To what extend does the evidence suggest that technological or scientific change contributed to implementation of the Reformation in 16th century England?

If one wants to consider the connection of science and the English reformation, one should start with the events of the reformation and what happened during that time. In the 15th and 16th century the great majority of people were uneducated peasants. The population grew from 21/2 million in the 11th century to over 7 million in the 14th century, an increased urbanisation resulted from this growth of population. Furthermore a bigger, more self confident, middle class emerged from the cities (with the emerge of new classes, certainly the conflict-potential within a society growth.) The church with its traditions, customs and institutions was the dominant factor in creating a picture of the world, explaining unexplainable things and educating the minority that had the privilege to be educated.

The English reformation “started” with the beginning of the Lollards, a religious community that followed the teachings of Wiclif, a scholar from Oxford. The Lollards were persecuted by the King as well as by the church and declared heretics. The belief of the Lollards was that the institution of the church and the pope were needless to be a good Christian and by that undermined the power of the church and the king. Nevertheless the church and the king in this time were close allies their relationship changed. The anti-clerical movement can be explained briefly by three facts. Firstly, the high clergy that was announced by the king and often acted as its adviser, developed anti-papal tendencies, secondly, intellectual leadership of an educated middle class in some areas of England, like Cambridge or Oxford (Wiclif) and thirdly the financial and moral bankruptcy of the Crown. One of the advisors of King Henry VIII at this time was Cardinal Wolsey, a papal special legate, who seduced the king to expensive but senseless actions. The aristocracy (1529) overthrew him and the clergy was forced to accept the king as head of church (1531). In 1534 the Anglican Church was accepted by the parliament and between 1543 and 1539 the property of the church (monasteries, land...) was given to the gentry and middle classes. This act is until today the biggest restructure of land ownership in English modern history. Constitution and dogma of the church remained catholic, but Protestant influence grew, and under Edward VI the Anglican church became “officially” a mixture of both, Catholic and Protestant.

Normal belief today is that the church was broadly anti-intellectual and that the clergy leaders preferred faith and ignorance rather than reason and education. The early church (~300 AD) encouraged science and education. In the long run, Christianity became the major educating body in Europe and the supporter of intellectual tradition, but always tended to protect the faith rather than conserve science. This was the main cause, because some leaders of the church were concerned about the “pagan” character of classical education. Out of this the monasteries and clergy schools emerged  and became the centre of education in Europe during the fourth century. The result was a shift from “natural” sciences to more “literary” science. During the middle ages there was virtually no science or natural philosophy in religious and theological works, but Greek logic and metaphysics were still taught, even if only in Italy and Greece.

Undoubtedly the greatest impact on the scientific world during the middle ages and the early reformation was the invention of printing with movable letters by Johannes Gutenberg (actual name: Gensfleisch) from Mainz. This new technique offered the possibility to produce books quicker, cheaper and in larger quantities. As other important inventions can be named gunpowder, the fob watch and a better compass which transferred coastal shipping into high-sea shipping.

Another change was the emergence of universities in Europe. The first universities in Europe came into being in Bologna (1088), Paris (~1150) and Oxford (1167), followed by an “explosion” of universities throughout western Europe during the 14th and 15th century.  There was also the trend of creating urban schools, which were founded without the support of the church. The early universities and schools taught mainly law and medicine that could be used by merchants, advisors and diplomats. Medicine takes a special part if one wants to consider the impact of science. For the first time, in modern Europe, scientists started to dissect and explore the human body, which was the breaking of an old ecclesiastical taboo.

How did it now affect the church and the progress of reformation? As one of the most important factors must be printing with movable letters. People all over Europe started to translate the bible into their native languages, like Luther and Wiclif, and needed not to copy them by hand in monasteries anymore. Also books that were forbidden by the church could be copied without the help of professional copyists, with constantly high standard and in vast quantities. As a result, the writings of Galileo were available and more educated people were able to read and understand them. The church as the former monopolist of education and knowledge lost importance in this sector and people could culminate their own point of view.  Obviously, the invention of printing with movable letters would not have had this massive impact without a more educated middle class. The new forms of education, that did not take place in monasteries or institutions of the church enabled the new middle class to being educated and to think critically about theology and natural philosophy. As an example should be named Wiclif, the spiritual “leader” of the Lollards and the translator of the bible into English. He was educated in Oxford, the first English University, and became a problem to the church by spreading his views. The universities were also important, because in more liberal countries, e.g. Switzerland, they often offered asylum to scholars who could not teach in their own countries. In fact I think that four main reasons exist for the reformation. Firstly a greater urbanisation and population, secondly social change, e.g. the emerge of new middle classes, thirdly a better educational system that enabled lower non-aristocratic and non-ecclesiastical people to receive an education and fourthly the invention of printing. Unquestionably all these reasons influenced and enforced each other going hand in hand with the political reasons of Henry VIII to reform the church.