The Elizabethan Religious Settlement

When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, England was a country deeply divided by religion. Her father Henry VIII had broken with Rome, her brother Edward VI had made England firmly Protestant, and her sister Mary I had restored Catholicism and burned nearly 300 Protestants at the stake. Elizabeth needed to find a religious settlement that would unite the country and end the cycle of persecution.

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The Religious Situation in 1558

Group	Position
Catholics	Wanted England to return to the Catholic faith under the authority of the Pope; believed the Mass, transubstantiation, and Catholic ceremonies were essential for salvation
Moderate Protestants	Wanted a Protestant Church but were willing to accept some Catholic traditions (bishops, vestments, ceremonies) if the Pope's authority was rejected
Puritans (Radical Protestants)	Wanted a thoroughly reformed Church stripped of all Catholic practices — no bishops, no vestments, no ceremonies; emphasis on preaching and Bible reading

Elizabeth herself was a moderate Protestant. She wanted a Church that would be acceptable to the greatest number of people — a "middle way" (via media) between Catholicism and radical Protestantism.