This thesis situates the study of John Hart's proposals for orthographic reform in a religio- political context. Instead of focusing entirely on the scientific content of his linguistic writings, it brings together the technical, ideological, and rhetorical dimensions in one discussion, seeking to investigate how Hart's ideas about language were informed by the theory and practice of Tudor politics. Text analyses throughout the four analytical chapters show that Hart's religio-political conceptualizations of orthographic reform are (at least) threefold: First, the program was motivated by both religious and secular needs: the pushing-through of religious reform and the strengthening of central government (Chapter 2). Second, the technical aspects of orthography - the constituent elements, internal structure, and governing forces - were modeled on social facts and political theories (Chapters 3 & 5). Third, the ideology of reform was wrapped up with political rhetoric borrowed from commonwealth literature (Chapter 4). In brief, Hart's scholarly cause can be tersely summarized as constructing a linguistic commonwealth of orthography, which was modeled on the ideology and rhetoric of creating a religio-political commonwealth in Tudor England.