Fires of Faith: Catholic England under Mary Tudor

FIRES OF FAITH looks deceptively "popular." Its dustjacket shows 16th century England: a massive Corpus Christi sacramental procession at bottom and above it a burning of books. Inside the book contains brilliantly reproduced portraits of the book's two heroes: Queen Mary Tudor (1516 - 1558), Cardinal Archbishop Reginal Pole (1500 - 1558). And much more, including reproductions from John Foxe's book of Protestant nearly 300 Protestant martyrs burned by Mary and Pole. ***

The book, in short, looks like something any educated American would open if he or she already knows something of English and religious history and wants to find more without too much exertion. ***

In fact, however, this book, subtitled CATHOLIC ENGLAND UNDER MARY TUDOR, is written by a scholar primarily for other narrow scholars of the reign of "Bloody Mary" Tudor (1153 - 1558). For over 400 years, according to author Eamon Duffy, historians have underestimated Mary. Her restoration of Roman Catholicism stopped withher death and was reversed by her half-sister Queen Elizabeth. It is remembered most for its burning of scores of religious dissenters. Mary's five years are regularly portrayed as weak on public relations, in preaching and in explaining its policies. ***

Cambridge University Professor Eamon Duffy portrays himself as one of a tiny band of scholars out to tell the truth about Mary and her principal collaborator, her Plantagenet princely cousin Reginald Pole. Pole, once the darling of Henry VIII, father of Mary and Elizabeth, had lived in European exile, had convoked the Catholic reforming Council of Trent, and had become a towering figure in European Catholic life. Some of what he did during his few years working with Mary to restore Catholicism as the state religion of England, Wales and Ireland, became a model in post-Tridentine Catholic reform piety. In particular, Duffy flags Pole's dedication to creating seminaries for clergy. Also telling for Pole's success in England: the vast majority of Mary's bishops remained loyal to the Pope at Mary's death. Their predecessors had caved a generation earlier when Henry VIII proclaimed himself head of the Church of England. Duffy suggests that only her early death prevented thorough re-Catholicizing of England. ***

FIRES OF FAITH cries out for a popular successor. Any future edition should have a clearly marked "executive summary." The non-scholar's eyes glaze over as execution after execution is reviewed from several different slants (were they in one or twos, or in larger numbers, etc.?) and when scores of minor players: turncoats, bishops, minor clergy, laymen, nobility are trotted briefly across the stage. I would warmly recommend this book to scholars but not so wholeheartedly to educated laymen interested in English history. -OOO-