Reassessing England's 'Bloody Mary'

For those who have not been blessed to read Professor Eamon Duffy's revision of the revisionists' seminal Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England, 1400-1580, here is a short introduction to a better understanding of the so-called English 'reformation' --

The overwhelming case against Mary would have discouraged most scholars from attempting to revise history's judgment. Not so Eamon Duffy. With his earlier book, The Stripping of the Altars, Duffy revealed the strength of grassroots loyalty to the Catholic church under Henry VIII, despite his iconoclasm, which saw altars profaned, monasteries plundered, even church music banned. With Fires of Faith, Duffy peels away the myths and partisan accounts that have distorted the image of Mary's reign.

Instead of senseless cruelty and unpopular demagoguery, Duffy argues that Mary's five years were characterised by a brilliant campaign for hearts and minds; a systematic intimidation of errant Protestants; and far more public support, even for the most brutal incidents sanctioned by the regime, than historians have ever credited it with. Had Mary not died, barren and prematurely, England may well have returned to the fold.

Keep reading Finding the good in Bloody Mary.