The life and work of Sir Thomas More
Choose a starting date
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
- Start Date: 09 Sep 2025End Date: 09 Sep 2025Tue (Daytime): 10:30 - 15:30In PersonFull fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
This short course will Act as a basic introduction to the life and work of Thomas More, from his early life as a lawyer & M.P., to his rise to fame as both an outstanding scholar and Lord Chancellor of England. We will explore the significance of his key work, Utopia, and his lifelong friendship with Erasmus; his views on women’s education; his targeted attacks on heresy, heretics and heretical ideas, notably Luther and Lutheranism; his relationships at Henry VIII’s court with the king, his wives, and key figures such as Thomas Cromwell; and his eventual downfall and execution.
What will we cover?
• More’s early life & career
• Religion and faith
• More, humanism & Europe
• Thomas More & women: marriage and education
• Henry VIII, More’s politics & Chancellorship
• Thomas More, the European reformation & heresy
• More, propaganda & the protestant reformation
• Thomas More, Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn
• Downfall & execution
• Legacy & canonization.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Evaluate Thomas More’s contribution to humanism in England & European scholarship, with reference to Utopia
• Assess shifting concepts of heresy during the European Reformation & evaluate the role played by Thomas More in managing heresy in England
• Explain the reasons for More’s execution
• Critically assess More’s legacy and the impact of his scholarship on later periods & thinking.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an introductory course and no prior knowledge of the topic is necessary – an open mind and a willingness to constructively engage in discussions is all that is required.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught interactive session. Handouts and book reading list will also be available if you wish to extend your learning.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No other costs. Please bring a pen and notepad to class if you wish to make notes.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Other courses in British, Irish and world history. Please see the City Lit website.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.