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Utopia
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About the author
Thomas More
456 books1,114 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.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 4, 2025
To be honest, the book is not quite as expected (spoilers). Both interestingly and disappointingly, St. More did not labor to explain a society he thought to be ideal; instead he explained a fictional society which possesses many diverse and unique elements, making it seem hard to sort through the authors intent.
All in all, it was a neat read that explored the following in-depth:
-The possible benefits of commonly owned property.
-A society based around true leisure and virtue
-How to conduct warfare/geopolitics with the least inflicted harm
-That the One Divine Essence, God, can be found be reason in all places (along with the discourse on religious pluralism found in Utopian liturgy).
-Much more
All in all, it was a neat read that explored the following in-depth:
-The possible benefits of commonly owned property.
-A society based around true leisure and virtue
-How to conduct warfare/geopolitics with the least inflicted harm
-That the One Divine Essence, God, can be found be reason in all places (along with the discourse on religious pluralism found in Utopian liturgy).
-Much more
December 10, 2025
What a nice utopia… for men.
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January 13, 2026why are the brits so good in imagining societies ?!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews