Customer Reviews

Encounters with Merton: Spiritual Reflection

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was written early in Nouwen's career, before he was so famous as a writer and teacher. In it, he struggles with the life and legacy of Thomas Merton, the bestselling Catholic monk and mystic. Each of the main chapters is divided into two parts. The first part offers an overview of a major theme in Merton's life and work, including the people who influenced Merton the most and Merton's encounters with other religious traditions. The second part gives excerpts from Merton's writing, which are intended for meditation and private reflection.

The book is very satisfying on many levels. It discusses Merton in a way that avoids the pointless controversies about his life (did he have an affair with a woman after he became a monk...) and sticks to what readers of Merton care about most, which is his insights into human life and into God. At the same time, the book reveals much about Henri Nouwen himself and the way he understands the Christian spiritual life. It's almost as though we see him most clearly in the presence of a "father" figure.

In its way, this book is the most satisfying of Nouwen's writings and deserves a place of honor alongside "Journey of the Prodigal Son" and "Life of the Beloved."

Being a fan of both Nouwen and Merton I knew I had to have this book the moment I first saw it sitting on a bookstore shelf. My high expectations were softened when I began to read. The book is good. It is pleasant to read. It is well worth the price. The title alone sells the book. The problem is that it didn't give me anything new to chew on . . . until the last chapter. I have read much on Merton's flirtations with Eastern religions. Nouwen puts this into a perspective that I found challenging. In short, I found this book to be affirming, but not life-changing. I only give 5 stars to books I believe to be life-changing.