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What conclusions does More want his 16th century readers to draw about the Christian beliefs and practices in Europe
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What conclusions does More want his sixteenth-century readers to draw about the Christian beliefs and practices in Europe? In past examinations of More's Utopia, questions have often been raised as to the aim of the presentation of religion on the island. The inhabitants of Utopia are essentially heathen, in contrast to the Christianity of Europe. However, this raises two points - firstly, that the Utopians may have been heathen, but they were virtuous heathen as opposed to the "wicked professed Christian" of sixteenth century Europe. Thus is More presenting the view that virtuous living should be chosen over the possibly corrupt nature of Christianity? Also, this suggests to that virtuous living can be achieved independently of Christianity or indeed any other religion. The second point which is raised is the question of how much of the historical context in which Utopia was written has crept into the work. Though Utopia was...
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