Contemplation World Action: Second Edition, Restored and Corrected (Gethsemani Studies in Psychological and Religious Anthropolo) [Paperback]

Thomas Merton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999 | Series: Gethsemani Studies in Psychological and Religious Anthropolo

"When I speak of the contemplative life I do not mean the institutional, cloistered life . . . I am talking about a special dimension of inner discipline and experience, a certain integrity and fullness of personal development. . . . Discovering the contemplative life is a new self-discovery. One might say it is the flowering of a deeper identity on an entirely different plane. . . ." —Thomas Merton, from the book

The spiritual and psychological insights of these essays were nurtured in a monastic milieu, but their issues are universally human. Merton lays a foundation for personal growth and transformation through fidelity to "our own truth and inner being." His main focus is our desire and need to attain "a fully human and personal identity." This classic is a restored and corrected edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Many years ahead of his time—as all serious prophets are—Merton saw the necessary link between contemplation and social action. . . ." -- Values and Visions Reviews Service, 2/26/99

About the Author

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani for twenty-seven years, serving as Novice Master for over a decade. A prolific writer, his works include Faith and Violence, also published by the University of Notre Dame Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0268008345
• ISBN-13: 978-0268008345
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #877,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is arguably the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, has millions of copies and has been translated into over fifteen languages. He wrote over sixty other books and hundreds of poems and articles on topics ranging from monastic spirituality to civil rights, nonviolence, and the nuclear arms race.

After a rambunctious youth and adolescence, Merton converted to Roman Catholicism and entered the Abbey of Gethsemani, a community of monks belonging to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists), the most ascetic Roman Catholic monastic order.

The twenty-seven years he spent in Gethsemani brought about profound changes in his self-understanding. This ongoing conversion impelled him into the political arena, where he became, according to Daniel Berrigan, the conscience of the peace movement of the 1960's. Referring to race and peace as the two most urgent issues of our time, Merton was a strong supporter of the nonviolent civil rights movement, which he called "certainly the greatest example of Christian faith in action in the social history of the United States." For his social activism Merton endured severe criticism, from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who assailed his political writings as unbecoming of a monk.

During his last years, he became deeply interested in Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, and in promoting East-West dialogue. After several meetings with Merton during the American monk's trip to the Far East in 1968, the Dali Lama praised him as having a more profound understanding of Buddhism than any other Christian he had known. It was during this trip to a conference on East-West monastic dialogue that Merton died, in Bangkok on December 10, 1968, the victim of an accidental electrocution. The date marked the twenty-seventh anniversary of his entrance to Gethsemani.

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26 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the inner life, May 25, 1999

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This review is from: Contemplation World Action: Second Edition, Restored and Corrected (Gethsemani Studies in Psychological and Religious Anthropolo) (Paperback)

Thomas Merton lays a foundation for personal growth and transformation through fidelity to "our own truth and inner being." Merton's main focus is our desire and need to attain "a fully human and personal identity." This is a truly wonderful book for those who wish to know God.