The thomas merton center at bellarmine university, the official repository of thomas merton s literary estate, will be hosting a special exhibit of artifacts relating to thomas merton s historic november 1968 meeting with his holiness the 14th dalai lama. This is a marvelous collection of writings from the works of thomas merton, the trappist monk, assembled in the form of a book of hours. He was the author of more than 60 books, including the story of his conversion, seven storey mountain, a modern spiritual classic. A book of hours mar 1, 2007 by thomas merton, john giuliani, kathleen deignan thomas merton was the most popular proponent of the christian contemplative tradition in the twentieth century. Merton called seasons of celebration his liturgy book and this edition includes a new foreword. Thomas merton books list of books by author thomas merton. Quotes and reflections from meditation by thomas merton. Book of hours by thomas merton, john giuliani, hardcover. These are the best formed breviary prayers ive found in a lifetime. Jun 03, 2009 saint bernadette soubirous of lourdes from who cares about the saints. The following is a list of works about thomas merton, publications about thomas merton, the trappist monk from abbey of gethsemani. He called his own life story the seven storey mountain. Thomas merton 19151968 is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential spiritual masters of the twentieth century.
The merton legacy trust, devoted to gathering all future merton scholarship, is also located at bellarmine. In india, merton met with the dalai lama three times and said that there is a real spiritual bond between us the asian journal of thomas merton, 1975 edition, p. Jul, 2012 i have been asked, first, to sit in meditation with a buddhist group in san francisco at the end of this month and,then, give them a talk on thomas merton and the dialogue with buddhism. Thomas merton 19151968, a trappist monk, was one of the most wellknown catholic writers of the 20th century. For example, the fourteenth general meeting of the international thomas merton. Now, for the first time, some of his most lyrical and prayerful writings have been arranged into a book of hours, a rich resource for daily prayer and contemplation that imitates the increasingly popular ancient monastic practice of praying the hours. The fons vitae thomas merton series paul m pearson, james a. The modern monkhood of thomas merton the new yorker. Thomas mertons abiding legacy by kathleen deignan ecourse. A book that takes thomas mertons best writings and arranges them in prayers for sunday genesis to saturday wisdom at the 4 hours named. Three essays on thomas merton 2006, the thomas merton society of great britain and ireland, isbn 0955157110.
A book of hours by thomas merton edited by kathleen deignan. The pocket thomas merton new seeds pocket classics 25nov2005. Nov 09, 20 the second half of thomas mertons book dealt with a topic that i had a lot of experience with, though i was by no means an expert. In 1949, he was ordained to the priesthood and given the name father louis. In 1944, new directions brought out thomas mertons first book of verse. Thomas merton was a very famous american catholic author of the twentieth century who is greatly known for writing classics like the seven storey mountain, new seeds of contemplation and zen and the birds of appetite.
Thomas merton and dialogue with buddhism i have been asked, first, to sit in meditation with a buddhist group in san francisco at the end of this month and,then, give them a talk on thomas merton. At prayer with thomas merton 2007, sorin books, isbn 1 933495057. The long encounter of thomas merton and his abbot, james fox by roger lipsey in may. Praising god from dawn to dusk thomas merton center. Thomas merton ocso january 31, 1915 december 10, 1968 was an american trappist.
When he flew out of san francisco for asia on october 15, 1968, he left with the expectation of religious discovery, as if his monastic life at the. By the time of his tragic, untimely death in 1968, father louis as he was known at the trappist monastery where he lived for twentyseven years had published upwards of fifty books and pamphlets, including several more collections of poetry. At the height of the vietnam war, he welcomed a vietnamese buddhist monk to. We talked long about my idea of buddhist dialogue and of a meditation monastery that would be open to buddhism the asian journal of thomas merton, p. The relation of contemplation to selftranscendence. Thomas merton was the most popular proponent of the christian contemplative tradition in the. Thomas merton and the synergy of christianity and buddhism i. Thomas merton was the most popular proponent of the christian contemplative tradition in the twentieth century. It is modeled on the book of hours, a devotional resource popular in the middle ages as a means of nurturing the spiritual life of lay christians. See all books authored by thomas merton, including the seven storey mountain, and new seeds of contemplation, and more on. Thomas merton in dialogue with zen buddhism jaechan anselmo park in 2015, the one hundredth anniversary of his birth, thomas mertons contribution to christian spirituality is receiving heightened attention. Thomas merton biography thomas merton childhood, life and. Wiseman, roger lipsey, bonnie bowman thurston, thomas merton, jonathan montaldo, roger corless on.
A trappist monk of the abbey of gethsemani, kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion. And i believe that by openness to buddhism, to hinduism, and to these great asian traditions, we stand a wonderful chance of learning more about the potentiality of our own traditions, because they have gone, from the natural point of view, so much deeper into this than we have. Books by thomas merton author of the seven storey mountain. David steindlrast wrote that thomas said that he wanted to become as good a buddhist as i can. The international thomas merton society was founded in 1987 and reports a. Thomas merton and dialogue with buddhism america magazine. Almost twenty years after mertons death, a group of fifty monks, buddhist and catholic, met at mertons monastery, gethsemaniunder the tutelage. She is the editor of when the trees say nothing, a collection of thomas merton s writings on nature. In the 1969 book recollections of thomas merton s last days in the west, benedictine monk br. Jan 31, 2015 this is thomas merton s last talk hours prior to his untimely death. Mertons biographer, george woodcock, once wrote that almost from the beginning of his monastic career, thomas merton tentatively began to discover the great asian religions of buddhism and taoism. I read a prayer section each day for devotions and ignored the suggested times to pray. I loved seven storey mountain, so i was delighted to pick up this book as well. By the way, i discovered that i typed the web site on judith carpenters book with the wrong spacing last week.
A book of hours, a daily breviary for engaged contemplatives. The thomas merton studies center at bellarmine college in louisville, kentucky, contains over 10,000 items related to merton and some 3,000 of his manuscripts. May 01, 2008 in the 1969 book recollections of thomas mertons last days in the west, benedictine monk br. You may already know kathleen through her exquisite books when the trees say nothing, the first collection of merton s writings on nature, and thomas merton. Merton, a longtime social justice advocate, first approached eastern theology as an admirer of gandhis beliefs on nonviolence.
Merton was a great writer who has a total of 70 books to his credit. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence. Thomas merton and the dalai lama thomas merton center. Thomas merton was born in 1915, to parents living in the french pyrenees. What merton meant by zen buddhism was the religion that began in china and spread to japan as well as. The relation of contemplation to self transcendence. Kathleen deignan is an educator, theologian, and composer. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of contemporary violence. At prayer with thomas merton 2007, sorin books, isbn 1933495057.
Even if you are not particularly knowledgable about merton s writings, you will find his comments on so many aspects of the spiritual life meaningful and tantalizing, you will want to study his works further. An ever growing number of books by and about thomas merton are now available in electronic format with many more due to be released in the coming months and years. This book is set up in the daily liturgical cycle, but instead of prayers from a lectionary or scripture readings, it is entirely composed of thomas mertons thoughts. Finally, shambhala, best known for books on buddhism, will publish make peace before the sun goes down. You may also know her through her uplifting repertoire of sacred songs, her lectures on classical and contemporary. Mar 28, 2007 a book of hours by thomas merton, 9781933495057, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Thomas merton s encounter with buddhism and beyond book. On eastern meditation by thomas merton, paperback barnes. A separate list of works by thomas merton is also available. Recent and forthcoming publications thomas merton center. Spiritual and contemplative books by merton and others.
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