"Turpitudinem uxoris fratris tui non revelavit": John Stokesley and the Divorce Question
This article provides a new perspective on a lesser-known figure of the Henrician period, John Stokesley, and on the theological foundation of Henry VIII's first divorce. The paper first traces Stokesley's involvement in the matter to about 1527, shows that he was the earliest advocate of...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers, Inc.
1994
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In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 1994, Volume: 25, Issue: 2, Pages: 387-397 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | This article provides a new perspective on a lesser-known figure of the Henrician period, John Stokesley, and on the theological foundation of Henry VIII's first divorce. The paper first traces Stokesley's involvement in the matter to about 1527, shows that he was the earliest advocate of Henry VIII, and outlines Stokesley's arguments. Second, it examines how Stokesley's argument was used to meet royal needs, by tracing his position to ancient Fathers and scholastic writers. Third, it details how Stokesley combined nominalist and realist theology into a workable definition of divine law so his own arguments could function logically. We then see how Henry's royal scholars, neatly avoiding the Leviticus-Deuteronomy dichotomy, showed that Henry's marriage to Catherine was unlawful and that the pope had overstepped his authority when he granted a dispensation to allow marriage. |
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ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/2542888 |