In 1929, G.K. Chesterton noted that Blessed Thomas More is increasingly significant, a sentiment echoed by Judge Robert J Conrad, Jr. in a collection of stories about More and John Fisher. Their sanctity and integrity helped them and their loved ones navigate tumultuous times that resonate with today’s challenges. While the sixteenth century may seem distant from our tech-driven era, both periods share themes of political maneuvering, legal corruption, pandemics, riots, suppression of speech, loss of religious liberty, and a troubling indifference to truth. Judge Conrad skillfully intertwines the lives of More and Fisher, highlighting the influences of family, faith, friendship, oaths, vocation, detachment, and conscience. He invites readers striving for holiness to follow the narrow path these martyrs walked, grounded in the truth of Christ’s Church, and infused with a wit that even charmed their persecutors. Both men resisted the theological farce that allowed the king’s divorce and remarriage, ultimately sacrificing their lives for their convictions. More died as the king’s good servant and God’s first, while Fisher faced execution with wedding-like joy. Their legacies endure as beacons of courage in our time, making their stories profoundly relevant today.
Robert J. Conrad Jr. Boeken
