Thomas Merton and the Monastic Vision [Paperback]

Mr. Lawrence S. Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 1999 | Series: Library of Religious Biography

Taking up where Merton's own Seven Storey Mountain ends, this penetrating biography by Lawrence Cunningham explores Merton's monastic life and his subsequent growth into a modern-day spiritual master. / Though the basic story of Thomas Merton's life may be well known, the details of his spiritual development are less familiar. Cunningham shows that Merton's prolific writings and his continuing influence can only be understood against the background of his contemplative experience as a Trappist monk. "If one does not understand Merton as a monk," writes Cunningham, "one does not understand Merton at all." / Merton emerges from this balanced and reliable account as an extraordinary Christian seeker and pioneer whose faith in the power of the contemplative life remains highly relevant today.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lawrence S. Cunningham is John A. O'Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. An acknowledged expert on St. Francis and Christian spirituality, he is also the author of Saint Francis of Assisi and the editor and translator of Brother Francis: Writings By and About Saint Francis of Assisi.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802802222
• ISBN-13: 978-0802802224
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,497,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vision of Merton from his home, April 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Thomas Merton and the Monastic Vision (Paperback)

This work is an attempt to understand Merton against the background of his contemplative experience as a Trappist monk. For this is how Merton understood himself. Moving beyond Merton's autobiography (The Seven Storey Mountain), Cunningham enables one to see the motivations and struggles that pulled Merton toward the monastic life. He provides helpful insights into Merton's spiritual/intellectual formation, helping one to see the perspective from which he was able to have such keen insights into human life. Highly recommended.