True Greatness Thomas More As Statesman

Newsletter of the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts Summer 2020 True Greatness Thomas More as Statesman By Walter J. Thompson, both Latin and Greek. Though critical latter burden is not imposed on us, we Academic Dean of the academic theology of his time, should devote our freedom to the search he was a student of theology rightly for and contemplation of truth. But if it Thomas More was a great man— understood, a discipline rooted in the is imposed on us, it is to be undertaken arguably the greatest of his age, and study of Sacred Scripture, and modeled because of the impetus of love; and even among the greatest of any age. upon the example and teaching of the then the delight in the pursuit of truth More was great in his natural gifts— Fathers and Doctors of the Church. should not be entirely forsaken. For if in his keenness of mind, liveliness of And he did not consider his studies these pleasures were to be taken away imagination, capacity of memory; in his merely preparatory, something to be from us, our burden might prove too gentleness, geniality, joviality, sobriety, gotten through for the sake of getting great for us.” (De civitate Dei, XIX.19) and equanimity. He was gifted, both on to bigger and better things. He But besides and even before learning, intellectually and temperamentally, and continued to pursue learning throughout More cultivated the virtues—not only he knew whom to thank for his gifts. his life. Even when pressed by the the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, But More was greater still in his many demands of domestic and civil temperance, and fortitude, but also the cultivation of those gifts—in his life, he would steal time—largely from social virtues of truthfulness, friendliness, single-minded pursuit of learning eating and sleeping—for study and and wit, and the distinctively Christian and virtue. Of himself, without much writing. More, who had lectured on virtues of piety, meekness, patience, encouragement from his family, he St. Augustine’s City of God as a young forbearance, kindness, and mercy. eagerly sought wisdom, human and man, had learned from that great saint More was great in the virtues he divine, applying himself to the study that, “it is the love of truth which cultivated, of both mind and character. of humane letters and theology. He was seeks a holy leisure, while it is under a student of the great poets, orators, the impetus of love that we should Continued on page 12 historians, and philosophers of antiquity, undertake righteous business. If this In the Household of a Saint 3 Curriculum Highlights 4 Wisdom & Eloquence 6 Defending the Family 7 Public Service Skills 8 The Coming Resurrection 9 The Thomas More Banquet, February 7, 2020 The Society Page 15 2 www.ThomasMoreCollege.edu ommunitas A community newsletter Communitas is published by The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts thanks to the generous contributions of loyal supporters. To support this publication go to: www.ThomasMoreCollege.edu/Support To subscribe: www.ThomasMoreCollege.edu/Communitas Editor Publisher Layout Editor Amy Fahey William Fahey Dominic Cassella Summer 2020 3 In the Household of a Saint By William Fahey, President guard and crowd twice, threw her arms around her father’s neck and kissed him, “More didn’t have to Thomas More’s last written work was and received a final blessing from him: a letter smuggled out of the Tower of “I never liked your manner toward me sacrifice a dynamic London, written with a piece of charcoal better than when you kissed me last, for public life for a rich perhaps just a few hours before his I love when daughterly love and dear execution. It is a letter addressed to his charity has no leisure to look toward spiritual life, or a rich oldest daughter, Meg. The opening of the worldly courtesy.” spiritual life for an letter concerns More bidding adieu to What a powerful witness to Christian people in his household whom he hadn’t love and to paternal love St. Thomas engaged family life. had an opportunity to say goodbye to, More provides us with here. What is and giving them little mementos. it that gives More the composure, on But in order to pull off More closes the letter with a personal the eve of his execution, to write a this difficult balance he address to his daughter, first commenting letter to his oldest daughter, to ask her on the appropriateness of where his courteously to say goodbye to his old grounded his entire day impending execution falls in the friends, to tell her he never loved her in prayer, as well as in liturgical year: more than the moment when she put “I cumber you, good Margaret, much, aside the world and embraced him—and those things that made but I would be sorry if it should be any then to go happily to his death? him, as Erasmus said, longer than tomorrow, because it is St. What makes such a man? Thomas’ Even and the Octave of St. I would like briefly to suggest three the wisest man in all of Peter. I long to go to God. It were a day things that make Thomas More such a very meet and convenient for me to do compelling model for sanctity and for Europe.” so.” fatherhood. First, he took very seriously The last sentence More writes is a discernment. Second, he practiced he could engage in family life without comment to Meg on her behavior the a model of household economy that sacrificing his public duties. last time she saw him. In that final extended to his entire family. And third, More didn’t just wonder what he encounter, she broke through the armed he structured each and every day so that would do in life, spending year after year thinking, “Maybe I’ll get married; or maybe I’ll join a religious order.” There was no lack of clarity in his mind what kind of father he was going to be. John More had spent an enormous amount of time with his son Thomas. The young More was a companion to and observer of his father’s life. He has memories of going to St. Paul’s, the spiritual center of London, where he would observe the varied walks of life in that great cathedral. When it came time for him to decide his path, he had a sense of what was out there. More realized as a young man that he was drawn powerfully to two things: God, and women. He wanted to discern: should he be married, or should he be a priest? Continued on Page 14 4 www.ThomasMoreCollege.edu Curriculum Highlights Burke’sof antiquarians.” Rather,Reflections he notes that If Burke’s description of the English on the French Revolution by considering liberties as an entailed constitution serves to condemn the inheritance, the English have been Revolutionaries’ ideology, it also works guided “by the spirit of philosophic to expose something more about Burke’s analogy.” With this statement, Burke thinking. Burke very powerfully makes has offered something ingenious yet the case for ‘real’ rights that are such due curious. He has suggested that the to the “institution of beneficence” that manner in which nature has men live we call political life. Yet he also states life—that is, in a multigenerational that natural rights “may and do exist” society that defers to the wisdom of independent of civil society! Moreover, the oldest members—is imitated in he argues that these same abstract rights the exercise of the English constitution. are “metaphysically true” but not active Hence, liberties and privileges are not upon entering civil society. In fact, a By Dr. Sara Kitzinger, Visiting Fellow the result of a declarative document, man gives up his original right “that he but the ongoing result of the wisdom of may secure some liberty” in the polity. Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution past ages. Their political constitution, This view, of course, is reminiscent of in France has long been celebrated for without referencing natural rights, the thought of Thomas Hobbes and the its rhetorical and literary skill. Written “works after the pattern of nature” and so claim that men’s natural rights are at as a letter and subsequently published is “the happy effect of following nature.” odds with political order. as a political pamphlet, the Reflections This description of the English Secondly, if we recall, Burke argues chiefly refutes two great matters: abstract constitution works to expose the French that the English constitution is the theories of rights and their enforcement Revolutionaries’ ‘rights of man’ as result of the wisdom of past ages. Still, under the name ‘rights of man’, both uncivil, unjust, and contrary to human the constitution was said to “work after of which, he predicts, will make for the flourishing. In Burke’s mind, abstract the pattern of nature.” What, in fact, is destruction of European civility and rights are suspect because they do nature here? Burke explains that nature privilege. This refutation takes the form not have their beginning in the social is “wisdom without reflection and above of an explanation of the English political experience of common life. Such rights it.” This reads like something analogous constitution and concomitant liberties. claims do not derive from the existence to the hand of God, but reduced, as How do the English know the of men in civil society, and thereby it is “without reflection”—that is, constitution of their polity and what misunderstand the notion of ‘right’.

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