Introduction

The Saint Thomas More Scholarship Program aims to enrich the academic experience of morally serious, civically-minded, talented students interested in using their broad liberal arts education to engage in the vital moral, ethical and political affairs of the time with courage and wisdom.

The program is a part of Belmont Abbey College’s overall mission to provide an excellent education for the whole person. Designed for students interested in civic and community engagement, and the public exercise of moral courage, the program seeks to complement a student’s education at the Abbey by providing:

• one seminar-style class each year focused on the close study of seminal texts and ideas of the Western intellectual tradition that have influenced and shaped a Christian Humanist defense of the permanent things across the centuries;
• the opportunity to participate in a range of stimulating extracurricular activities throughout the academic year, including conferences, social gatherings, hiking, reading groups, and cultural events, with the aim of enhancing the characteristics of fellowship and conversation among our community of scholars.

The program takes inspiration from the life and thought of the great Saint Thomas More. Through a broad classical education in the liberal arts, a resilient character, and a life of prudence informed by faith, Thomas More exemplified the Renaissance tradition of bringing classical learning to bear on political life. In keeping with More’s example, our program seeks young men and women who are themselves looking for a “Renaissance” education that integrates faith, learning, and moral courage, and that promotes the development of virtue and wisdom.

Annual Activities

Fall Seminar

Each year students attend a live conversation among invited guests and faculty members on a theme related to the distinctive mission of the Saint Thomas More Scholarship Program.

More Program Salon

Each year members of the program are invited to read and discuss one book outside of class. The selected text will be one not studied in the More Seminars or the Abbey core. This text provides the basis for a cross-cohort reading group [salon] where students and faculty discuss the work in an informal atmosphere. Our most recent selection was The Children of Men, by P.D. James.

Spring Lecture

Each Spring, a guest speaker delivers our Saint Thomas More Lecture on campus on a theme related to the distinctive mission of the program. As with the Fall Seminar, attendance at this event is required for Saint Thomas More scholars.

Culture & Coffee Evening

Once during the academic year, Saint Thomas More scholars are invited to visit a site of particular cultural interest in Charlotte or the surrounding area, and to join in company and conversation afterwards at a local coffee house.

Other Cultural and Extracurricular Activities

Students in the program will also have the opportunity to attend annual lectures and cultural events, to participate in discussion groups and outdoor activities with the director and faculty members, and to enjoy social gatherings on campus.

Debate Society and Internship Opportunities

A central feature of the Saint Thomas More Scholarship Program is the opportunity scholars have to get involved in debating competitions and internship programs available through Belmont Abbey College. In their junior or senior years, each Saint Thomas More scholar is required to select either a semester with one of the college’s debating teams or to work in an internship position and to contribute to a short, half-day internship workshop to share experiences with other students before graduation.

“I die the King’s good servant, and God’s first.” –Saint Thomas More