Roger Ascham's Defence of the Lord's Supper

Abstract

This article explores a little-known Latin tract on the Eucharist entitled “A defence of the Lord's Supper” (Apologia pro Caena Dominica). The Apologia is a treatise of 1547 which vigorously denounced the Mass, its sacrifice, and priests. It was written by Roger Ascham as a direct response to a series of religious debates held at Cambridge University at the start of Edward VI's reign. The work's evident aim to direct government discussion on the best way to restore the Lord's Supper in England raises interesting questions about the relationship between University and State during this reign. It also offers fresh insights into the evolution of Edwardine Protestantism, not least because the orientation of the Apologia's theology was distinctly Lutheran. It may be possible to make the case that Luther's writings and theological emphases had a greater impact on Edwardine religious debates about the Eucharist than scholars had assumed. Lastly, the work provides a welcome opportunity for a reappraisal of Ascham himself, both his confessional identity, and the precise nature of his role in the religious conflicts of the Reformation.