1. Sir Thomas More and Religious Liberty Gary B. Doxey International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU June 13, 2012

2. Sir Thomas More, 1478-1535

3. The Medieval World

4. The Renaissance—a Rebirth of Learning Inspired by Greece and Rome

6. The Medieval Skyline

7. Medieval Reformers Waldo of Lyon (1140-1218) John Wycliffe (1328-1384) Jan Hus (1369-1415)

8. Desiderius Erasmus, 1466-1536

9. The Praise of Folly, 1511

10. Martin Luther, 1483-1546 “Erasmus laid an egg, and Luther hatched it.” --Popular saying of the day

11. The Division of Christendom

12. 1530-1648—A Century of War

13. Desiderius Erasmus, 1466-1536

14. Rise of Nation State Emergence of strong rulers in 15 th and 16 th centuries “National churches” Economic prosperity and new royal revenues Standing armies not dependent on feudal nobility Bureaucratic government institutions

15. Henry VIII, 1509-1547

16. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, 1473-1530

17. More’s Life and Career Born in London, 1478 Studied classics at Oxford, 1492-1494 (age 15) Clerk at New Inn and later Lincoln’s Inn Called to bar, 1502 (age 24) Elected to Parliament, 1504 Joined Privy Council, 1514

19. Utopia, 1516

20. Thomas More, the Religious Man

21. William Tyndale, 1492-1536

22. “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes.”

23. John Foxe, 1517-1587

24. Foxe’s Acts and Monuments aka Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, 1563

25. The Context--Summary Renaissance—the new learning of humanism Reformation—conflict and schism, a danger to the powers who ruled the status quo Rise of modern nation state—stronger, more centralized government

26. Context Continued More was at the center of all these developments as a high governmental officer and confidant of the king; one of his special assignments was to bend his considerable intellectual and legal authority to put down Protestant subversives and insurgents who threatened the king’s stability

27. An Additional Element Dynastic Problems

28. Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485

29. Anne Boleyn

30. Clement VII, 1523-1534

31. Thomas Cromwell, 1485-1540

32. Thomas Cranmer, 1489-1556

33. Key Events in his Later Life 1527—Henry first expresses doubts about his marriage 1529—Wolsey falls from grace and Henry appoints More as Lord Chancellor 1531– Convocation of Canterbury grants Henry title of Supreme Head of the English Church “as far as the law of Christ allows.” 1532—More resigns as Lord Chancellor

34. Key Events in his Later Life 1533—More refuses to attend coronation of Anne Bolyn 1534—More refuses to affirm the oath of succession. He is placed in custody. 1535—More is tried and executed for treason

35. Tower Hill, July 6, 1535

36. William Roper

37. “He spoke little before his execution. Only he asked the bystanders to pray for him in this world, and he would pray for them elsewhere. He then begged them earnestly to pray for the King, that it might please God to give him good counsel, protesting that he died the King’s good servant but God’s first.” -- Paris Newsletter, July 1535

38. “Had we been master of such a servant, we would rather have lost the best city of our dominions than such a worthy counselor.” --Charles V, HRE “…more pure than any snow…such as England never had and never again will have.” --Erasmus

39. A Man for All Purposes?

40. The Religious Freedom Legacy? Perception is reality? A martyr for conscience Whose conscience? A deeper debate than meets the eye Practical reality: an example of the painful nature of Europe’s conflict with pluralism and the practical accommodations that eventually led to begrudging toleration.