Writing Faith and Telling Tales: Literature, Politics, and Religion in the Work of Thomas More

Betteridge focuses on four areas of More's writings: politics, philosophy, theology, and devotion. He examines More's as a work of both history and political theory. He discusses Utopia and the ways in which its treatment of reason reflects More's Christian humanism. By exploring three of More's lesser known works, , , and , Betteridge demonstrates that More positioned his understanding of heresy within and against a long tradition of English anti-heretical writing, as represented in the works of Hoccleve, Lydgate, and Love. Finally, Betteridge focuses on two key concepts for understanding More's late devotional works: prayer and the book of Christ. In both cases, Betteridge claims, More seeks to develop a distinctive position that combines late medieval devotionalism with an Augustinian emphasis on the ethics of writing and reading. poses important questions concerning periodization and confessionalization and will influence future work on the English Reformation and humanist writing in England.