John Jewel and the English National Church: The Dilemmas of an Erastian Reformer

John Jewel (15221571) has long been regarded as one of the key figures in the shaping of the Anglican Church. The most recent monographs on Jewel, now over forty years old, focus largely on his theology, casting him as deft scholar, adept humanist, precursor to Hooker, arbiter of Anglican identity and seminal mind in the formation of Anglicanism. In this work, Gary Jenkins takes a more critical approach, arguing that, far from serving as the constructor of a positive Anglican identity, Jewel's real contribution pertains to the genesis of the divided and schizophrenic nature of the Church of England. Far from intending to create a coherent theological system, Jewel was more interested in clearing the decks of all rival theological contenders, in order to establish a new ecclesio-political regime.

Gary W. Jenkins is Van Gorden Professor in History at Eastern University, USA.