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Article: Political identities in changing polities *.
- Article from:
- Social Research
- Article date:
- June 22, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 New School for Social Research. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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HENRY VIII was, as we know, a bit of an opportunist. In 1521, at a time when Henry had allied England with the Habsburgs against France and also laid claim to the French crown, he wrote a pamphlet criticizing Martin Luther's doctrines. For his efforts, the pope dubbed Henry "Defender of the Faith." Churchmen, however, began voicing doubts about that tide no later than 1525, when Henry levied a major tax on church property to pay for his wars with Catholic France. As the pope himself delayed sanctioning Henry's divorce from Catharine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, Henry sacked his papal legate, Cardinal Wolsey, and, after some maneuvering, declared the English church ...