The King's Good Servant but God's First: The Life and Writings of St. Thomas More

St. Thomas More is typically regarded as the witty Renaissance humanist philosopher who penned Utopia, and then died as a martyr in defence of papal authority two decades later. Yet More's death was just the culmination of a lifetime devotion to his beliefs. This study tries to create a fresh image of Thomas More by conducting a thorough examination of More's publications and correspondence, which constitute a genuine treasury of Catholic spirituality and Church theology.

All of More's spiritual writings are thoroughly explored, showing the inner life of a saint maintained by an unwavering love for the Eucharist and shaped by an ever-deepening thought on Christ's Passion, culminating in one of the most profound meditations on the Agony in the Garden ever penned. More's letter during his incarceration is given special emphasis, since it is an expressive tribute to the depth of More's love for his family and friends.

In addition to Thomas More's writings, early biographies of the saint, as well as contemporary discoveries of Tudor and Reformation period researchers, are used to recreate the events of More's life and death. More's familial devotion, the foundations of his spirituality and intellectual training, his engagement in the Renaissance movement of Christian humanist research, and the situation of the pre-Reformation Church are all discussed.

The King's Good Servant but God's First is a thoroughly researched study with over 1,400 footnotes that makes extensive use of new research on Saint Thomas More's life, works, and times. This book was developed to provide Morean and Reformation academics a fresh synthesis based on these sources.

Paperback. 497 pages.