What role did political concerns play in the reformation?

While the teachings of Reform leaders like Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin arose largely from disputes with Catholic sacramental teachings, the support they enjoyed among the Swiss cantons had more to do with local politics than with doctrinal matters.  

There was a rapidly-growing movement toward consolidation of the city-states into nations at the time, and actions on BOTH sides of the split (Catholic and Protestant) were influenced by practical considerations related to power, property, and prestige. The English church, for example, tore away so that Henry VIII could annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (a marriage which the pope had made extraordinary moves to permit). And the pope refused grant the annulment, both to save face and to avoid alienating Charles V who was the Holy Roman Emperor.

So as you can see from even just these few examples, the spread of the protestant religion had nothing at all to do with politics.

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