The excitement of history lies in its uncertainty. Except for the vital matter of accuracy in detail, there are no solved problems or authoritative conclusions in historical study. There is always more to be done – more documents to discover, more refined methods to apply, more issues to be considered, more thought to be given. So no history book, no matter how eminent the author or balanced the argument, can provide a definitive version of the past. It is not a defect of any particular work that it will be overtaken by later research, it is a characteristic of the historical discipline. Students should not be surprised that a well-established textbook is eventually challenged – rather they should be impressed that it has carried conviction for so long. For twenty years, Professor A. G. Dickens's The English Reformation stood in unrivalled mastery of its field, and it remained the best single-volume survey of the subject. It has been the standard text for teachers and students, and its pervasive influence could be detected in History examination scripts at all levels. But two decades of further research, much of it by historians inspired by the example of Dickens himself, have undermined old answers and raised new questions. Some recent writers would wish only to adjust the detail and emphases of 1964, but others suggest the need for a more fundamental revision of perspective.

One of the reasons for the popularity of the Dickens version of the Reformation is that it built upon a well-established tradition in English historical consciousness.