Characters of the Reformation - Hilaire Belloc

Characters of the Reformation, Hilaire Belloc, TAN Books, 1992 (orig. 1936).

Belloc was an English Catholic author who wrote prodigiously in the first half of the 20th century. His book on the Reformation covers many historical figures – both Protestant & Catholic, some well-known & others we may never have heard of – that had significant & often surprising influence on the outcome of the Christian revolt of the sixteenth & seventeenth centuries: the dividing of European Christendom into two camps, the Protestant North & the Catholic South, which remain to this day.

Belloc analyzes the motivations, actions, & results of whole slew of amazingly complex characters. Included among this cast are Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell, St. Thomas More, Pope Clement VII, Cramner, Gardiner, Mary & Elizabeth Tudor, William Cecil, Mary Stuart, James II, Cardinal Richelieu, Adolphus Gustav of Sweden, & even guest appearances from Paschal & Descartes. Belloc’s premise is that the Reformation would never have “succeeded” if it hadn’t been able to establish a sovereign toehold in England. This success in England came about by a wholesale seizure of Church lands & property by minor lords, whose newly-acquired wealth allowed them massive influence on the English monarchy. At this point, the argument of religious doctrine ceased & all action on part of the Protestant parties was simply to maintain their ill-gotten riches & political influence, which they certainly were not willing to give back (I know, I thought the same thing, too: Surely not!).

One may be surprised to find that Luther himself is not one of the biographed figures in this book, but that is only because he is the cover boy for the companion book, How the Reformation Happened, which I haven’t read yet, but is on the list. Belloc is a sharp-edged writer, unapologetically Catholic, but presents the complex & intertwined story lines in a very engaging & readable manner.

Belloc works from the viewpoint that Protestants are not “other churches,” but rebels & defectors from the One Church. It is interesting to read this book in light of Pope Benedict's overtures of reconciliation toward various Christian groups with the Catholic Church, especially the Anglicans & the Orthodox. We can only guess at what Hilaire would think of this.

H.E. Rating: 4 shakes