Book Title: The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689 Author: Jonathan Healey Headline: James II, Catholicism, and the Glorious Revolution James II, brother of Charles II, converted to Catholicism, leading to a movement to exclu
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
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🗓️ 8 September 2025
⏱️ 8 minutes
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Summary
James II, brother of Charles II, converted to Catholicism, leading to a movement to exclude him from the throne during Charles's reign. Becoming king in 1685, James II alienated his natural supporters, the Tories, by favoring Catholics. The birth of his Catholic son solidified the fears of a perpetual Catholic monarchy. In 1688, Whigs and Tories invited William of Orange to intervene, leading to James II fleeing and the peaceful Glorious Revolution.
1649
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| 0:27.6 | whose wonderful new book is filled with stories |
| 0:31.1 | and imaginary moments that we now can visit from the 21st century |
| 0:36.6 | and say, so that's where John Locke came from. |
| 0:39.8 | That's where an understanding of government representing the people came from. |
| 0:44.5 | And that's where trouble comes from when a man, James II, |
| 0:50.2 | the younger brother of Charles II, |
| 0:52.8 | decide somewhere in the 1660s to convert to Catholicism, |
| 0:57.0 | perhaps surrounded by Catholics on the mainland, knowing that if he was ever to ascend to the throne, |
| 1:03.2 | this would introduce contretemps again into his native land. |
| 1:07.7 | Well, here it is. |
| 1:09.1 | The moment that we can anticipate, there is rumors that James |
| 1:13.7 | is converted, but with the death of his brother, this is in the 1680s, the death of his brother, |
| 1:19.4 | James I becomes the king of England, and he's been leader of the fleet. He's had charge, |
| 1:26.2 | he's a very good warrior very good combat |
| 1:28.9 | leader but he resigns from the navy because he won't swear it won't take an oath that |
| 1:34.7 | would reveal that that would violate his Catholicism and uh Jonathan I come to this |
| 1:41.7 | because James the second is a less well-known figure, Charles II, the Restoration. |
| 1:47.0 | James II had to know he was introducing trouble. |
| 1:51.0 | Did he believe, knowing all of that, knowing how few Catholics there were in the country, that he could be successful? |
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