Utopia Religion Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Book.Page) based on the 1989 Cambridge University Press edition

Quote #1

[A] certain friar [...] found such pleasure in this jest at the expense of priests and monks that he too began to make merry [...] (1.26)

Hey, should a friar really be making fun of monks and priests? Aren't they all on the same side? Why does More cast this character in this particular position?

Quote #2

But preachers, like the crafty fellows they are, have found that men would rather not change their lives to fit Christ's rule, and so [...] they have adjusted [Christ's] teaching to the way men live (1.37)

Hmmm, this sounds familiar. Is Hythloday depicting religion as facing some of the same challenges as politics?

Quote #3

[In Europe] there is a great lazy gang of priests and so-called religious men. (2.52)

Ouch. Laziness isn't just a wealth issue, it's also a religious issue. Hythloday is suggesting that religion is responsible for some of the economic problems Europe is facing.