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William Laud | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Canterbury | |
 Portrait by Anthony van Dyck c. 1636 | |
| Church | Church of England |
| Diocese | Canterbury |
| In office | 1633–1645 |
| Predecessor | George Abbot |
| Successor | William Juxon |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 5 April 1601 |
| Consecration | 18 November 1621 by George Montaigne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 October 1573 Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Died | 10 January 1645 (aged 71) Tower Hill, London, England |
| Buried | St John's College, Oxford |
| Education | Reading School |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Oxford |
| Signature |  |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 10 January |
| Venerated in | Anglican Communion |
William Laud (LAWD; 7 October 1573 – 10 January 1645) was a bishop in the Church of England. Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Charles I in 1633, Laud was a key advocate of Charles I's religious reforms; he was arrested by Parliament in 1640 and executed towards the end of the First English Civil War in January 1645.
Laud believed in episcopalianism, or rule by bishops. "Laudianism" was a reform movement that emphasised liturgical ceremony and clerical hierarchy, enforcing uniformity within the Church of England, as outlined by Charles. Its often highly ritualistic aspects prefigure what are now known as high church views.
In theology, Laud was accused of Arminianism, favouring doctrines of the historic church prior to the Reformation and defending the continuity of the English Church with the primitive and medieval church, and opposing Calvinism. On all three grounds, he was regarded by Puritan clerics and laymen as a formidable and dangerous opponent. His use of the Star Chamber to persecute opponents such as William Prynne made him deeply unpopular.