Conscience Decides: Letters and Prayers from Prison Written by Sir Thomas More Between April 1534 and July 1535

by Thomas More, Trevor Huddlestone (Preface), Bede Foord (Editor)

Pisma wiezienne

Genres: Spirituality

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1535

About the author

Sir Thomas More (1477-1535), venerated by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He was a councillor to Henry VIII and also served as Lord High Chancellor of England from October 1529 to 16 May 1532.

More opposed the Protestant Reformation, in particular the theology of Martin Luther and William Tyndale. He also wrote Utopia, published in 1516, about the political system of an imaginary ideal island nation. More opposed the King's separation from the Catholic Church, refusing to acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, he was convicted of treason and beheaded.

Pope Pius XI canonised More in 1935 as a martyr. Pope John Paul II in 2000 declared him the "heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians." Since 1980, the Church of England has remembered More liturgically as a Reformation martyr. The Soviet Union honoured him for the Communistic attitude toward property rights expressed in Utopia.

Reviews

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mí este libro me parece un milagro. Una persona poderosa que esperando que le corten la cabeza por la arbitrariedad de un rey loco, Enrique VIII, es capaz de escribir unas cartas llenas de paz y de madurez, lejana a la desesperación o rencor acusador que cabría esperar. El libro es muy sencillo y breve, se puede leer en un rato, pero si se hace en días sucesivos se presta a la reflexión y es entonces cuando aflora toda la belleza que recoge.

[Mary Ellen Barringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

An enlightening, but tough read about Christ's last week prior to arrest. There is much to ponder.