Thomas More was a Catholic and a statesman during his lifetime. He is best known for his satirical work: Utopia. Utopia is a book that is about a nation called Utopia that has some unique characteristics, which More deems as ideal. In regards to this book, would More have been risking persecution by the Catholic Church, because of this book?
A factor that is important to note in regards to Utopia, is that it is highly satirical. When a person reads this book it is pretty clear that the book was written satirically. Personally, I believe that people during the period, especially the church, which had many literate members, would be able to decipher that this piece of literature was written in satire, and could not be taken too seriously. Another point to consider is that in Utopia, More never undermined the Catholic Church, or stated anything that would upset the Church. More himself was Catholic.
Thomas More most definitely was not risking persecution by the Church because of his book Utopia. The book did not undermine the Church and was written in clear satire, meaning anyone reading the book would not take it too seriously. It was not a book about transparent reform.
The Dreamer 