When Henry VIII died in 1547, he left a church in England that was Protestant - but the English Reformation was quite different in its methods, motivations and results to that taking place on the continent. As a result the study of Henry's Reformation is plagued with confusion and paradox. This work provides a clear guide to the main strands of historical thought on the topic, considers the political and religious causes of the Reformation, and gives a succinct account of the events leading up to the break with Rome.