The Unmaking of a Saint: Thomas Becket and the English Reformation

The long and complex relationship between Church and State in Western Christendom--both creative and destructive--is particularly well illustrated by examining the history of England, especially the relations between various English monarchs and the Church. More specifically, by focusing on the rise, the importance, and, especially, the fall of the cult of St. Thomas Becket from the twelfth century through the sixteenth century, we can gain some valuable insights into the complex series of events known as the English Reformation. 1