Henry VIII's Bishops: Diplomats, Administrators, Scholars and Shepherds (review)

Much like that of their master, the reputation of the Henrician bishops as a corporate body has suffered since the sixteenth century. Indeed, even during their era contemporaries accused them of living lives of luxury, absenteeism, and general dereliction when it came to their duties. However, upon examination of the individual lives of these bishops, it becomes obvious that most of them were highly educated, dedicated servants who were trying to steer some logical course through the choppy religious waters agitated by Henry VIII. Such is the argument presented by Andrew Allan Chibi in his text Henry VIII's Bishops: Diplomats, Administrators, Scholars and Shepherds. In his survey of the bishops as unique individuals, Chibi examines their education and background to reveal the different skills and talents they brought to their offices.

The author includes a vast array of specifics on each of the men, providing a rich picture of the development of the Henrician diocesan system. For example, Chibi points out that on average, each of the sixty-nine bishops served sixteen years between first clerical appointment and elevation, demonstrating that rather than being elevated for political purposes with little experience, the bishops generally had served well and earned the reward of a bishopric. Henry rarely elevated a bishop solely as a political or personal favor to the nobility, nominating no blood relatives and choosing his servants by merit. Almost fifty percent (thirty-two) of the bishops had come from the yeoman class; Chibi highlights this percentage as an indication that the Henrician bench was "an example of effective social mobility" (28).

The text itself is a thorough account of the bishops' role in the reign of Henry. The detailed narrative rests heavily upon the events of the reign that most required the presence or expertise of the bishops. This expertise was at times scholarly, clerical, or legal, but always employed in the loyal service of the king. Another of Chibi's main points is that this group, despite their conservative or reformist tendencies, was conscientious, talented, and deserving of their posts. To assist the reader in sorting out the lives of so many individuals, Chibi provides several useful tables at the conclusion of the text, which present easy-to-read data on topics such as social rank, county of birth, educational attainment, secular and regular offices held, and royal service. In addition, there is a brief biography of each bishop as an appendix.

There are, though, a few issues with which to contend when reading the text, such as a few questionable points of grammar and some typographical errors. Chibi has a habit of mentioning historians by last name only within the text, assuming the reader will be familiar with these scholars. Normally, that type of question is answered by a footnote that contains more information, but there are a few instances here when even the initial footnote reference within a chapter consists only of a last name and page number. Of course, the reader can consult the bibliography, but an incomplete note presents a clarity and stylistic problem within the text.

Aside from these editorial issues, a larger question echoes the one-sidedness of the text. Clearly Chibi wants to rehabilitate the bishops and does a fine job of illustrating their positive attributes. There are, however, legitimate criticisms of the bishops that are glossed over by the author. The residency issue, for example, is one that was a genuine concern during the period. Chibi's claim that "it is clear that non-residency was less harmful than is often imagined" begs for counterpoint to provide a fuller picture of the situation (50). Additionally, there is generally a lack of background information. Granted, this text would typically be of most interest to scholars already familiar with the period, but Chibi's tendency to state that a certain instance is already so well-known that he need not go through the details is...