Edward VI and Mary I: Reformation and Counter - reformation ,1547-1558

Dive into one of the most volatile and dramatic decades in English history! In our fifth session, Edward VI and Mary I: Reformation and Counter-Reformation (1547–1558), we explore the contrasting reigns of two monarchs whose religious policies left England deeply divided. From Edward VI’s Protestant reforms to Mary I’s staunch Catholic revival, this era was defined by upheaval, persecution, and the struggle for spiritual and political control.

Guided by Alex, a distinguished scholar and Fellow of multiple prestigious institutions including Christ’s College Cambridge, the McDonald Institute of Archaeological Research, and the Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies at HSE University Moscow, this session will address essential questions: Were these reigns marked by genuine conviction or political expediency? How did the oscillation between reform and counter-reform shape England’s religious identity and its path toward stability?

This session invites you to engage with the complexities of faith, power, and resistance during a…