How did Henry VIII change Christianity?

When
Henry VIII consolidated the wealth and power of his throne, he did so in part by dismantling the
monasteries, taking their valuablesessentially for his own wealthunder the guise of tearing down
the opulence of the papacy and its influence in his kingdom. And many monasteries were literally
dismantled and torn down. As a result of this, you have the near-extinction of monastic life in
the United Kingdom at that point.

Henry's influence on Christianity can also
indirectly be seen in particular through one of his wives and his children. Anne Boleyn and her
family had long been supporters of the evangelical movement (although still moderately
Catholic). With Anne's growing influence on Henry and her eventual rise in status, she found
herself in a position to show greater support through patronage to reformers like Simon Fish.
Young King Edward, upon Henry's death, continued to support the new Church of England and
disfavor Catholicism. When Mary took the throne, however, all that changed: she openly
persecuted Protestants and re-established Catholicism. Finally, we have Elizabeth, with the
strongest role in the further development of Anglicanism/Church of England, striking a
compromise between the beliefs and practices of Catholics and Protestants in her
realm.

So, you can see, beyond Henry's direct influence on Christianity, his
actions carried influence down the line. He is really to be credited with the stronghold of
Protestantism in England, Scotland, and Wales, in spite of the fact that he was still
essentially Catholic in everything but name and papal allegiance!