The Springs of Contemplation: A Retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani [Paperback]

Thomas Merton (Author), Jane M. Richardson (Editor), Kathleen Norris (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997

Trappis monk Thomas Merton wrestles with what it means to be a contemplative person in the 20th century. In the midst of American consumerism's choke-hold on the lives of ordinary people, how can one maintain a contemplative life? Further, how can the contemplative life be prophetic for this generation? Just a sampling of themes explored in Merton's 1967 retreat in Kentucky.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the post-Vatican II years of 1967 and 1968 Thomas Merton, the renowned Trappist monk, invited a group of contemplative nuns from various communities to meet with him at his abbey in the Kentucky hills. "A many-voiced silence" is the thread that winds through Merton's informal, freewheeling conversations during these two conferences as he and the women confront issues that continue to have an impact on the tradition of contemplative life in America. Merton's fraternal bond with his neighboring Sisters of Loretto is reflected in a previously unpublished essay celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the congregation. Merton's warmth and humor, his full understanding of the limitations of gender-based stereotypes and his inductive approach to teaching are hallmarks of these dialogues that remain widely relevant. The tapes of the meetings have been edited by Richardson, a member of the Sisters of Loretto.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Merton discovered that restrictions in travel and access to books often isolated contemplative sisters from movements in Roman Catholicism and the world. To facilitate their analysis of new develop ments, he met informally with a group of contemplative prioresses in 1967. The discourses of this retreat and another in 1968 appear here. They cover a broad range of topics, including language, com munity, "the feminine mystique," Zen Buddhism, and the contemplative life as a prophetic life. Collections of his letters, such as The Road to Joy (LJ 7/89), intro duce readers to a personal side of Merton. This volume reveals Merton in such an accessible, conversational way that both large and small collections will benefit from its addition.
-Cynthia Widmer, Downingtown, Pa.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Ave Maria Press (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087793598X
• ISBN-13: 978-0877935988
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,774,643 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating to read; a good antidote to "Beneath the Mask of Holiness", April 15, 2010

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min-bee (Nyack, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Springs of Contemplation: A Retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani (Paperback)

This retreat given to several nuns, mostly superiors of their orders, was transcribed, and it shows that Merton returned to his monastic vocation. The things he says indicate his compassion, understanding, and responsibilities he had been given in the monastery--he was master of novices for many years. It is fascinating to read this retreat material and to compare it with his published journals of the same time. This comparison shows the consistency of Merton's private and public views.

Merton is relaxed and often charming. His perceptiveness is obvious. For example, "obedience is meant to free us so that we can follow the Holy Spirit. We respect the authority of others and obey it, but we also have to follow our conscience." Time has proved him right on many issues, and wrong on others. I find his sincerity undeniable, and I think this book gives a wonderful view into his thought processes.

Anyone who is interested in Merton's views on celibacy and its place in religious life will find them in great detail here. Although his college friend Ed Rice claims in his correctly titled "entertainment" on Merton, "Man in the Sycamore Tree", that Merton talked about the possibility of married monks, that doesn't seem to be the case. During this retreat, in May 1968, Merton states that the secular clergy (usually known as parish priests) should be free to marry; he does not espouse marriage for monks (see the chapter "Collaboration, Penance, Celibacy"). For those interested in Merton's life, this book is a "sleeper" which reveals the applications he made of Catholic beliefs to everyday monastic life. I highly recommend this book as an antidote to the sensational and obtuse presentation of Merton by Mark Shaw in "Beneath the Mask of Holiness."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating discussion, January 22, 2010

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Zach J. Kamla - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Springs of Contemplation: A Retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani (Paperback)

Thomas Merton is not the typical Catholic, yet is fully rooted in Catholic faith. He explores some troubles with the world with a cutting grace and how contemplatives should address them. For example, he discusses how the will to see problems change sometimes cannot overcome cold comforts--in particular, he talks about how people deplore racism but would not want to suffer the detriment of integration. He states, for example, how many whites felt terrible for the treatment of the blacks, but would not invite blacks to live in their neighborhood because it would decrease property value. He discusses how people tragically get caught up in a given protocol and can only break free with creative contemplation. He discusses why non-violence between MLK or Ghandi worked whereas the hippies were rather impotent. Ultimately, he shows that contemplation can free us from the mundane to really change the world.

He discusses silence very deeply. I read this on an Ignacian Silent Retreat, so it really spoke to me, but reading this in another setting may reduce the power, which seems evident from previous reviews.

If your are a Catholic or Buddhist interested in comparative religion, he has a lecture on Zen. He is very objective, giving credit where credit is due; he does not say, "If only Catholics did this . . ." or "Buddhism is inferior because . . ." Overall, he gives a really to-the-point discussion on meditative practices. No Unitarian, he readily brings up similarities and differences, being fair yet true to his faith. He really moves past the New Age Post-Modern crap which plagues most other comparative analyses.

I would recommend this to any spiritual person going on a quiet retreat or even someone who just wants to spend a weekend alone contemplating God.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not top flight Merton, January 25, 2001

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A. Hogan (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Springs of Contemplation: A Retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani (Paperback)

Its odd, how things work out. In his Journals, Merton was ENTHRALLED by this reterat. He spoke in glowing terms of the participants,and praised the intamcy achieved. He states, flatly"this is the best reterat of my life." Yet none of that comes forth in this collection, which is more the pity. Of course, some of this is indeed dated[the world is radically changed in 33+ years]and perhaps, as it seems Fr. Merton was wont to do, he gets overly enthusiastic about something before he has completely immersed himself.Still, second level Merton is better then just about top shelf from anyone else.Some nuggets on prayer left me thinking that perhaps the great moments of this retreat were the celebration of the Mass that were held each day. In that silence was perhaps that ineffable moment that cannot be heard nor touched that Merton groped for so in his life and writings. So, in all not great Thomas Merton, thjough still necessary to see the entire picture of this good great man.