What was the main religion in Queen Elizabeth's time when Shakespeare was alive?

Answer 1

Henry VIII initiated the Church of England's break from Rome in the early 1530's and so began what is known as "Anglicanism". Under the supervision of Thomas Cranmer, radical doctrinal, moral and practical changes continued to develop.

In 1553, Mary I took the throne and restored communion with Rome. For her vigorous suppression of heresy she was dubbed "bloody Mary", though the moniker is hardly justified in light of the things the reformers had done and would do.

When Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth I again broke from Rome and enforced Anglican belief.

Shakespeare lived 1564(?) to 1616. The national religion of his time was Anglicanism, though other sects, such as the Anabaptists, were also present. Catholicism, still very much alive in memory and influence, was illegal, punishable as treason, but was still practiced in secret by some. William's father seems to have had Catholic sympathies and William Shakespeare himself, some believe, was secretly a Catholic. They advance such a theory since some of his plays contain Catholic allusions, such as the Blessed Sacrament and Purgatory, things the Anglicans had abolished. This, however, is inconclusive since Catholicism had been so recently on the scene and these could just be echoes of its influence, though it can be argued Shakespeare took a big risk to put them in his plays for if he was suspected of Catholicism, it could have meant his life. Rev. Richard Davies, a prominent Anglican clergyman of the 17th century declared that Shakespeare, "died a papist", but there is no conclusive evidence.

Answer 2

Most of the people followed Christianity during Shakespeare's time in Europe which is still continued now also. Roman Catholicism was the predominant religion in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, Austria, southern Germany, Bohemia and Poland. However, Lutheran Protestantism was predominant in northern Germany and the Scandinavian countries. The Netherlands were largely Protestant, both Calvinist and Lutheran. Scotland had recently become Calvinist Protestant and England was Anglican, which at that time was half-Catholic and half-Calvinist. Russia was Orthodox Christian, and the whole of the Balkans up to Hungary was occupied by the Ottoman Turks who were Muslims.

In addition, there were also minority and fringe religions: Jews, Anabaptists, militant Calvinists like the Puritans, and so on.

Answer 3

The only legal religion in England in Shakespeare's time was the Church of England. All other religions were illegal.

Answer 4

christian protestant (CE)