How Did Brucer Influence The English Reformation

When many people think of the Reformation, their immediate thoughts go to Germany and Martin Luther. However, other parts of Europe experienced the effects of the Reformation too. A man named Martin Bucer played an important role in one of these other European countries. With his support of Thomas Cranmer, his treatise of De Regno Christi, and his impact on the 1552 revised edition of the English Book of Common Prayer, it becomes clear that Martin Bucer played an important role in shaping the English Reformation, especially through his view of the Church and state both being a social order under Christ, which he called the kingdom of Christ. To address this, three journal articles and four books were used, as well as an excerpt from Bucer’s
He wrote, “It is most requysite, that all magistrates, and governours, that desire the promotion of the kingdom off Christe, and the welthe of those thei governe, do procure that this godlie provision for the poore and needie bee restored, even as the Hollie Goste hath set forth unto us in the seconde, fourth, fyfth, and sixth off the actes off the apostells [sic]” (Bucer 9-10).
As a whole, De Regno Christi acted as an instructional book for the King on Church reform, as it “. . . consists of two parts. The first one addresses the essence of the kingdom of Christ and . . . the duties and tasks of the Church, including its assumed close cooperation with civil authorities. The second part of the book lists the practical measures the King should take . . . including detailed instructions on their implementation” (Greschat
What were the results of Bucer’s suggestions? Bucer primarily followed the slow and steady approach that was popular with Cranmer. He accepted the fact that it would be best if certain ceremonies in the Church continued, because it would allow change to happen slowly and not all at once. This would hopefully result in changes that would last over the long run. However, his concern was that these religious ceremonies were done correctly and with the right intentions. He understood that some things had to be kept for the time being, and that it was the intent behind the ceremonies that had to be what changed. “More generally, he was concerned with problems arising from the inability of the people to understand the changes and who Bucer believed would assume outward continuity meant no change” (Amos, “Book of Common Prayer”