2006 Conference - The English Reformation Archives - The Coming Home Network

The Attempted Return: Mary Tudor – Joanna Bogle

mattswaim — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 21:08:58 +0000

Joanna’s husband, Jamie, had to cancel his 2006 Deep in History lecture because he was at a wedding for a Royal Family member, who had to renounce his claim to the British throne because he had become a Catholic. The roots of why a Catholic could not be a British monarch go all the way back to the English Reformation, and “Bloody Mary” Tudor’s part in that period of history are the topic of Joanna’s talk. Enjoy her wit, humor and insight!

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Guide:

-What part do historians play in portraying an historical figure? Why must we keep the historian’s role in mind when searching for the truth?

-What caused the descent in Parliament to the repeal of the Act of Supremacy?

-Was it the Catholic Church that burned heretics at the stake or was it the English government? Why is this distinction important?

Vocabulary:

Wyatt’s Rebellion: Caused by the fear of England becoming re-Catholicised combined with the proposed marriage between Queen Mary and Philip of Spain. Led by nobles, the movement did not have the support of the people and was thus doomed to failure.

Guy Fawkes: Born in England in 1570, Fawks left England and fought on the side of Spanish Catholics in various conflicts. Returning to England, he was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, which attempted to blow up Parliament.

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Shakespeare and the Catholic Recusants of the English Reformation – Joseph Pearce

mattswaim — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 14:38:23 +0000

In this lecture for the 2006 Deep in History conference, literary biographer Joseph Pearce looks at the English Reformation, and specifically recusants- those English under the rule of Anglican monarchs who retained their Catholic faith. Pearce explores the legal burdens placed on these people, and how they strove, often covertly, to preserve Catholic practice and traditions under persecution. Pearce also looks at the Shakespeare family, and makes the case that they were among those recusant Catholics who stayed loyal to Rome under Anglican rule.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Read Joseph’s own story in From Atheism to Catholicism: Nine Converts Explain Their Journey Home.

Study Questions:

-What were the three areas of Catholicism in England and how did they affect the legacy of the English Reformation?

-How is Shakespeare’s family an apt example of English Catholic recusants?

-Does Pearce make a convincing argument that Shakespeare was a Catholic recusant?

Vocabulary:

Recusant Catholics: English Catholics who refused to attend Church of England services. They were referred to by the English government officially as “Popish Recusants.”

Shakespeare: An English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

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Henry VIII – Marcus Grodi

mattswaim — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 22:01:18 +0000

In this 2006 lecture from the Deep in History conference, Marcus Grodi gives background on the lineage of Henry VIII, what Catholicism looked like in England leading up to his reign, and the events and personalities that led up to the split of the Church of England from the Catholic Church.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Guide:

-Who was the main culprit in the English Reformation, according to Marcus? Do you agree?

-Do you think Henry VII had an effect on his son, and thus, the English Reformation?

-How did Cardinal Wolsey set the mold for Henry VIII?

-How did Cranmer view his oaths to the Holy See?

-According to Joanna Bogle, what was one of the ramifications of the closing of the monasteries?

-Dr. Paul Thigpen shares Henry VIII’s last words. Did they impact you? If so, why?

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A Look at the Reformation – Marcus Grodi

mattswaim — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 14:32:52 +0000

In this 2006 Deep in History lecture, Marcus Grodi looks at how for so many of us in the United States, our understanding of the Reformation is colored by the fact that our nation started out as a British colony, and our shared narrative leads many of us to believe that Martin Luther and Renaissance thinkers freed humanity from a dark, ignorant, and uncivilized oppression by the Catholic Church. Marcus invites us to reexamine that view of history, to look at the data and the lives of Christians who lived during those centuries, and to get a more accurate picture of the role of the Catholic Church in society leading up to the 16th century.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-Did you identify with Marcus Grodi’s personal education in Church history?

-Why do you think the Coming Home Network chose to use Cardinal Newman’s famous quote — “To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant” — as the theme for the Deep in History conferences?

-Psalm 11:3 reads: “If the foundations are destroyed, what are the faithful to do?” What are the foundations? Are they destroyed? Who are the righteous? What ought they do?

-Grodi discusses the Ten Foundation Stones of Christianity. Which surprised you the most and
why?

Ten Foundation Stones

1. A presumption that Jesus intended for there to be one church
2. The authority of Peter as Christ’s vicar on earth
3. Underneath that authority of Peter, there were bishops
4. Under those bishops, there were priests, who carried out the responsibilities of the bishop
5. A set of doctrines (creeds) that were to be believed that had been established by this
hierarchy
6. Those in the position of authority were to be servants
7. These leaders were called to be holy, to be “perfect as your heavenly father is perfect”
8. An expectation within the Church leadership of poverty, chastity, and obedience
9. Each Christian should undergo an internal conversion to God
10. The reality of blessings and curses

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Martyrs – Paul Thigpen

mattswaim — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 21:12:29 +0000

Paul Thigpen, who currently serves as editor of TAN Books, looks at the Christian meaning of martyrdom as explained in scripture and tradition. Taking specific instances of saints from the English Reformation, Thigpen shares how the martyrs serve as powerful examples for today’s Christians.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-What makes a person a martyr, according to Dr. Thigpen?

-Dr. Thigpen noted that England was the height of civility and law in the western world and yet many of its citizens were brutally tortured and murdered. Which English martyr’s story impacted you the most?

-What seven lessons can we learn from the martyrs?

-Dr. Thigpen talks about “holy audacity” and “uncomfortable truths” in contrast to the lack of intellectual substance in religion in our current culture. Do you agree with Dr. Thigpen’s conclusions?

-How do these holy men and woman have such a sense of humor in the face of death, according to Dr. Thigpen?

Vocabulary:

English Martyrs: The hundreds who suffered death in England for the Catholic Faith, the unity of the Church,
and the primacy of the Roman Pontiff between the years of 1535-1681.

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The Aftermath – Joanna Bogle

mattswaim — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:06:38 +0000

What happened in England after Henry VIII declared himself to be the head of the Church there, declaring a schism with Rome? What effect did that have on Catholics loyal to the Papacy still living in England? What happened to priests, monks, and nuns, whose way of life became instantly illegal? What would this new Church of England look like? The always delightful Joanna Bogle of EWTN looks at one of the most chaotic periods of English history, and the role religion played in it.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Guide:

-“Remember, remember, the fifth of November.” Who was Guy Fawkes and why is he important to understanding the longstanding effect of the English Reformation?

-What Reformation myths does Joanna Bogle debunk? Had you ever heard these myths?

-What does Bogle have to say about Puritanism and its effect on Christianity, in general?

-How were Catholics finally given a little bit of freedom in England?

-How is a “Catholic Revival” occurring now in England? What does Bogle believe this shows?

-Bogle comments about America. How does she put our nation’s faith into perspective?

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A Convert Looks Back at the Church of England – Fr. Ray Ryland

mattswaim — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 13:43:13 +0000

In this lecture from our 2006 Deep in History Conference, former Episcopalian priest Fr. Ray Ryland looks back on his journey into the Catholic Church, especially in regard to his perspective on authority in the Church.

Fr. Ryland argues that all efforts to organize Christianity outside of communion with Rome have the following features: an attempt to recapture a ‘golden age’ of the Church (which differs depending on the form of Christianity), all are highly selective about which elements of that ‘golden age’ they choose to retain, all appeal to a new and subjective authority (usually a certain person’s interpretation of Scripture), all presuppose a corruption in the Church which they claim to have corrected, and all bring into their reconstruction innovations that were not part of the ‘golden ages’ they claim to hearken back to.

While Fr. Ryland critiques this approach to authority, he also looks at the features of community and fellowship common to these groups of Christians that Catholics would be wise to learn from.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-Why does Divine Revelation necessitate an authority of interpretation, according to Fr. Ryland? Do you agree?

-What point does Fr. Ryland (and G.K. Chesterton) make about reconstructionism? Why is this important?

-What is the “gist” of the Catholic Church?

-What is the main flaw in the Eastern Church’s belief that the final authority lies in ecumenical councils?

-What questions did Fr. Ryland ask as an Anglican about “heretics”? What did he learn?

-What does Fr. Ryland say about “two-way traffic”?

-What point does Fr. Ryland make about “possessing truth”?

Vocabulary:

Reconstructionism: The appeal of believers to a “Golden Age” of authentic Christianity, which they have chosen to recapture (Utopianism). Reconstructionists are highly selective in what they retain from the “Golden Age” they have
chosen, appeal to a new and unfounded authority, presuppose a decay or corruption in the church which they claim to have corrected, include innovations and features that were not present in the “Golden Age” to which they appeal, and appeal to discontinuity (a break with the past to blaze a new path).

Anglican “Comprehensiveness”: The belief of tolerating different views on secondary issues as long as there is clear agreement on the essentials of the Anglican faith.

Branch Theory: The Catholic Church is now divided into three, equally catholic branches: the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Church. This theory is central to Anglo-Catholicism.

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The English Counter-Reformation – Fr. Charles Connor

mattswaim — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 20:50:46 +0000

Many are familiar with the Catholic Counter-Reformation that took place on the European continent in response to Martin Luther and other reformers. Less well known is what the Counter-Reformation looked like in England as a response to the schism led by King Henry VIII. Fr. Charles Connor explores the relationship between Catholics and Anglicans in England in the decades following the split between the Church of England and the Church of Rome.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-As the reign of Elizabeth I began, to what extent had Catholicism survived in England after
Henry VIII and his initial break with Rome?

-Where did the Counter Reformation begin? How did this Counter Reformation reach the English isle?

-Fr. Connor’s account of the martyrdom of English Catholics was graphic. What impression, if
any, did it have on you?

-How did the Jesuits effect the survival of Catholicism in England? Who was St. Edmund Campion and what were his contributions to Catholicism in England?

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Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher: Martyrs of Conscience – Dr. Scott Hahn

mattswaim — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 13:12:18 +0000

In this 2006 Deep in History lecture, Dr. Scott Hahn discusses two great saints of the English Reformation: Thomas More, who died “the king’s good servant, but God’s first,” and John Fisher, the only bishop in England who refused to acknowledge King Henry VIII’s unlawful divorce. Both received the crown of martyrdom for their commitment to conscience.

In a day and age where so many, even religious leaders, are willing to compromise their principles in order to do what is considered expedient in the eyes of a society hostile to faith, the witness of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher is as relevant today as it was in the 16th century. Dr. Hahn tells their stories in an engaging and informative way that brings them to life for a modern-day audience.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-In what regard were Fisher and More held by the royalty, scholars, and people of England? Why do you think people did not listen to them

-Based on Dr. Hahn’s description of More’s works, do you think his opposition of the English Reformation was scripturally-based?

-What insights does More give to the suffering of Christ and, thus, our suffering?

-What reality does Dr. Hahn propose the Seven Sacraments shows us?

-What does Romans 8:17 promise us? What is the value of human suffering (given only through Christ’s suffering) as explained by More

-Reflect upon the statement made by More to his persecutors, just hours before his death. Did his words move you? If so, how?

Vocabulary:

Lectio Divina: (Latin: “sacred” or “divine reading”) A method of reading Scripture practiced by monastics since the beginning of the Church, generally comprised of reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation.

St. John Fisher: An EnglishCatholic bishop and theologian, associated with the intellectuals and political leaders of his day. Fisher was executed by King Henry VIII for refusing to accept the king as Supreme Head of the Church of England and for upholding the Catholic Church’s doctrine of papal primacy.

St. Thomas More: An English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII and was Lord Chancellor of England. More was executed by Henry VIII in 1535 for his refusal to sign the First Succession Act.

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The Schism: Influences from Henry VIII to Elizabeth – Msgr. Frank Lane

mattswaim — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 12:58:37 +0000

In this 2006 Deep in History lecture, Msgr Frank Lane discusses how the troubled relationship between England and Rome evolved from the schism of Henry VIII through the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Msgr Lane looks at the key historical points necessary to understand contemporary efforts toward reconciliation between the Anglican Church and the Catholic Church.

Click Here to purchase this talk as an mp3, CD, or DVD.

Click Here to purchase the full set of available talks from the 2006 Deep in History Conference.

Study Questions:

-“Just as theology cannot stand on its own, neither can history be taken, isolated from itself. History is lifeless if its
theological implications are not seen.” What comment(s) does Msgr. Lane make about history?

-What changes did Elizabeth make once she became queen?

-Why do you think Pope Pius V excommunicated Queen Elizabeth? What effects did this controversial act have on Catholics in England? What effect did the Counter-Reformation’s priests have on Catholics in England?

-Msgr. Lane suggests that you can see the fear of those who persecuted the English Catholics by the cruel and savage
methods in which the martyrs were killed. What is your reaction to this thought? Can you compare it to the way in which Catholics are treated in the media today?

-In what way can you see Fr. Robert Parsons’ governmental theories expressed in our own laws today? What is Parson’s
legacy today?

-What is “true freedom”?

Vocabulary:

St. Edmund Campion: An English Catholic martyr and Jesuit priest. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Protestant England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. Campion was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

Robert Parsons: An English Jesuit priest who accompanied St. Edmund Campion on his mission to aid English Catholics in 1578. After Campion’s capture, torture, and execution, Parsons left England, never to return. He spent the rest of his life founding seminaries and colleges in Spain and France.

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