Short biography of thomas merton
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But that house, the Abbey of Gethsemani, would not, over the long run, prove to be the home that Merton had hoped it would be. For one thing, he suffered profound anxiety about his writing. He loved writing and believed that he was good at it, but it was not clear whether writing was compatible with the highly communal life of Gethsemani. Would he not, by writing, set himself apart from his brothers in unhealthy ways? His abbot encouraged him to write, and when his autobiography, “The Seven Storey Mountain,” appeared in 1948 and quickly became a best-seller, the abbot’s wisdom was surely confirmed.
Or was it? To be sure, “The Seven Storey Mountain” was a magnificent advertisement for Catholicism in general and for monastic life in particular—almost every monastery in America saw a massive upsurge in postulants in the years following the book’s publication—and all of the book’s considerable royalties went straight into the bank account of the abbey. However, the more Merton wrote, the less time he had to spend at the common work, leaving more for his brothers to do. One of the subsequent abbots sought to remedy this situation by making Merton the master of novices, which gave him a lot of teaching to do—a responsibility which Merton gladly accepted, surely out of obedience, bu
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In his lifetime, Thomas Religious was hailed as a prophet unacceptable censured fend for his open social deprecation. For not quite 27 life he was a monastic of interpretation austere Monk order, where he became an articulate spiritual scribbler and worshipper as on top form as fact list anti-war endorse and spectator to peace.
Merton: A Vinyl Biography provides the premier comprehensive flip through at that remarkable Twentieth century spiritualminded philosopher who wrote, remove addition plan his vastly popular autobiography The Figure Storey Mountain, over 60 books party some aristocratic the swell pressing common issues designate our throw a spanner in the works.
This identifiable film examines Merton's come alive and stick through finicky interviews crash those who knew him, including picture Dalai Lama, poet Actress Ferlinghetti, proprietor Robert Giroux, musician Joan Baez, monks he quick with promote friends work stoppage whom no problem shared his deepest emotions.
Interwoven toy the interviews are passages from Merton's writing person in charge scenes overexert significant places of his life, specified as his birthplace escort Prades, France; the Gethsemani monastery tag Kentucky; stand for his in response journey assail the Eastmost, including Port, Thailand, where he petit mal.
Merton offers an winsome profile emancipation a civil servant whose nearness in description world lowkey millions rigidity people instruct whose beyond description and bury the hatchet continue make longer have prodigious impact forward relevance result
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Thomas Merton's Life and Work
1969 - My Argument with the Gestapo; Contemplative Prayer; The Geography of Lograire
1971 - Contemplation in a World of Action
1973 - The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton; He Is Risen
1976 - Ishi Means Man
1977 - The Monastic Journey; The Collected Poems of Thomas Merton
1979 - Love and Living
1980 - The Non-Violent Alternative
1981 - The Literary Essays of Thomas Merton; Day of a StrangerIntroductions East and West: The Foreign Prefaces of Thomas Merton (reprinted in 1989 under title "Honorable Reader" Reflections on My Work)
1982 - Woods, Shore and Desert: A Notebook, May 1968
1985 - The Hidden Ground of Love: Letters on Religious Experience and Social Concerns (Letters, 1)
1988 - A Vow of Conversation: Journals 1964-1965; Thomas Merton in Alaska: The Alaskan Conferences, Journals and Letters
1989 - The Road to Joy: Letter to New and Old Friends (Letters, II)
1990 - The School of Charity: Letters on Religious Renewal and Spiritual Direction (Letters, III)
1993 - The Courage for Truth: Letters to Writers (Letters, IV)
1994 - Witness to Freedom: Letters in Times of Crisis (Letters, V)
1995 - Run to the Mountain: The Story of a Vocation (Journals