Marshall, Peter, 1964 October 26-. (2008) The making of the Tudor Judas : trust and betrayal in the English Reformation. Reformation, Vol.13 . pp. 77-101. ISSN 1357-4175

Abstract

This article examines the significance of the theme of religious betrayal, both real and imagined, in the early decades of the English Reformation. It explores how the pressures on personal and political allegiance consequent upon Henry VIII’s break with Rome created the conditions for betrayal to be practised, and for fears about it to grow. The circumstances of, and reactions to, some particular cases are examined - such as William Tyndale’s betrayal at the hands of Henry Phillips, and Thomas More’s by Richard Rich. The article goes on to demonstrate how, in conditions of religious persecution, the scriptural figure of Judas took on new meanings for English Christians, and was used to articulate crucial points of religious division, particularly around penance and the eucharist. An alertness to the issues around betrayal and its representation offers insight into religious identity-formation at a crucial stage of the English Reformation.

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