Thomas Cranmer

by Diarmaid MacCulloch

Thomas Cranmer, the architect of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, was the archbishop of Canterbury who guided England through the early Reformation—and Henry VIII through the minefields of divorce. This is the first major biography of him for more than three decades, and the first for a century to exploit rich new manuscript sources in Britain and elsewhere.
Diarmaid MacCulloch, one of the foremost scholars of the English Reformation, traces Cranmer from his east-Midland roots through his twenty-year career as a conventionally conservative Cambridge don. He shows how Cranmer was recruited to the coterie around Henry VIII that was trying to annul the royal marriage to Catherine, and how new connections led him to embrace the evangelical faith of the European Reformation and, ultimately, to become archbishop of Canterbury. By then a major English statesman, living the life of a medieval prince-bishop, Cranmer guided the church through the king's vacillations and finalized two successive versions of the English prayer book.
MacCulloch skillfully reconstructs the crises Cranmer negotiated, from his compromising association with three of Henry's divorces, the plot by religious conservatives to oust him, and his role in the attempt to establish Lady Jane Grey as queen to the vengeance of the Catholic Mary Tudor. In jail after Mary's accession, Cranmer nearly repudiated his achievements, but he found the courage to turn the day of his death into a dramatic demonstration of his Protestant faith.
From this vivid account Cranmer emerges a more sharply focused figure than before, more conservative early in his career than admirers have allowed, more evangelical than Anglicanism would later find comfortable. A hesitant hero with a tangled life story, his imperishable legacy is his contribution in the prayer book to the shape and structure of English speech and through this to the molding of an international language and the theology it expressed.

Genres: Biography, History, Religion, Nonfiction, Church History, Theology, Christianity

704 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be forewarned: MacCulloch's biography of England's first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury is a big book and is sometimes heavy sledding. But I've given it five stars because it is the definitive work on one of the English Reformation's greatest heroes.

England became a Protestant nation during the reign of Henry VIII and remained so during the brief reign of his son Edward. When Edward died, Henry’s Roman Catholic eldest daughter, Mary, became queen. During the five years of her reign (1553-1558), Mary restored England to Roman Catholicism. In the process, she had more than 280 Protestant leaders condemned for heresy and burned at the stake, earning her the sobriquet “Bloody Mary.” Mary’s re-establishment of Catholicism was reversed by her successor and half-sister, Elizabeth I, and England remains a Protestant nation today.

Among the Reformers killed during the Marian Persecutions, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, Bishop of London Nicholas Ridley, and Bishop of Worcester Hugh Latimer are known as the “Oxford Martyrs.” The three were tried for heresy at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin on High Street in Oxford, and burnt at the stake just outside the city walls to the north. Latimer and Ridley were burnt on October 16, 1555. Latimer’s final words to his friend Ridley were: “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”

Thomas Cranmer was burnt five months later on March 21, 1556. During two and a half years of isolation and interrogation in prison, Cranmer held out at first and refused to deny his Protestant faith, but he eventually broke and signed several recantations. Three days before his death, Cranmer was told that he was to make a final recantation in public at the University Church of St. Mary. Sensing that they had the ultimate prize in their fight against the Reformation, Mary’s officials packed the church and even built a special platform across from the pulpit for Cranmer to speak from. But on the day of his execution, Cranmer unexpectedly renounced the recantation, saying, “I have sinned, in that I signed with my hand what I did not believe with my heart. When the flames are lit, this hand shall be the first to burn.” He then added, “And as for the pope, I refuse him, as Christ’s enemy, and Antichrist with all his false doctrine.”
Cranmer was pulled from the platform and taken to the same spot where Ridley and Latimer had been burnt five months before. True to his word, as the flames were lit, Cranmer thrust his right hand first into the fire. His dying words were, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. I see heavens open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

There is a small cobbled brick cross in the middle of Broad Street that marks the spot where the Oxford Martyrs were burnt. The Martyrs’ Memorial was erected just north of that spot in 1841.

While visiting St. Mary’s Church and the Martyrs’ Memorial last year I prayed:

“Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness that, like your servants Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer, we may live in your fear, die in your favor, and rest in your peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ your son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diarmaid McCullough did such a thorough job with this biography of Thomas Cranmer that I can’t give it any less than 5 stars.

Thomas Cranmer was the Archbishop of Canterbury during Henry VIII’s and King Edward VI’s reign and he was responsible for most of the English Reformation of the 16th century, and their schism/split with the Catholic Church. His crowning achievement was the English Book of Common Prayer which made the liturgy accessible in the English language to laypeople.

I learned many things about Cranmer as a person and the minefields he traversed in England during his time as Archbishop. He was first and foremost uber-loyal to King Henry VIII and then his son Edward VI, but he also brought his skills from his Cambridge doctoral degree in divinity to the table to craft the Prayer Book, a breviary, and numerous defenses for his beliefs and the canons of the Church of England. His fights and arguments with his primary antagonist, Stephen Gardner, came through in this book as the main struggle during his career. Gardiner was constantly a thorn in Cranmer’s side, fighting his reforms point by point. Archbishop Cranmer absolutely defied the Catholic Church in all of his evangelical reforms, which ultimately (and ironically) ended in his downfall. One part of his theology that didn’t make sense to me was that Cranmer did not believe in transubstantiation of the Eucharist, but he never let go of his belief in predestination. For some reason, these things conflicted for me.

This biography was so very well written and researched, I could tell that the author really put a lot of effort into writing this book. It was rather difficult and dense reading at times which made it kind of a slog for me to get through, but I’m glad I persevered and got through all of it. Cranmer’s story is fascinating and I recommend this biography if you want to learn more about the man behind the English Reformation and the Book of Common Prayer.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitive, conscientious, and well-written. The go-to for anyone who wants a thoughtful and well-researched account of pretty much any aspect of Cranmer's life. Much more than I could absorb but worth the read.

[John Damon Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The definitive biography of the martyred archbishop for a reason. Not only does it illuminate with moving personal detail the life and thoughts of Cranmer, it also elucidates the entire era of the reformation's complexity, beauty, and paradox.
However I do recommend with caveat. It probably shouldn't have taken me as long as it did to read it, but the incredibly minute detail included did not help. Scarcely a month of his archbishopric went by without MacCulloch telling us exactly what happened. Which is helpful as a research document, less so as a biography.
Nevertheless, I was incredibly impressed by MacCulloch's approach and tone. It neither was hagiographic nor did it demonize the complicated Bishop. Through the incredible detail we as readers get to know the man almost personally as a sincere pastoral theologian who valued compromise as the sure and steady way to reform the Church.

[Steve Comstock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the definitive Cranmer biography. MacCulloch treats his subject with great fairness. His extensive research shows in every chapter. Don't let the size of this volume fool you, it is remarkably readable. I am glad to see such an underappreciated churchman treated without bias.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual for MacCulloch's books, this one's a doorstop clocking in at over a thousand pages. Also as usual for MacCulloch, it's incredibly engaging. You get a strong sense of Cranmer's evolution as a thinker, of the dangerous line he walked as a friend and confidant of the erratic and tyrannical Henry VIII. It's easy to look with disdain on someone like Cranmer, who, as his convictions gradually altered, found himself keeping his true convictions as much under wraps as he could, even burning men who shared his convictions. But MacCulloch is able to make him a sympathetic figure, right up to his imperfect martyrdom.

As usual, MacCulloch livens his book with plenty of snark, with such gems as: "The opening sentence, familiar to any Anglican who has whiled away sermons by starting to leaf through the Prayer Book..."

This book doesn't feel very long at all, and it reads like a page-turner. It also gives a strong and deep sense of of the events around The King's Great Matter and the English Reformation. Indeed, it's unparalleled as a good one-stop account of the events around the court of Henry VIII and the boy-king Edward VI.

MacCulloch is, as usual, both clear-eyed and sympathetic in looking at figures that a modern person would find odious in pretty much every way.

If one has even a passing interest in early modern England or the history of the Reformation, then this book is a must-read.

[Chad D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography is justifiably renowned. The amount of research is staggering (seating chart at Anne Boleyn's coronation, patiently collating patristic and medieval sources for Cranmer's thought, an Appendix III sorting out the dramatis personae into colleges of Cambridge and Oxford). We don't get as much into Cranmer's private emotions as we might like; MacCulloch himself admits that is a limitation of the sources. But Cranmer participated in and embodied the public religious dramas of the Tudor period. I'm an enthusiastic amateur of the era, and MacCulloch adjusted a number of data points in my head that I thought were fixed (Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn probably had two marriage ceremonies! Whoa!). For such a large mass of evidence and a bewildering swirl of names, the book is pretty readable, and, when it comes to the final drama, Cranmer's recanting of his Protestantism and his recanting of his recanting, the story becomes very satisfyingly compassionate and moving. We don't get much about his perplexing second marriage, and I could wish the theological discussion a bit fuller than the twin issues of predestination and sacramentalism (what evidence do we have of the forms of Cranmer's private devotion). But MacCulloch does draw some satisfying conclusions about what-Cranmer-was-thinking-when, specifically, what ideological underpinnings underpinned and made consistent some of his more flagrant apparent hypocrisies. The gold standard for an academic biography.

[Wyatt Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, a work of genius.

[Samuel Farrugia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The English Reformation played out very differently than those on the Continent, and by the time it got underway, the continental reform movements were already welcoming a second generation of leaders. In modern evangelical contexts, much attention is given to the nonconformists of 17th & 18th-century England while those figures who initially moved the English Church away from Rome during the 16th century are largely unknown due to neglect. Surely Puritans, Baptists and Wesleyans are easier to include in the evangelical family tree than paedobaptist Bishops who struggled to reform an established Church from the top down. I believe that this “life” of Cranmer will serve 21st-century evangelicals by introducing them to a theological ally (and ancestor), albeit one who found himself at the head of an established Church and involved in matters of state at the highest level, and who was obliged to navigate all the ethical and theological ambiguity associated with such a position.
What was once famously said of the NT Gospels could just as easily be claimed about MacCulloch’s magisterial biography of the first “evangelical” Archbishop of Canterbury – it is a passion narrative with a rather lengthy introduction. The book’s penultimate chapter consists of a sensitive account of Cranmer’s trials – both psychological and ecclesiastical – leading up to his condemnation, following that of his fellow Oxford martyrs, as a heretic. Cranmer was arrested in September 1553 and burned at the stake on 21 March 1556 by order of Queen Mary, who had taken the throne following her younger brother’s untimely death and was intent on undoing the “evangelical” damage done during Edward’s reign. Cranmer’s struggle for survival and his prevarication during his imprisonment between a “traditionalist”, Roman position and his particular Reformed stance mirrored that of the Church of England since Henry VIII’s 1534 Act of Supremacy, i.e. the struggle both to define its theological identity and negotiate its political allegiances (or lack thereof) to crown and Pope. In the words of the author, “In him, the whole of the English Reformation was put on trial” (p. 618). Throughout a lengthy series of both public disputations and private interrogations, Cranmer was obliged to explain his views on the nature of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist as well as justify his failure to recognize the universal primacy of the Bishop of Rome. His loyalty to Mary as his Queen was also questioned, and Cranmer repeatedly insisted throughout the proceedings that he would submit to the rule of Mary and her Spanish husband Phillip if ever he was afforded the chance to serve them as a free man. Although the principle of Cuius regio, eius religio could perhaps not be applied to Henry, by the time his daughter Mary had been crowned, it was most definitely the case. Under Mary, England lurched back into a state of “papal obedience” akin to that which had existed prior to 1534. As successive English monarchs tottered between agendas of reform and allegiance to Rome, the incarcerated Cranmer, for his part, struggled against the temptation to reconsider the validity of those views he had come to embrace over decades of theological reflection (and publication) and political maneuvering.
Eventually, the long months of isolation, the distress at having to witness the burning of his friends Latimer and Ridley, and the strain of being constantly interrogated, entreated and threatened wore Cranmer down to the point where he issued a series of six statements, the final one written just a few days before his death, offering recantations of his heretical views and promising submission to the Pope and the rites of the Roman mass. By this point, it was clear that he would not be shown clemency by the Queen. Cranmer prepared a final discourse to be delivered during the service at the Oxford University Church, to be followed immediately by his execution. The text of the speech was submitted to the authorities in advance and consisted of a penitential plea for God to have mercy on his many “errors”. However, in a dramatic departure from his prepared remarks, Cranmer shouted to the large assembly that he recanted all his recantations, called the Pope the Antichrist, and affirmed his published (and “heretical”) views on the Eucharist. Thus, Cranmer went to the stake, not a repentant son of the Roman Church, but rather as the martyr of his Reformed views and champion of the evangelical cause. Ironically, Cranmer was condemned by Mary I for his decades-long defense of the right of the monarch to be the Supreme Head of the Church in England, a right that the Queen repudiated. However, a mere three years later, the Elizabethan Settlement would consolidate enough of Cranmer’s theological and political gains to allow the Church of England to maintain its unique theological identity within a polarized Western Christendom.
Of especial interest are MacCulloch’s discussions of the evolution of Cranmer’s views on the Eucharist and predestination. Cranmer abandoned transubstantiation in favour of a more Lutheran understanding of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, before ultimately arriving at a view somewhat akin to that of Zwingli, all the while not reducing the bread and wine to mere symbols (cf. pp. 614-15; also 173-84). Cranmer’s fully-developed views resemble the “symbolic parallelism” of H. Bullinger (1504-75), who, together with Calvin (1509-64), published the Zurich Agreement of 1549. The author is confident that had Lady Jane Grey remained queen, Cranmer would have been able to fully reform the English Church, indeed to make it the preeminent Reformed Church in close theological affinity to that of Calvin (pp. 618-20). On the question of predestination, it is interesting to note that though Cranmer firmly believed in this doctrine, he was loth to preach about it openly, for fear that it would not serve to comfort the faithful (pp. 210-12)!
All in all, I heartily recommend this book. The fruit is well worth the work required to pluck it from its many pages.

[Matthew Welker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent biography from MacCulloch on one of the other important Thomas’s in 16th century English history. As the title indicates, this is a biography on Thomas Cranmer. The man who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from around the early 1530s to his death by burning in 1556.

It was a fairly long book. Version I read was I’d say about 600 pages of the core reading material which ended at about page 631/2, but as the book’s illustrations were scattered throughout it shortened things up a bit. That being said, I generally liked what I read though I’ll admit to skimming through parts. I’ve read about this time period a few times already and the more deeper aspects of religion weren’t of super great interest to me. Though at the end of the day, I still think I got what I need out of the book which was to learn more about Cranmer himself. So the book did its job for me and would definitely have to recommend it for any looking to read a biography on the man.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical exploration of Cranmer’s life; helping to situate his contributions to English Protestantism within the context of English politics. This is its strength and weakness—as a historian, Macculloch avoids inspection of Cranmer’s inner life to a large degree, and those interested in in-depth studies of the early docs of the English Reformation will need to look elsewhere. Still, a great read that ends with a moving portrait of Cranmer’s final days.

[Doug Adamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacCullough's account of the life and work of Thomas Cranmer is a well-researched and well-written, sympathetic-yet-critical examination of a man who was key to the early reformation in England. It is a good partner to MacCullough's account of the life and work of Thomas Cromwell; Cranmer's one-time partner and overseer.

[Tom James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely thorough and very impressive from a historial perspective, particularly the variety and obscurity of sources referenced. Inspiring to learn about how a few brave men rediscovered the faith; amazing to consider the impact such a few men and women had on the trajectory of world history. A bit too detailed for me.

[Tynan Brooks]

I can't say I came away with this loving Cranmer or his theology, but I found his final downfall and martyrdom quite touching, and I appreciate MacCulloch's focus on his prose as his longest-lasting, greatest legacy.

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weighty tome, very literally, but it largely maintained my interest throughout. Cranmer remains something of an enigma- perhaps the sign of a successful biography. His humanity and principled courage, his almost callous, even cynical delivery to execution of others whose views he appeared to share or would shortly do.He worked quietly but effectively in the shadows, particularly in relation to Cromwell. I found MacCulloch's examination of his (Cromwell's) role, particularly in the Reformation, insightful.

Cranmer's relationship with Henry VIII is fascinatingly dealt with here. Gripping at times, when the chips are down and it looks as though TC's days are numbered, touching in its portrayal of the affection that these vulnerable men had for each other; Cranmer as Henry's friend and father in God and Henry the deeply conservative/superstitious and almost frightened Head of the Church. Cranmer's influence over Henry was considerable and his survival instinct no less.

Cranmer's legacy to the English language and the liturgy of the church is remarkable and his influences are examined thoroughly with no attempts to hide the warts - eg some of his trite attempts at versification.

Little seems to survive re TC's early life though what does is very interesting. His role under Edward VI and the 2 prayer books was somehow less readable.

His last years and inevitable execution by Mary are richly worked. Tortured in body and soul - the enigma of Cranmer and what he believed and stood for reaches its crescendo.

[Daniel Mcgregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a drudge to get through. The reason for this is Diarmaid's focus on the small details of the most important person in Anglican history. The author's style is stiff and dry. Still, it is certainly not a book one breeze through or a life one should take lightly. You get the impression from this book that Cranmer is a political animal, testing and navigating a dangerous world of court conspiracies until circumstances outside of his control entrap him. Cranmer is not so much a radical reformer (aka Luther) but a man who sought to appease everyone even as he was still working out the implications of his core theological convictions. I find it odd that MacCulloch ends the book explaining to the reader that Cranmer's most lasting contribution is the standardization of English Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer helped standardize. Out of everything Cranmer did, this is the one that lasted the longest or had the greatest impact?

[Particle_Person]

If you're a fan of the Tudors (the family and the time period, not necessarily the miniseries) Cranmer is a man you should know. He helped found Anglicanism and provided a lot of the intellectual basis for that religion. As for the book, I keep trying to read it, but boy is the going hard. MacCulloch is a SRS BIDNESS historian, as Molly Ivins might have said, but he's no Bill Bryson in the wordsmithing department. This book is thorough. It weighs about 10 pounds in trade paperback. Doors have been wedged open with the weight of its knowledge. One time a Robert Jordan book got in a sumo match with this book and it went down like a bowl of JELL-O. Sometimes when I need to exercise my arm whilst lying in bed, I use this book for lifts. I keep hoping if I put the book under my pillow then the knowledge will get soaked up like spilled juice into Bounty paper towels.

[Anthony Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent work. As a review on the back of the book states this is the definitive work on Thomas Cranmer. It is intense, gripping and full of the contextualisation that underscores the events it is bringing back to life. Some of the doctrinal discussions and background is very deep and complex and relies on the reader having at least some background knowledge of Catholic and Protestant doctrines and how those have evolved. This book is not for the feint-hearted or those who are searching for a quick story (it is the whole story) but is well worth the read. Probably better to prepare for this book by garnering some knowledge of 16th century politics and history first. This one dives you straight in. It is an exceptional book.

[Thom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was rather looking forward to this biography, having enjoyed MacCulloch's History of Christianity for its wry observations and willingness to tell a good story. But it seemed to me that he assumed too much foreknowledge here, and I got lost in the host of characters and the obscure references became tedious instead. I may have wound up skimming through some of these pages and chose to dwell instead on the parts I understood something more about. I learned some more about Cranmer's wider interests in reform, and I gained a deeper appreciation for the significance of the Book of Common Prayer, not only to the practice of religion, but also to language and the depth of its impact on British identity. For that I am grateful. But it was a chore to get through.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitive work, at least for now. As an Anglican I found MacCulloch's book both helpful as well as a bit unsettling at times. Helpful because it left no stone unturned, and unsettling because the waters out of which the CoE was birthed were certainly murky. MacCulloch's portrait of Cranmer is so up close and candid. Cranmer was, throughout his life, a work in progress and, as such, his life should be an inspiration to Christians and theologians today that humbly approach the text of Scripture in dialogue with peers ancient and contemporary in an attempt to understand and define their views on a myriad of complex theological issues.

[Philip Zoutendam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive account of Cranmer's life, and essential for anyone hoping to understand the man, his time, or his church. It's *so* comprehensive as to be almost un-readable at points—scholarship sometimes overwhelms narrative, and the book becomes rudderless—but it's worth it to keep reading anyway, especially because the author's own prose can almost match his subject's in its ability to finely summarize a point. I'm glad I (finally) finished it, and I have not doubt I'll return to several particular sections.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit slow going but a very thorough bio of the Archbishop of Canterbury who brought the Reformation to England in the 16th Century. While clearly a brilliant man, Cranmer comes off a bit smaller than life notwithstanding his historical stature on account of his obsequious attitude towards Henry VIII and his questionable ethics in slanting church law and history in order to accommodate his evangelical agenda.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched biography on Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Henry VIII, and architect of what would become the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. The book delves into the effect of the Reformation in England, the different parties and perspectives that pulled against each other, and the cast of characters involved. Particularly fascinating is the development of the Book of Common Prayer, used by Anglican communion churches throughout the world.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite a hefty book at around 600 pages but it was such a joy to read. MacCulloch brilliantly depicts the intrigue of Cranmer's life and the complexities of his character. It is surely worth reading for the account of Cranmer's final months, where under immense mental and physical pressure Cranmer renounced his entire ministry career only to save his reputation with one final brave stand. Highly recommended!

[Carolyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a man who took part in what was not only considered momentous events in Tudor History not to mention English History...this was a surprisingly boring read. If you want to read a great book on a notable Tudor player; I would read "The ebbs and flows of Time: the life of Thomas Howard. Third Duke of Norfolk" What a great read! Loved it!

[Shelly Dennison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, weighty biography which successfully unpicks Cranmer's theology and politics through the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I. Fascinating insights into his changing positions and packed with the wider context of the times. On the whole very readable but some of the chapters are rather long and I did on occasion get rather bogged down in the details.

[Phil Mullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished in a hurry, so as to leave for a trip today with Ralph.

Learned *much* about the English Reformation, & much about Cranmer & his shifts & allegiances.

It is, as some reviewers have noted, magisterial: one trusts MacCulloch to have done amazingly extensive research.

[Andy Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes it clear what a long and difficult process the English Reformation was. It left me admiring Cranmer for his bravery in sticking to what he believed when he must have been very frightened.

[Benjamin Dueholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really impressive scholarly achievement that could have used a stronger prioritization among details. It's a very full picture of a life and career in context, handled with judicious fairness to the parties and the controversies.

[GFWTRES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography of a central character in the English Reformation