5 Minutes in Church History: Bishop Hooper, British Martyr

Last updated on: March 9, 2017 at 1:49 pm by Christian Podcast Central

5 Minutes in Church History: Bishop Hooper, British Martyr 2017-03-09T13:49:37-08:00 Christian Podcast Central

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In this episode of 5 Minutes in Church History, Stephen Nichols introduces us to the Cambridge-educated bishop who was burned at the stake in 1555.

Our continuing study of the three British martyrs leads us now to Bishop Hooper. John Hooper was born in 1495 in Somerset, England. He went on to study at the University of Cambridge and received his bachelor’s degree. Then we are not sure what happened to him. He probably came under the influence of the Reformation in Germany and for his own sake stayed off the radar. We know he showed up at Oxford and in 1539, after Henry VIII signed the Act of Supremacy in 1534, which established the Church of England.

Even in those early years of the English Reformation, Henry was not entirely friendly with Reformers on the Continent, and of course, Bishop Hooper was very friendly with Reformers on the Continent. And he found himself in conflict with the king. So, he left England and headed to France. He remained there with the Huguenots and studied alongside them. We also know that he made his way to Switzerland and befriended Heinrich Bullinger, who succeeded Huldrych Zwingli in Zurich and who was very much an influence on Bishop Hooper.

When Edward VI ascended to the throne, Hooper left Switzerland and returned to his beloved England. He immediately went after those bishops who were not thoroughly committed to the Reformation and chased them out of their pulpits. He was bishop of Gloucester and then bishop of Worcester two years later. And then, Edward VI died.

Martyrdom of Bishop John Hooper

The Burning of Master Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.

In 1553, Mary I came to the throne, and like many Reformed figures who flourished under Edward, Bishop Hooper was imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was there from 1553 until 1555. In January 1555, he was called out before the council and given the opportunity to recant of his teachings. If he did so, he would be released and restored to his position. He refused. This happened almost daily, as it did for so many of the martyrs, and it happened for Hooper on many occasions that he was brought before the council and given an opportunity to recant. Every time, he refused to do so.

Finally, on February 9, he was led out and taken to the place of his execution and given one last opportunity to recant. He again refused, and on February 9, 1555, Bishop Hooper was burned at the stake.

John Foxe records the events in his famous Book of Martyrs. He tells us that when Hooper was led before his executioners, he asked the people to pray the Lord’s Prayer with him and to pray for him, which they did. Foxe records that there was much crying while he was suffering. Foxe also records that he went up to the stake and an iron hoop was placed around his chest and the stake while he was burning. And a similar hoop was offered to hold his neck and his legs and he refused them. And this man who had studied at Cambridge, who had studied with the Huguenots in France, who had studied in Zurich under Bullinger, who had faithfully proclaimed the gospel from his pulpit and from his post as bishop, this man suffered a great deal as he was burned at the stake. And he took his place not only among the martyrs in Britain but also among the martyrs through the centuries who have faithfully borne witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Stay connected with 5 Minutes in Church History by getting the weekly podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, or via RSS. You can also subscribe to the blog via RSS and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(This podcast is by Ligonier Ministries. Discovered by e2 media network and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not e2 media network, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)

Previous Post

March 9, 2017

Reflections of Grace 143: Isn’t That Breaking the Rules?

Next Post

March 21, 2017 The Briefing: Judge Neil Gorsuch, GOP Budget Cuts & The International Day of Happiness

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Brad Stine Has Issues Christian Podcast Central Classic Podcast Experience God Life Grounded Ouxano Parent Like You Mean It The Protest Show with Thor Ramsey The Summit Lecture Series Uncategorized What You’ve Been Searching For

Select a Month July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz