefalk]

As a documentary book, try Eamon Duffy: “The Stripping of the Altars.”
I also recommend the novel by Robert Hugh Benson: “Come Rack! Come Rope!” which can be found free online. (His other books also recommended. Hard to understand why this writer is so little read these days. Time for a come back!)

 

[Murmurs]

As a documentary book, try Eamon Duffy: “The Stripping of the Altars.”
I also recommend the novel by Robert Hugh Benson: “Come Rack! Come Rope!” which can be found free online. (His other books also recommended. Hard to understand why this writer is so little read these days. Time for a come back!)

Definitely Duffy (he happens to be Catholic, but more importantly he is entertaining and academically rigorous)