Welcome to the opening matchup of Lent Madness 2020! If you're a veteran of the Saintly Smackdown, we're delighted you're back for another
year of saintly thrills and spills. If you're joining us for the first time, we're especially glad you're along for this wild penitential ride. If you're curious about what this all entails, check out the About Lent Madness tab on the website.
To experience the fullness of the Lent Madness experience, the Supreme Executive Committee (the somewhat benevolent dictatorship that runs this whole enterprise) encourages you to do several things. First, like Lent Madness on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter. Second, subscribe to the Lent Madness e-mails so you never miss a vote -- you'll get each matchup hand-delivered to your inbox on the weekdays of Lent. You can do this by going to the home page of our website and entering your e-mail address (near the top right). Third, you can support the ministry of Lent Madness by heading over to the Lentorium and purchasing Lent Madness swag, thereby impressing everyone on your block. Or at least in your pew.
But mostly, we encourage you to read about the 32 saints participating in this year’s edition of Lent Madness, faithfully cast your (single!) vote on the weekdays of Lent, and add your comments to the great cloud of participating witnesses that gathers as the online Lent Madness community each year. If you're wondering when your favorite saint will be competing - in order to rally your friends and neighbors (creative campaigning is encouraged, voter fraud is not) - you can check out the 2020 Matchup Calendar.
Things kick off with an early 16th century Anglican facing off against a Biblical character as Thomas More clashes with James the Less. We hope you enjoy reading about these two saintly souls, more or less, before casting your very first vote of Lent Madness 2020! We're glad you're all here. Now get to it!
Thomas More
Of all the characters of the English Reformation, few are as remarkable as Sir Thomas More. He was considered a scold yet also a man of quick wit, at once both politically astute and obstinate, and a man who was behind his time even as he lived ahead of it.
Born in 1478, Thomas became a barrister in 1502 and was elected to Parliament in 1504. For a time, Thomas debated becoming a Franciscan or a priest — and ultimately chose neither, pursuing marriage and a legal career instead. While known for his strict piety, including the wearing of a hair shirt, and the daily recitation of the Offices, Thomas delighted in life in London and was eager to engage in argument and debate.
Thomas’s intellect, honesty, and loyalty to his family and king brought him into the service of Henry VIII. During this time, Thomas wrote Utopia, a political essay envisioning an ideal community in which there is no private property, universal religious toleration, and free education for men and women alike.
Thomas was a devoted husband and father, committed to the education of his wife and four daughters to a level far exceeding the standard education of women during that time; his dedication to this task was often noted by his contemporaries.
In 1529, Thomas became Lord Chancellor of England. Thomas was strident in his opposition to the Protestant Reformation, and his support in joining Henry VIII’s attack on Martin Luther earned him the title “defender of the faith” by the Pope. As Henry moved to assert his power as king over the Church in England, Thomas, dedicated to the Roman Church, found himself in opposition to the king he loved. He resigned as chancellor in 1532. When Thomas later refused to take an oath swearing that Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was true and valid (after the divorce from Catharine of Aragon), he was thrown into the Tower of London. At trial, Thomas defended himself as being true to the church over any king. He was condemned to die and executed in 1535. His final words were that he died for the faith of the Church and was “the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”
Collect for Thomas More
Almighty God, by whose grace and power your holy martyr Thomas More triumphed over suffering and was faithful even to death: Grant us, who now remember him in thanksgiving, to be so faithful in our witness to you in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
James the Less
Who was James the Less? Well, it depends on whom you ask. This is because the gospels are replete with Jameses. There’s James the son of Zebedee, James the son of Alpheus, as well as James the brother of Jesus. The confusion is further compounded because the gospel writers don’t always distinguish which James they’re referring to in a passage and the Gospel of Mark only refers to “James the Less” in one passage (Mark 15:40).
Some Roman Catholics believe James the Less refers to James the brother of Jesus, while Anglicans consider James the Less as James the son of Alpheus. Even if we blithely assume the Anglicans are right in saying that James the Less is, indeed, James the son of Alpheus, this biography almost comes to a full stop. The truth is, we know very little about this apostle. Yet perhaps what we know is important enough. James the son of Alpheus was most certainly an apostle as three of the gospels include him in their lists (Mark 3:18; Matthew 10:3; Luke 6:12-16) — and he is also present in a room that is full of apostles in Acts 1:13. Beyond this, however, there’s not much more to go on.
Of course, this has never stopped the wider church from filling in the gaps — as you’ll see, neither will it stop me. Some legends hold that James the son of Alpheaus lived to ninety-six years old and died by crucifixion at the hands of the Jewish authorities in Ostrakine in lower Egypt. His body was then sawed in half. This is dubious for many reasons, including the fact that crucifixion was a favorite execution method of Roman, rather than Jewish, authorities.
But since I’m already giving space to dubious claims, I want to offer a new one, entirely of my own creation, and equally bereft of any evidence. In Mexican Spanish, we add a diminutive to people we feel an incredible amount of affection for, to those we love and adore. Mexican Spanish contrasts with America’s obsession with “bigger is better” by linguistically shrinking everyone we love to make them cuter and sweeter and more adorable still. I’d love to believe that “the less” is, in fact, a diminutive rooted in affection. If so, then Mark 15:40 is talking about James the little guy, James the adorable apostle, James the cherished one. Which James, exactly, this passage refers to remains a mystery, but to my mind that’s still a James worth voting for.
Collect for James the Less
Almighty God, who gave to your apostle James grace and strength to bear witness to the truth: Grant that we, being mindful of his victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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311 comments on “Thomas More vs. James the Less”
More loved to torture Protestant heretics or those suspected of such. Anglicans beware of the rack and iron maiden!
In honor of my friend Xanti - and for a few other reasons - voted for James.
less is the best
I agree with Elizabeth R. What did he do and which James was HE?
If More had gotten his way, we'd all be Roman Catholics today. I'm glad I am Episcopalian. James was an apostle, chosen and called by Jesus to be a witness to Him. So I voted for Jimmy, the sweet, cute, and fondness-inspiring apostle.
And just how is Thomas More an Anglican? He's Roman Catholic. He's probably rending his chancellor's robes right now!
I like the thought of the “Less” in James the Less being a term of endearment, and I will hold onto that, but my vote was easily swayed to Thomas More, not only for his willingness to die for his faith, but that he felt so strongly about educating his wife and children.
More was no saint in his vehement reaction to Protestantism...I love someone who works quietly, not seeking attention, and advocating acts of charity. The Mexican Spanish definition is spot on for James the Less.
Maybe James the Less is a Jr.
when i saw the teo contends names I thought i would vote for Thomas More. The write up for James the Lesser won me over.
Going for the underdog
While I respect Sir Thomas’s devotion to the faith as he saw it; I can only be reminded that, we’re he successful in his purpose, I would be unhappy in my church as opposed to being a happy Episcopalian.
So, it’s James the Less for me!
Voting for Thomas More was an easy choice for me ... he championed the education of girls.
Poor James, with only a dubious fable or two to his name, and props to his biographer for rolling up his sleeves and feeding the legend! I was reminded of a friend I used to call “Jaimezinho,” the Portuguese equivalent; but in the end the bio failed to put Jimbo over the top for me.
It’s good that Anglicans remember Thomas, and I think his liturgical color should be purple in penitence for the many wrongs committed by the sweet little Church of England of our imagination and its progeny. My affection for the saint derives partly from having once played him in a local production of “A Man for All Seasons.” But there’s a cautionary tale in that: I was very into the part and became, for a time, somewhat judgmental at a time when a close friend was in need of understanding.
I voted after reading the bios and was surprised to find out that More was a zealot when it came to heretics. Neither the bio nor the play mentions that dark side, but I’m not going to revisit my vote: “What I have written I have written.”
I voted for
Poor James, with only a dubious fable or two to his name, and props to his biographer for rolling up his sleeves and feeding the legend! I was reminded of a friend I used to call “Jaimezinho,” the Portuguese equivalent; but in the end the bio failed to put Jimbo over the top for me.
It’s good that Anglicans remember Thomas, and I think his liturgical color should be purple in penitence for the many wrongs committed by the sweet little Church of England of our imagination and its progeny. My affection for the saint derives partly from having once played him in a local production of “A Man for All Seasons.” But there’s a cautionary tale in that: I was very into the part and became, for a time, somewhat judgmental at a time when a close friend was in need of understanding.
I voted after reading the bios and was surprised to find out that More was a zealot when it came to heretics. Neither the bio nor the play mentions that dark side, but I’m not going to revisit my vote: “What I have written I have written.”
Sorry for the duplication.
Don’t you wish we had a “delete” button! I long for that, as well as an automatic insertion of name and email. *sigh*
Have you mentioned your inclination toward thespianism previously? I like knowing that about you!
At St. Philip’s in the Hills, Tucson, there are stained glass windows depicting each of the apostles. James the Lesser is titled “James the Miner” and is shown with a pickaxe! A little problem in translation, since the windows, if I remember right, were done by Mexican artists!
I love that!
A very long time ago as a young teenager I read that Thomas Moore imprisoned and killed entire families, including children for reading the Bible in English. It stuck with me for this many years. As a child therapist and advocate for the voice of the child, I can't possibly vote for Moore for anything. As a member of St. James in Downingtown, named for James the lesser, I may be a bit biased on the side of this apostle. So sad to see him losing.
Thomas More was undoubtedly a great man, if terribly flawed, but my cop-out vote is for Diego because he is so far behind. Well, that and an apostle, too.
On behalf of 54 fourth graders at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School in Alexandria, VA, I cast their vote for More (32 v. Less's 22). Each of four classes voted separately, and then I totaled the votes and recorded it here. In the process, they learned a lot of new words: reformation, piety, chancellor, astute, obstinate, Parliament . . . whew. He won a lot of hearts through his support of education for women. James the Less was admired for his humility. Not a flashy disciple, he simply did he work he was called to do (if he was indeed the James who was a disciple); we got to talk about Spanish, which most of them have taken; and hearing about Jesus' brothers was a revelation to many (Mark 6:3). Thanks for the great teaching tool!
Fabulous, 4th graders! Happy to see the students participating in Lent Madness this year.
Although not much is known about James the Less, I liked the thought of "less" being a term of endearment. Also, as a beneficiary of Luther's protestant movement, I can't quite bring myself to vote for a man who railed against Luther.
A new job makes it impossible to relyric show tunes and remain employed. Sorry all. This year, we have a meme theme. Click and enjoy!
https://birdsonstix.wordpress.com/2020/02/27/lent-madness-meme-thomas-more-versus-james-the-less/
I appreciate your work pressures. Love the meme!
I love the meme, but I'll miss the show tunes. Oh well, I guess you have to eat...
Piety, perhaps, is best
In Less, as in Least,
Than in more of More,
a bit of a Beast.
He may be cute and cuddly,
But his lineage is rather muddly.
It's clear that James' bonafides
Could change depending on the day.
A man for all seasons gets my vote
For in "Utopia" he wrote
That education should be free
For you and you and you and me!
Luke says it best “For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest."
It took some reading to decide but since Thomas More fought for religion and died for religion I chose him. James the less seemed obscure
Remember, if Thomas More had his way, there would be no Anglicans, therefore no Episcopalians, therefore no Forward Movement, therefore no Lent Madness; therefore this conversation wouldn't be happening and I'd be bored right now.
And there would be no United Methodist Church to be (possibly) splitting soon! (I'm a very concerned retired Methodist clergy.)
Worth revisiting:
Sarah Bryan Miller
February 27, 2020 - 11:35 am | Permalink
“Thomas More was no saint. He deliberately took uneducated wives, and then decreed that all dinner time conversation must be in Latin, shutting them out. He had a private torture chamber in his house, where he oversaw the torment of select heretics; he also had an outdoor torture setup in his garden, for use in fine weather. When he could not persuade a heretic to return to Holy Mother Church, he always made a point of attending the burning. There are good reasons that he wasn’t canonized for such a long time. He never deserved it it all.“
Thank you Sarah Bryan Miller
This was a. Difficult choice, but I chose Thomas More because he was willing to die for what he knew to be right.
Apostles may come by the dozen,
But I salute my martyred cousin,
where Less is never More.
At first glance, it appears that More is more worthy than Less and I was worried that poor James would be left in the dust. However, it seems to me that James the Less represents the millions upon millions of believers who go through life quietly living their beliefs, doing nothing outstanding but somehow bearing witness of God's love for all of us to see. He is the perfect role model for all of us "lesser" folks...he is a testament that we are all God's beloved children. We all shine in our our way. My first vote for the 2020 Golden Halo goes to James.
I love the way you put that.
Without the first of the personal followers of Jesus history considers "the Apostles," the Christian movement would not have begin to spread far and wife in the world, even without all of canonical scripture and conciliar creeds and Western and Eastern doctrines. The first ones to spread the Good News will never be less than those who came later!