What do you think?
Rate this book
A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation
Awaiting execution in 1535 for refusing to betray his faith, Thomas More opens the door on his own interior life by creating a fictional dialogue. It takes place in 16th century Hungary between a young man, Vincent, and his dying but wise old uncle, Anthony. Vincent is paralyzed by fear of an impending, Turkish invasion which could force him to betray his faith or die a martyr. As he pours out his fears, Anthony responds as only the calm and clear-headed More could on the comfort of God in difficulties, the benefits of suffering, atonement for evil acts, faintheartedness and the temptation to suicide, and scrupulosity. Anthony thus summarizes his ''I will supply you ahead of time with a store of comfort, of spiritual strengthening and consolation, that you can have ready at hand, that you can resort to and lay up in your heart as an antidote against the poison of despairing dread..." Put into modern English and edited by Mary Gottschalk, Dialogue... is introduced by Gerard B. Wegemer, author of the spiritual biography, Thomas A Portrait of Courage, (Scepter, 1995) and editor of another of More's spiritual works, The Sadness of Christ. (1999)
318 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1534
88 people are currently reading
578 people want to read
About the author
Thomas More
449 books1,108 followersSir 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 6, 2017
Wanted very much to finish this on June 22nd, the feast of Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More, both martyrs of mercurial King Henry VIII. It was not to be.
A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation was Thomas More’s final work, a historical fiction meant for his beloved and brilliantly educated adult daughter, Meg. Like Boethius writing The Consolation of Philosophy, More was imprisoned unjustly without hope of reprieve and seeking solace in bequeathing posterity his wisdom.
Unlike Boethius, More doesn’t make himself a character in his story per se—most probably because he wanted the document to survive him. Instead his conversation occurs in contemporary (for then, 1528) Hungary between an uncle (Anthony) and his nephew (Vincent). Vincent visits his uncle in prison to confide his terror of the Turkish invasions of the Ottomans. He is seeking comfort from his uncle who tells him comfort can only come from God. More’s purpose is to explain his reasons for refusing to acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Meg—and the rest of More’s family—wanted him to do whatever necessary so he wouldn’t be executed. He addressed her as an intellectual equal.
Unfortunately, the ‘comfort’ Uncle Anthony offers/explains to his nephew many people today wouldn’t even recognize as the least bit comforting. He begins with an explanation of what tribulation is (grief consisting either of bodily pain or heaviness of the mind) and remedies going back to earliest of times and their various efficacies, faith in God being preeminent.
A long discussion ensues concerning the four primary sources of comfort in tribulation: 1) desire to be comforted by God; 2) medicinal; 3) perseverance brings merit here on earth but not later; and, 4) the cross is necessary to enter heaven.
We also learn there are three types of tribulation: 1) those caused through our own fault; 2) those sent by God as punishment for past sins or to prevent other sins; and, 3) those sent to increase our patience and our merit.
There’s an excellent discussion about temptations based on Psalm 91.
My favorite part, however, was near the end where Uncle Anthony gives an extended argument for this temporal life as the ultimate prison with death as the inevitable and only conclusion/‘escape’ and his current state of existence—being held prisoner by men—as being freer than his nephew’s relative freedom to move about at will. It is a remarkable piece of writing. More shows himself the astute legal mind he was.
Sr. Thea Bowman presented this book for her doctoral dissertation, which is how I learned about it. Thomas More and Martin Luther King were the two men she admired most.
Not light reading, but well worth your while.
A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation was Thomas More’s final work, a historical fiction meant for his beloved and brilliantly educated adult daughter, Meg. Like Boethius writing The Consolation of Philosophy, More was imprisoned unjustly without hope of reprieve and seeking solace in bequeathing posterity his wisdom.
Unlike Boethius, More doesn’t make himself a character in his story per se—most probably because he wanted the document to survive him. Instead his conversation occurs in contemporary (for then, 1528) Hungary between an uncle (Anthony) and his nephew (Vincent). Vincent visits his uncle in prison to confide his terror of the Turkish invasions of the Ottomans. He is seeking comfort from his uncle who tells him comfort can only come from God. More’s purpose is to explain his reasons for refusing to acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Meg—and the rest of More’s family—wanted him to do whatever necessary so he wouldn’t be executed. He addressed her as an intellectual equal.
Unfortunately, the ‘comfort’ Uncle Anthony offers/explains to his nephew many people today wouldn’t even recognize as the least bit comforting. He begins with an explanation of what tribulation is (grief consisting either of bodily pain or heaviness of the mind) and remedies going back to earliest of times and their various efficacies, faith in God being preeminent.
A long discussion ensues concerning the four primary sources of comfort in tribulation: 1) desire to be comforted by God; 2) medicinal; 3) perseverance brings merit here on earth but not later; and, 4) the cross is necessary to enter heaven.
We also learn there are three types of tribulation: 1) those caused through our own fault; 2) those sent by God as punishment for past sins or to prevent other sins; and, 3) those sent to increase our patience and our merit.
There’s an excellent discussion about temptations based on Psalm 91.
My favorite part, however, was near the end where Uncle Anthony gives an extended argument for this temporal life as the ultimate prison with death as the inevitable and only conclusion/‘escape’ and his current state of existence—being held prisoner by men—as being freer than his nephew’s relative freedom to move about at will. It is a remarkable piece of writing. More shows himself the astute legal mind he was.
Sr. Thea Bowman presented this book for her doctoral dissertation, which is how I learned about it. Thomas More and Martin Luther King were the two men she admired most.
Not light reading, but well worth your while.
July 7, 2025
One of the best books on suffering I’ve ever read.
March 7, 2009
A must read for every Catholic. I don’t know why this book is not recommend reading for everyone when they come of age! I would place this book in the top 20 that every person should read. The wise council given by St. Thomas More would give comfort to many who are suffering through pain, temptation, and persecution. If one wants to know how we should give and receive comfort in times of tribulation, one need look no further than this book.
Read
September 6, 2019On the Fear of Death
Jupiter was about to marry a wife, and determined to celebrate the event by inviting all the animals to a banquet. They all came except the Tortoise, who did not put in an appearance, much to Jupiter's surprise. So when he next saw the Tortoise he asked him why he had not been at the banquet. "I don't care for going out," said the Tortoise; "there's no place like home." Jupiter was so much annoyed by this reply that he decreed that from that time forth the Tortoise should carry his house upon his back, and never be able to get away from home even if he wished to.
....
And surely such Christian folk as, by their foolish affection, which they have set upon their own house here on earth, cannot, for the lothness of leaving that house, find it in their hearts to go with good will to the great feast that God prepareth in heaven and of his goodness so graciously calleth them to.
Jupiter was about to marry a wife, and determined to celebrate the event by inviting all the animals to a banquet. They all came except the Tortoise, who did not put in an appearance, much to Jupiter's surprise. So when he next saw the Tortoise he asked him why he had not been at the banquet. "I don't care for going out," said the Tortoise; "there's no place like home." Jupiter was so much annoyed by this reply that he decreed that from that time forth the Tortoise should carry his house upon his back, and never be able to get away from home even if he wished to.
....
And surely such Christian folk as, by their foolish affection, which they have set upon their own house here on earth, cannot, for the lothness of leaving that house, find it in their hearts to go with good will to the great feast that God prepareth in heaven and of his goodness so graciously calleth them to.
May 31, 2012
UPDATED:
After receiving a smart phone for Christmas, I decided to join the Kindle ranks and downloaded the Android Kindle app. Browsing around for free stuff to start with, I check what was available from Thomas More, a favorite author and saint. For the past two Lents I've read his The Sadness of Christ and have found it greatly edifying. Figuring the Dialogue would be similar, I was excited to start reading it in Lent after re-reading his other work.
The book is written as a dialogue where two or more characters discuss issues or ideas. Here, one person (a nephew) asks pretty basic questions and his uncle expostulates at length on those questions. The nephew says, "You are so right, I don't know why I didn't see the point you are making. Here is my follow up question to continue the dialogue:..." Sometimes I'm not in the mood for that style, because the people really aren't characters or persons in their own right, just one mouthpiece and one sounding board. Plato's dialogues sometimes fall into this, but most have actual characters discussing the issue (thus a true dialogue) rather than one person providing his interlocutor "the truth" (really a monologue). The first third of More's book is written in the more monologue style. The delivery provides a lot of content but it comes off a little dry and academic.
After the first third, the discussion becomes a bit more of a discussion and the uncle begins using stories to illustrate his points. The book becomes much more engaging and enjoyable. The final third of the book deals with the hard issues of imprisonment and death, which clearly were on the author's mind as he awaited his own fate in the Tower of London. He was executed in 1535 by King Henry VIII's government on false evidence of treason. The treasonable act would have been denying that the King was the supreme head of the Church in England.
While many parts of the book are very compelling and great reading, a great portion of it is pretty dry. Sometimes the language is a little convoluted, for example: "Forsooth, uncle, this thing yet seemeth to me a somewhat sore sentence, not because I think otherwise but that there is good cause and great wherefore a man should so sorrow, but because of truth sometimes a man cannot be sorry and heavy for his sin that he hath done, though he never so fain would." This particular edition has "modifications to obsolete language by Monica Stevens," modifying the Everyman Library edition of the book. I can't say she did a good job. More refers to an author named "Austine" that I soon realized meant St. Augustine. I'd recommend someone interested in reading this either stick with Everyman or look for another modernizing of the text.
After receiving a smart phone for Christmas, I decided to join the Kindle ranks and downloaded the Android Kindle app. Browsing around for free stuff to start with, I check what was available from Thomas More, a favorite author and saint. For the past two Lents I've read his The Sadness of Christ and have found it greatly edifying. Figuring the Dialogue would be similar, I was excited to start reading it in Lent after re-reading his other work.
The book is written as a dialogue where two or more characters discuss issues or ideas. Here, one person (a nephew) asks pretty basic questions and his uncle expostulates at length on those questions. The nephew says, "You are so right, I don't know why I didn't see the point you are making. Here is my follow up question to continue the dialogue:..." Sometimes I'm not in the mood for that style, because the people really aren't characters or persons in their own right, just one mouthpiece and one sounding board. Plato's dialogues sometimes fall into this, but most have actual characters discussing the issue (thus a true dialogue) rather than one person providing his interlocutor "the truth" (really a monologue). The first third of More's book is written in the more monologue style. The delivery provides a lot of content but it comes off a little dry and academic.
After the first third, the discussion becomes a bit more of a discussion and the uncle begins using stories to illustrate his points. The book becomes much more engaging and enjoyable. The final third of the book deals with the hard issues of imprisonment and death, which clearly were on the author's mind as he awaited his own fate in the Tower of London. He was executed in 1535 by King Henry VIII's government on false evidence of treason. The treasonable act would have been denying that the King was the supreme head of the Church in England.
While many parts of the book are very compelling and great reading, a great portion of it is pretty dry. Sometimes the language is a little convoluted, for example: "Forsooth, uncle, this thing yet seemeth to me a somewhat sore sentence, not because I think otherwise but that there is good cause and great wherefore a man should so sorrow, but because of truth sometimes a man cannot be sorry and heavy for his sin that he hath done, though he never so fain would." This particular edition has "modifications to obsolete language by Monica Stevens," modifying the Everyman Library edition of the book. I can't say she did a good job. More refers to an author named "Austine" that I soon realized meant St. Augustine. I'd recommend someone interested in reading this either stick with Everyman or look for another modernizing of the text.
Want to read
April 14, 2011"The Dialogue of Comfort justifies its title; it overflows with kindliness and humour and the beautiful self-mockery of old age aware of its own garrulity and its own limitations. The 'merry tales' are here in abundance, the old medieval jokes about women, so stale in themselves yet, after all, so amusingly handled, and so touching when we remember the hard road which they are now helping the author to travel. In a slightly different vein the longer story of a false alarm in war ( ii. 12) is admirably told. But I would not quote much from this book: it is (or was) accessible in a cheap reprint and should be on everyone's shelves".
English Literature in the Sixteenth Century: Excluding Drama (Oxford History of English Literature Series)
by C.S. Lewis
English Literature in the Sixteenth Century: Excluding Drama (Oxford History of English Literature Series)
by C.S. Lewis
February 22, 2021
"God, I cannot help but think that many people buy hell with so much earthly pain, they could have bought heaven with less than half that pain."
Serves as an antithesis to The Screwtape Letters, characterizing the good counsel of an uncle to his nephew on how to life life well. More offers the antidote to a world consumed by darkness, offering hope rather than the false notion that idealism will be actualized in this world. Rather, we must live for the life to come. This is the only way to true comfort.
Serves as an antithesis to The Screwtape Letters, characterizing the good counsel of an uncle to his nephew on how to life life well. More offers the antidote to a world consumed by darkness, offering hope rather than the false notion that idealism will be actualized in this world. Rather, we must live for the life to come. This is the only way to true comfort.
March 20, 2023
Conversational (being a dialogue) and extremely enjoyable and edifying. Had to stop myself from reading too much in one sitting. While focused on suffering, the work also touches upon happiness, Heaven, loneliness, love, and many other issues. This book is all the more remarkable in that St Thomas More wrote it while he himself languished in prison, awaiting his own trial. Despite the sadness of the situation, there is no bitterness about him, and there exists on every page a palpable charity for God and man.
If you seek instruction from a man in the throes of suffering, who maintained his mind and conquered pain, then this is the book. He practiced what he preached.
St Thomas More, pray for us.
If you seek instruction from a man in the throes of suffering, who maintained his mind and conquered pain, then this is the book. He practiced what he preached.
St Thomas More, pray for us.
February 3, 2021
King Henry VIII caused one of the worst schisms in the Church, causing thousands of devout Catholics to suffer persecution and death so that he could divorce his wife. Since his wife would die soon anyway, and Anne couldn’t give him the son he wanted, it was completely pointless.
Saint Thomas More was a man who understood that God's immutable laws are not something that can be changed or cast aside when they become an inconvenience. He stood by his principles, even though it cost him his life. He deserves better than he got.
Saint Thomas More was a man who understood that God's immutable laws are not something that can be changed or cast aside when they become an inconvenience. He stood by his principles, even though it cost him his life. He deserves better than he got.
March 23, 2019
Excellent book
This book is well worth taking the time to read, especially in this Lenten season. Edifying traditional Catholic explanations of suffering and persecution. Highly recommended.
This book is well worth taking the time to read, especially in this Lenten season. Edifying traditional Catholic explanations of suffering and persecution. Highly recommended.
May 26, 2019
Masterpiece. Please read it. And then... Read it again.
March 5, 2020
This was very boring.
April 13, 2022
La primera parte, muy enriquecedora. La tercera se hace terriblemente tediosa.
November 3, 2024
Jednostavno nevjerojatna knjiga koju bi svaki katolik trebao pročitati.
November 19, 2024
wow, reread!!!! It is actually comforting.
December 6, 2025
utopia moggs
January 26, 2023
Do not fear the Turk and his persecutions. Do not fear the one that can kill the body but not the soul. Fear forsaking eternal glory for earthly pleasure
August 19, 2011
One of the best books I have ever read!
Want to read
July 20, 2015This dude is my ancestor. I think I should read something of his.
September 23, 2015
I hate to give the book only a 2, but being from a different era it was just tough to follow. Love ya St. Thomas, just had a hard time with this one. :-)
read-dnf
July 6, 2016Fine, though I didn't finish it.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews