Londoner, Lawyer, Humanist, Husband, Statesman, Saint
The Life of Thomas More, with Joanne Paul
His friend Erasmus called him “a man for all seasons.” But which season—and which man?
In this conversation, Joanne Paul joins us to discuss Thomas More: A Life, her compelling biography of one of the most revered—and reviled—figures of Tudor England. We examine More’s upbringing in a humanist household, his mercurial career under Henry VIII, and his long afterlife as both saint and political symbol.
Along the way, we confront the contradictions in More’s legacy: champion of conscience or persecutor of heretics? Devout Catholic or political operator? Martyr or manipulator? Often these turn out to be misunderstandings of his context and the complexity of his
This is not the Thomas More of hagiography—or of convenient modern mythmaking. It’s a more complex, more fascinating, and (perhaps) more troubling figure, who Paul brings vividly to life through careful scholarship, hard thinking, and thoughtful prose.
For Further Investigation
The last time we talked about the Tudors on Historically Thinking
And the book we talked about with its author, Lucy E.C. Wooding, which is recommended by Joanne Paul
Another book by Joanne Paul on Thomas More, but focusing on his thought