Request Book Recommendation on Edward VI

[Stomata leontôn]

I wanted to know if anyone could recommend me a good biography of Edward VI with heavy-duty scholarship and from or sympathetic to a Reformed point of view.

The reason is that I once read some copies of letters written in his own hand indicating that he was a genuine believer and passionate for the Truth. He read and followed correspondence from John Calvin, and was known to believers during the English Reformation as "our good king Josiah." The Regent, his uncle the Duke of Somerset, his mentor, was likewise such a believer. One reason this topic is interesting to me is that kings and princes seem usually to be working for the other side.

I figured this forum would be a good place to ask.

My thanks in advance to anyone who can direct me to a good title!

 

[Jie-Huli]

Peter,

Yes, Edward VI was among the best, and I believe he was truly converted.

I would recommend "The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation" by Diarmaid Macculloch, published by the University of California Press.

While this book is written much more from a scholarly perspective than a spiritual one, it is focused on Edward's contribution to the reformation in England (and thus contains a lot of background on his beliefs), and I would say on the whole it is sympathetic to him and at least not hostile to Reformed Christianity. The author is an Oxford historian, but I am not certain about his own spiritual state.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Jie-Huli

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Welcome back, Jie-Huli, it's great to see you again!

 

[dannyhyde]

Peter,

Yes, Edward VI was among the best, and I believe he was truly converted.

I would recommend "The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation" by Diarmaid Macculloch, published by the University of California Press.

While this book is written much more from a scholarly perspective than a spiritual one, it is focused on Edward's contribution to the reformation in England (and thus contains a lot of background on his beliefs), and I would say on the whole it is sympathetic to him and at least not hostile to Reformed Christianity. The author is an Oxford historian, but I am not certain about his own spiritual state.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Jie-Huli

Macculloch's book is the best biography of Edward.

As for Macculloch's "spiritual state," he is an openly and militantly gay member of the Church of England, as far as i have been told by greater lights such as Scott Clark, Carl Trueman, and others.

 

[Jie-Huli]

Welcome back, Jie-Huli, it's great to see you again!

Thanks, Andrew, that is very kind of you, it is good to see you as well. It has been quite a while, but I have been back looking at some of the threads over the past couple of weeks, and I will try to put in a sentence or two where I have something meaningful to add.

I hope everything is well for you on that side of the pond.

Best regards,

Jie-Huli

 

[Jie-Huli]

Macculloch's book is the best biography of Edward.

As for Macculloch's "spiritual state," he is an openly and militantly gay member of the Church of England, as far as i have been told by greater lights such as Scott Clark, Carl Trueman, and others.

That I did not know . . . and rather wish I did not know now.

But, at any rate, the depths of Edward's faith really do shine forth from what is recorded in this biography.

 

[JonathanHunt]

Macculloch's book is the best biography of Edward.

As for Macculloch's "spiritual state," he is an openly and militantly gay member of the Church of England, as far as i have been told by greater lights such as Scott Clark, Carl Trueman, and others.

That I did not know . . . and rather wish I did not know now.

But, at any rate, the depths of Edward's faith really do shine forth from what is recorded in this biography.

It will probably get pulled from the bookshop if you tell anyone!!!

 

[Stomata leontôn]

Thanks! I'll get that book.

 

[Stomata leontôn]

Actually, I'll have to rephrase my last post. I have remembered that I recently read over McCullough's Reformation, which I was not happy with at all. I don't think he understood the subject at all, did not sound like a believer, and there was even a bit of mocking which I assumed at the time to mean that he was just another Irish Papist. And if the comment above by dannhyde is true, then I wasn't far off.

So does anyone have another second candidate in mind?

Even one of those Christian books written for "young adults" might do for now; they are usually inspirational, if simple.

 

[py3ak]

It is nice to see you back on, Jie-Huli. Are you back in England?

 

[JonathanHunt]

It is nice to see you back on, Jie-Huli. Are you back in England?

Enquiring minds want to know. I will be at the Met Tab next Sunday and it would be nice to say hello!

J

 

[ColdSilverMoon]

Here is an interesting article from another blog - the source of the quote might be interesting to read. The blog post focuses on a letter John Calvin wrote to Edward VI. It's an interesting read.

Calvin’s Advice to King Edward VI « Evangelical Catholicity

One of my favorite reformed monarchs is Lady Jane Grey, Edward's "illegal" successor. She really was a remarkable person in many respects. I first came to admire her when I read original letters she wrote in the British Library (a must-see when in London, by the way), which were amazingly mature and theologically insightful, especially for an 17 year old! A review of a new biography can be found here:

Book Review - Lady Jane Grey :: :: A Reformed, Christian Blog

Perhaps she is most famous for the depiction of her death in the amazing painting (one of my personal favorites) by Paul Delaroche:

 

[Kevin]

Wow, That is a great picture. Thanks for posting it!

 

[Jie-Huli]

It is nice to see you back on, Jie-Huli. Are you back in England?

Enquiring minds want to know. I will be at the Met Tab next Sunday and it would be nice to say hello!

J

That is very kind of you both. It is nice to know some of you remember me here, though it has been so long since I have posted. To be honest, I have a growing aversion to computers and generally do not spend more time in front of them than I need to do (especially as I must use them at the office); but you may see me here from time to time, perhaps in rather random threads that catch my eye for one reason or another.

I am indeed back in England, enjoying the mild British summer now (as opposed to the sweltering summer I endured during my time in Hong Kong a couple of years ago).

Would be nice to see you at the Tabernacle, Jonathan. Actually I have seen you before (I know from your photograph), we just have not had the opportunity to speak. I will have to seek you out the next time you are here.

Best regards,

Jie-Huli

 

[Jie-Huli]

Actually, I'll have to rephrase my last post. I have remembered that I recently read over McCullough's Reformation, which I was not happy with at all. I don't think he understood the subject at all, did not sound like a believer, and there was even a bit of mocking which I assumed at the time to mean that he was just another Irish Papist. And if the comment above by dannhyde is true, then I wasn't far off.

So does anyone have another second candidate in mind?

Even one of those Christian books written for "young adults" might do for now; they are usually inspirational, if simple.

I understand your sentiments, Peter . . . I did not know anything about McCullough before as I had only read his biography of Edward, but I think now you are right to seek other authors. Sadly, I do not know of any full biographies of Edward written by Christians, but limited references to him do appear in some other Christian histories on my bookshelf: Book V of Foxe's Book of Martyrs deals with Edward's reign and includes some biographical details and discussions of his faith; also, Faith Cook's biograph of "Lady Jane Grey: the Nine Day Queen" includes quite a bit of information about Edward as well since they were contemporaries.

In addition to those, perhaps the best thing to read would be Edward's own diary which I understand has been published under the title: "England's Boy King: The Diary of Edward VI".

Also, while people are posting Tudor paintings, here is the great painting of Edward triumphing over the Pope which is held at the National Portrait Gallery. (I think you have to click on the photo to see it in larger format . . . I am not very good at attaching things). I understand a lady named Margaret Aston has published a book about this painting called "The King's Bedpost: Reformation and Iconography in a Tudor Group Portrait", but I have not read this so cannot comment on how full a discussion of Edward's history and faith it may contain.

Kind regards,

Jie-Huli

 

[JonathanHunt]

Actually, I'll have to rephrase my last post. I have remembered that I recently read over McCullough's Reformation, which I was not happy with at all. I don't think he understood the subject at all, did not sound like a believer, and there was even a bit of mocking which I assumed at the time to mean that he was just another Irish Papist. And if the comment above by dannhyde is true, then I wasn't far off.
.

Arrrgh! I just paid money for that book!!!

 

[Stomata leontôn]

Jie-Huli -

Thanks! I think that Mccullough's, combined with the section in Foxe's Martyrs, and Edward's diaries will round each other out very well! One for up-to-date scholarship (if secular), another for inspiration, and another for his own words.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Any thoughts on The British Josiah: Edward VI -- The Most Godly King of England by N. A Woychuk?

Amazon.com: The British Josiah: Edward VI-- the most Godly king of England: N. A Woychuk: Books

 

[Jie-Huli]

Any thoughts on The British Josiah: Edward VI -- The Most Godly King of England by N. A Woychuk?

Amazon.com: The British Josiah: Edward VI-- the most Godly king of England: N. A Woychuk: Books

I have not seen that one before, but it looks like a good one. I will have to track that down for my bookshelf as well. Thank you for posting the link.

 

[Stomata leontôn]

Excellent! Thanks you all.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Any thoughts on The British Josiah: Edward VI -- The Most Godly King of England by N. A Woychuk?

Amazon.com: The British Josiah: Edward VI-- the most Godly king of England: N. A Woychuk: Books

I have not seen that one before, but it looks like a good one. I will have to track that down for my bookshelf as well. Thank you for posting the link.

You're welcome! It also contains Edward's treatise against the primacy of the pope which is a fascinating read.