The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1574 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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More, Henry
:
More, Thomas, St
(1478–1535).
Chancellor of England and
martyr
. Born in London, he went to Oxford University but was called home and sent to Lincoln's Inn in 1496, being called to the bar in 1501. He was a man of notable learning, and a friend of scholars such as
Fisher
and
Erasmus
. He wrote what is perhaps his best-known book,
Utopia
, in 1516. He strongly opposed the rise of
Protestantism
in England, and Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. He was Lord Chancellor from 1529, but resigned in 1532 over the king's opposition to the
papacy
. Like Fisher he refused to take the oath attached to the Act of Succession, though ready to accept the succession itself, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he wrote his best spiritual work,
Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation
. He was put on trial in 1535 for opposing the Act of Supremacy, and was executed on 6 July. He was canonized in May 1935. Feast day, 22 June.
Moreh Nevukhim
(philosophical work):
Moriscos
.
Muslims who remained in Spain after the fall of Granada in 1492. Although many outwardly conformed to Christianity, under pressure of persecution, the majority maintained Muslim practice and belief in private. Most were expelled from Spain in 1619.
Mormons
or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
.
Religious movement derived from Joseph Smith (1805–44) and the
Book of Mormon
. In 1822, the angel Moroni revealed to Smith where gold tablets were to be found, on which were written God's words. The texts tell of a post-resurrection appearance of Christ in America to establish religious order and truth. The authenticity of the text has been called in question because of its grammatical errors, its reminiscences of the
Authorized Version
, its resemblance to an unpublished novel, etc., but for Mormons, its authenticity is not in doubt. Under persecution and opposition, the Mormons made several moves, until Joseph Smith was arrested in Carthage, Illinois, and was killed by a mob. Schisms resulted, partly over leadership, partly over doubts about polygamy. Plural marriage after the order of Abraham had been introduced by a special revelation in 1843. Most Mormons followed Brigham Young (1801–77), who led the movement to the Salt Lake area of Utah, where Zion in the Wilderness was constructed. Central to Mormon belief is the Restoration: the Churches have apostasized, but true Christianity has been restored by Joseph Smith.
Morning Prayer
.
The morning
office
of the Anglican Church. It was composed, for the Prayer Book of 1549, on the basis of medieval
mattins
with supplements from
prime
.

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