Thomas Cranmer

Thomas Cranmer (July 2, 1489 – March 21, 1556) was the Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of the English kings Henry VIII and Edward VI. He was also an influential theologian who is arguably the co-founder (with Richard Hooker and Matthew Parker) of Anglican theological thought.

He helped build the case in favor of Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Cranmer guided the English Reformation in its earliest days. Following the death of King Henry, Thomas Cranmer became a key figure in the regency government of King Edward VI.

He is credited with writing and compiling the first two Books of Common Prayer which established the basic structure of Anglican liturgy for over four centuries and influenced the English language through its phrases and quotations. Cranmer was an important figure in the English Reformation which denied papal authority over the English Church.

After Queen Mary reunited the Church of England with the Roman Catholic Church, he was executed in 1556 for heresy. Cranmer was later celebrated as a martyr in Anglican culture, particularly through the works of John Foxe. His impact on religion in the United Kingdom was profound and lasting.