Prison letters and prayers penned by Saint Thomas More (1478–1535) during his prolonged incarceration in the Tower of London can teach all of us much about how to live and die well — that’s the proposition of a new book written by a Catholic academic at Hillsdale College.
“Following More’s footsteps is a life-changing journey for anyone struggling to live a life of virtue, for anyone who is suffering, for anyone who is facing a crisis of conscience and integrity, and for anyone who wants to be a true friend,” explains Dr. Stephen Smith, pictured below, author of The Last Riddle: Advice on Living and Dying Well from the Imprisoned Saint Thomas More.
Today marks the Feast of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, who were both executed by King Henry VIII of England for defending the truth of marriage and the legitimate rights of the Church in the face of an overreaching and hostile state. In total, Saint Thomas spent 15 months imprisoned in the Tower of London prior to his execution on July 6, 1535.
“Readers can follow in the footsteps of More from the day of his first interrogation and arrest, through his long imprisonment, to his trial and death,” explains Dr. Smith, who is the Dean of Humanities at Hillsdale and co-director of the Center for Thomas More Studies at the University of Dallas.
“The book emphasizes More’s courage, joyful conscience, and peace of soul under tremendous pressure and amid real suffering.”
Dr. Smith’s book also explores More’s relationship with his beloved daughter Meg Roper (1505–1544), who was regarded as one of the most learned women in 16th-century England. It was Meg who recovered her father’s head after his death.
Another theme of the book is Saint Thomas’ lifelong spirit of friendship. As the great 16th-century Dutch intellectual Erasmus opined, Thomas More was “born for friendship,” while More himself wrote in a Latin poem that “there is nothing more helpful than a loyal friend.”
Thomas More’s most profound friendship was, of course, with God, with Dr. Smith’s book detailing the saint’s beautiful prayers penned during his imprisonment.
As for the title, Saint Thomas More told family and friends that he was living out “a riddle, how a man may lose his head and have no harm, but instead of harm, inestimable blessing from the hand of God.”
