Download or read book Philip Melanchthon and the English Reformation written by John Schofield and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2006 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following his break with Rome, Henry VIII flirted with Lutheranism as a doctrine to replace Catholicism, before the eventual collapse of the policy and its replacement with a more moderate reform programme under Cranmer. Melanchthon, as the leading proponent of Lutheranism influenced successive royal governments, both positively and negatively. By refracting the well known narrative of the English Reformation through the lens of Melanchthon, new light is shed on such questions as why Henry suddenly abandoned his Lutheran policy, why Cromwell fell from power in 1540 and even insights into Elizabeth's personal beliefs.