Thomas Merton
“The word ‘Trappist’ has become synonymous with ‘ascetic’ and definitely indicates a monk who leads a very hard life. But . . . Penance and asceticism are not ends in themselves. If monks never succeeded in being more than pious athletes, they do not fulfill...
Chronicling six years of Thomas Merton’s life in a Trappist monastery, The Sign of Jonas takes us through his day-to-day experiences at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, where he lived in silence and prayer for much of his life.
Concluding...
The spiritual and psychological insights of these essays were nurtured in a monastic milieu, but their issues are universally human. Thomas Merton lays a foundation for personal growth and transformation through fidelity to "our own truth and inner being." His main focus is our desire and need to attain "a fully human and personal identity." This classic is a newly restored and corrected edition and the inaugural volume of Gethsemani Studies in
...This guide to monastic prayer, written in 1968 and thus turning out to be Thomas Merton's final testament to us, is now available in a new edition commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of his death. While he wrote it for other monastics, all seekers drawn to explore the full dimensions of prayer will be enriched by his words, especially as they take on added meaning in today's dizzying world.
The climate in which monastic prayer flowers
...Shortly after entering the monastic life in December 1941, a relatively unknown Trappist monk called Frater Louis-who would later be known to the world by his given name, Thomas Merton-began to pen biographical sketches of early Cistercian blessed and saints. These were initially collected, printed, and bound inexpensively, with no mention of the author, by the Abbey of Gethsemani. They are now published here for a wide audience for the first time.
This
...2020 Association of Catholic Publishers first place award in spirituality
Thomas Merton's sessions with the young monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani showcase Merton's brilliant ability to survey the key figures and synthesize their writings, inspiring his listeners and readers with what it means for the spiritual life. Like its companion volume, A Course in Christian Mysticism, this book is a collection of fifteen lectures
Thomas Merton's lectures to the young monastics at the Abbey of Gethsemani provide a good look at Merton the scholar. A Course in Christian Mysticism gathers together, for the first time, the best of these talks into a spiritual, historical, and theological survey of Christian mysticism—from St. John's gospel to St. John of the Cross. Sixteen centuries are covered over thirteen lectures. A general introduction sets the scene for when
...The rarely heard sermons and reflective talks in this set attest to the depths of Merton's brilliance. Recorded by Merton at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani near the end of his life, they reveal a different side of a multitalented and multifaceted...
Learn about Irish Catholicism, early Christianity, and Eastern religions with Thomas Merton as your teacher. Recorded in March of 1968 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Celtic Spirituality: The Beginnings of Irish Monasticism investigates the history of Irish monasticism with special attention to St. Patrick. A monk, mystic, and scholar, Thomas Merton weaves together various threads to probe the depths of faith through an ecumenical
...You are invited to hear some of Thomas Merton's most impassioned lectures.
In 1962 at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton taught an extraordinary course on the heart of Benedictine spirituality. Through 16 digitally remastered recordings, you will encounter Merton as a master teacher, his voice reaching out across the decades to make monastic wisdom accessible to all of us. The Rule of St. Benedict is foundational in the history
...Three men laid the groundwork for Christianity's philosophy, theology, and learning. Seventeen centuries later, a spiritual visionary taught gripping classes on these Church Fathers.
Why study the foundational texts of Christian thought? Merton prefaces his talks by answering this question. The foundational texts form the basis of the...
Recorded in May of 1966 at at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, The Christian in the World contemplates the value of life on the premise that Christ died for a world he thought was worth dying for. Now You Know Media—through our exclusive partnership with the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center—is proud to offer a wide selection of archival recordings of Thomas Merton: a Trappist monk, great twentieth-century
...Join Thomas Merton in exploring one of the most influential figures in the history of spirituality. Delivered in 1962 to the novices at Merton's monastery, these talks allow you to hear his voice and experience his powerful teaching.
Born in the fourth century, Saint John Cassian (A.D. 360 – 435) lived when tensions between the traditional and innovative peaked. A monk and theologian, Cassian made the Christian tradition relevant
...This set of captivating talks brings you face to face with an intimate side of Thomas Merton—the monk, poet, scholar of literature, and social activist who rocked the 20th century.
As with so many of the talks that Merton gave to his novice monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani, these talks put the progression of his thinking—from cloistered monastic life to issues of social justice and interreligious understanding—on
...This question lies at the root of Thomas Merton's extended contemplation of Franz Kafka's dystopian novel, The Castle. A hugely influential writer from the 20th century, Kafka (1883 - 1924) was a German-speaking Jew born in Prague. His fiction - especially his 1915 novella The Metamorphosis, in which the protagonist finds himself transformed into an insect - is...
Thomas Merton was a mystic, writer, artist, and monk of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, better known as the Trappists. In this series of conferences Merton delivered in the 1960s, he presents an insightful exploration of Cistercian history. Merton's monastic vision shaped his profound spirituality, and...
In the third century, men and women journeyed into the deserts of Syria and Egypt in search of salvation in solitude. By doing so, they developed new forms of monasticism and spirituality.
Now known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers,...
Recorded in 1964 at his monastery, Thomas Merton gave these lectures to novice Cistercians. Today, you are invited into Merton's classroom for an intimate discussion about one of Christianty's most influential figures.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, O. Cist. (1090–1153) is one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity: a founder, reformer, and Doctor of the Church. Now, you can take Thomas Merton, renowned mystic
...Recorded in the last year of his life, these talks capture Merton as he ponders profound questions in an accessible, down-to-earth way. You will glean insight from Merton on a wide range of subjects, all held together by his conviction in our call to live in freeing obedience to the Holy Spirit.
As Merton critiques the culture of his day, he speaks frankly...