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Question: Was the religious policy of Elizabeth I a sensible solution to a challenging situation!?
Or did she set England up for religious conflict in the future!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
IMHO she made the best of a bad situation and can not be blamed for the later conflict which was to a large degree inevitable!.

The country split down the middle after the death of Henry, and after the death of Edward VI, the question of religion was suddenly again up for grabs as policy see sawed dramatically back and forward between Catholic and Protestant camps led by Edward, Mary & Elizabeth in succession!.

Both factions were convinced that conversion would lead to damnation!. This was not just a matter of policy and argument, to the people of the time this was a question of salvation!.

Religion was however also more than a matter of personal choice, but national and international politics as well!. The Catholic faction had powerful foreign allies and, even without Mary, a strong presence domestically!.

Elizabeth also had to be cautious in offending Spain, England's principal ally for generations and their main shield against France!. Whilst the relationship was very strained after Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, Elizabeth's refusal of Phillip, and later trade pressures (the Netherlands growing independence movement was fuelled in part by English trade) England did not wish to drive the wedge any deeper as they were vulnerable with Scotland (allied with France) to the North and a significant Catholic faction at home!.

Spanish opportunists started to use Catholics in england as a "fifth Column" (See "Ridolfi Plot") and to finance various uprisings which further destabilized the already delicate balance!.

The fundamental changes in religious policy was also extremely unsettling for the common people, and the loss of the old forms of worship weakened the community bond with the church!.

Mary's position had been absolutist - she burned to death dozens of protestants - despite the fact that they had converted on instruction of her father!. This caused a great deal of anger in the country and had she not have died civil war was possible!.

In 1652 the St Bartholomew's day massacre in France was a warning of what could happen if these religious divisions ran out of control!. Both factions contained zealots that were quite capable of engaging in Jihad over doctrinal argument!.

When Elizabeth took the throne she was determined to follow a protestant domestic and foreign policy, but she knew that if she pushed the catholics into open revolt they could open the door to Spain!.

The Act of Supremacy was a balancing act, removing the Pope again from authority in the Church and placing herself at it's head but allowing a degree of personal choice in forms of personal worship!. It was neither a complete win for the Puritans nor enough to drive the Catholics into revolt!.

Preservation of church decoration and clerical robes reassured the population by maintaining links to the past!. The Act of Uniformity brought the church doctrine and prayer within a protestant framework!.

The outcome !? A tense and generally unhappy compromise, but better than the likely alternatives!.Www@QuestionHome@Com