A Man For All Seasons

The second defines glory not as something won, but something given. The Son affirms this definition when he explains to the loyal angels why he alone must end the war: "against me is all their rage, / Because the Father, to whom in Heaven supreme / Kingdom and power and glory appertains, / Hath honored me, according to his will" (vi, 813-816). James Holly Hanford perhaps best describes the conflicted feelings Milton had for war: War, then constituted for Milt... ... middle of paper ... ...on's example and by Milton's manipulation of the elements of the epic tradition. For Milton, putting down the epic tradition in favor of Christian doctrine exemplifies his thoughts on war. As a realistic pacifist, Milton saw war as the result of sin, but knew that because of the presence of sin in a post-lapsarian world, war on earth would only be ended by the Son, just as he ended it in Heaven.

Satan wants to divert our attention away from God and onto ourselves. He has always been envious of the praise, adoration and honor and love that God receives from his church. Satan would rather that we sulk and pout instead of “forget about ourselves and concentrate on Him and worship Him”. I have found that this is one of the many the keys to gaining spiritual victory. By “silencing the enemy” in our lives, we can remove strongholds that Satan has set up in our minds simply by singing the praises of God and walking in the spirit.

In the beginning of A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More is introduced as a profoundly religious man focused on adhering to the laws of his country and faith. As the play progresses the audience sees More putting further faith into his belief that by abiding to the present laws and withholding his opinion about King Henry VIII’s divorce he will be protected from prosecution. The issue starts when the King wishes to divorce his brother’s wife, who initially he had taken as his own through a special papal dispensation, in order to wed Queen Anne and produce a male heir. More, being a devoutly religious man, realizes this goes against the laws of the Church. He refuses to give his willing approval based on the fact it is not morally or lawfully just.

Earnest Cassara says, "when man dies he enters eternal bliss immediately through the power of God’s love." Jurgen Moltmann, one of the most significant theologian in modern church, also has a very interesting argument. His concept is that, if God created this universe and say it is good, will he then have a second thoughts and judge to eternal damnation. If God is love and teach about love, why would he contradict himself? If Jesus is a judge, isn't he the one who brought and teach about love and to love our enemies, why will he condemn anybody and change his mind and judges in a different law of righteousness in the final day.

The horrible experience he has had of losing his lord has shaken his traditional Anglo-Saxon beliefs, and he looks toward Christianity for a different answer. During the time period in which The Wanderer was written, the Anglo-Saxons were torn between the familiar pagan beliefs they have always followed; and the new hope that the Christian philosophy had brough... ... middle of paper ... ... should care too fast be out of a man’s breast before he first know the cure: a warrior fights on bravely. Well is it for him who seeks forgiveness, the Heavenly Father’s solace, in whom all our fastness stands” (104-108). This line shows how the narrator still remembers God’s eternal love for those who suffer, as well as knowing that there is a life in heaven after his earthly life. The Wanderer reflects the traditional Anglo-Saxon beliefs, as well as captures the speaker’s efforts to find the answers to his deepest questions.

God’s love does not delight in wicked ways but celebrates with the truth and it always safeguards, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God 's love never fails. With knowing all this about him, it can only show love is an attribute of God. Love is the central feature of God’s character. God’s love is in no way in a struggle with His holiness, righteousness, justice, or even His wrath.

Some might say he’s a hypocrite. Others may adopt a Christian perspective to his moral struggle. Robert Bolt, however, would describe him as a man who exemplified an “adamantine sense of his own self” (Bolt xii). A Man for All Seasons, although non-theological in its scope, nevertheless presents a dramatic hero of no small interest to the contemporary Christian, but whose significance does not end there. Sir Thomas More, a well-known martyr and inspiration to those “moral” among us, is a man of inexorable integrity, whose steadfast adherence to his religious and ethical beliefs led to his tragic demise, and to the expanding popularity of his character.

When the king asked More to sign an oath establishing the monarchy as head of the Church of England, More refused. He could not alter the law, he said. As the play progresses and More loses his wealth and even his freedom, he becomes almost self-righteous in his strict adherence to the law. Exasperating, but he must remain sympathetic as his family goes down with him into grief and poverty. The man who plays him must show both his affectionate disposition and his unshakable piety or the script would be just an exercise in mouthing lines.

In the age of kings, More could have followed King Henry VIII and believed he was serving God. “In serving Henry VIII, he would be serving God. Or so he could allow himself to think, until Henry demanded he swear an oath acknowledging the king to be the supreme authority on all matters temporal and spiritual, thus severing the English church's ties with Rome” (Rubin). In Peter Ackroyd’s book The Life of Sir Thomas More, he viewed Sir Thomas More as a martyr; Ackroyd also sees no inconsistency between More’s worldly success and his devout religious beliefs. There are, however, inconsistencies which will be shown later.

He is so holy and so awesome that being in His everlasting presence brings an inspiring fear.” (CARM) As this CARM states, God is so amazing and so powerful. He is not there to intimidate Christians but instead inspire them to follow him and live after the life that he had laid out for all Christians. “Dis•ci•pline: control that is gained by req... ... middle of paper ... ...ighty ways of forgiveness, it is just that person’ job to decide which road to take. God forgives all of his children no matter what they have done in the past, are doing now, or will do in the future. God also asks all of his followers to forgive other because he has forgiven them.