New Releases by Thomas Merton

Introduction by Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland. Two monks in conversation about the meaning of life and the nature of solitude. Thomas Merton, the American Trappist monk who wrote The Seven Storey Mountain, spent his entire literary career (1948- 68) in a cloistered monastery in Kentucky. His great counterpart, the French Benedictine monk Jean Leclercq, spent those years traveling relentlessly to and from monasteries worldwide, trying to bring about a long-needed reform and renewal of Catholic religious life. Their correspondence over twenty years is a fascinating record of the common yearnings of two ambitious, holy men. "What is a monk?" is the question at the center of their correspondence, and in these 120 letters they answer it with great aplomb, touching on the role of ancient texts and modern conveniences; the advantages of hermit life and community life; the fierce Catholicism of the monastic past and the new openness to the approaches of other traditions; the monastery''s impulse toward survival and the monk''s calling to prophecy. Full of learning, human insight, and self-deprecating wit, these letters capture the excitement of the Catholic Church during the run-up to the Second Vatican Council, full of wisdom, full of promise.

The New Man shows Thomas Merton at the height of his powers and has as its theme the question of spiritual identity. What must we do to recover possession of our true selves? By way of an answer, Merton discusses how we have become strangers to ourselves by our depence on outward identity and success, while our real need is for a concern with the image of God in ourselves. At a time of retrieval of our religious traditions, Merton''s voice is both intelligent and spiritually compelling.Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, is perhaps the foremost spiritual thinker of the twentiethcentury. His diaries, social commentary, and spiritual writings continue to be widely read after his untimely death in 1968.

Originally published in 1998, the sixth volume of the journals of Trappist monk, Thomas Merton. It covers the years 1966-67, in which the author falls in love with a nurse and has to reassess his commitment to celibacy and the monastic vocation.

Showing that the summit of ultimate truth is reached in contemplation, this book offers an exposition of the doctrines of St John of the Cross. The expositions and meditations are nourishment for the spirit journeying towards truth.

Letters to James Baldwin, Evelyn Waugh, Henry Miller, and more by the famed monk, "one of the great American letter-writers of the century" ( Kirkus Reviews). From 1948 until his death in 1968, Trappist monk and author of The Seven Storey Mountain Thomas Merton corresponded with writers around the world, sharing with them his concerns about war, violence and repression, racism and injustice, and all forms of human aggression. Addressed to Evelyn Waugh, Czeslaw Milosz, Boris Pasternak, James Baldwin, Walker Percy, Victoria Ocampo, Henry Miller, Jacques Maritain, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, William Carlos Williams, and others, this collection "reveals aspects of the monk that are seldom seen in literature apart from his letters" ( Booklist). "Witty . . . confessional . . . insightful." — The Boston Globe "Highly articulate and quietly inspirational." — Publishers Weekly

Facsimile of the four issues of "Monks pond," a little magazine compiled and edited by Thomas Merton. The issues contain poetry, prose, and art informally solicited by Merton and include works by Merton, Jack Kerouac, Mark Van Doren, Wendell Berry, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, and others on a wide variety of topics.

This is the companion volume to Thomas Merton: The Development of a Spiritual Theologian, further exploring Merton''s writings and thinking.

"Reflecting Thomas Merton''s lifelong examination of the relationship between the monastic, contemplative life and the need for spiritual expression in the secular world, these essays explore the coming together of the active and the contemplative life and the relationship of persons to social organizations. Ranging from an account of the Greek monastic community on Mount Athos to a look at the spiritually destructive power of racism, Merton''s writing manages to be both lively and profound as he leads the reader through the hard questions of modern existence, bringing together traditional religious values with a concern for the spiritual needs of the present day.".--cover matter.

Discusses Blake, Joyce, Pasternak, Faulkner, Styron, O''Connor, Camus, symbolism, creativity, alienation, contemplation, and freedom.

A contextual portrait of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, along with Pope Pius XII''s encyclical letter on the Doctor of the Church. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a dominant figure in the history of the Catholic Church and the last of the Church Fathers, died in his monastery in Burgundy on August 20, 1153. In commemoration of the eighth centenary of his death, Pope Pius XII issued one of his most significant encyclical letters— Doctor Mellifluus—which Thomas Merton presents here, together with an introduction to the life and teachings of the great mystic. The essence of Saint Bernard''s doctrine, Father Merton writes, is nothing else but the spiritual peace distilled in monasticism, and it is one of the purest and most authentic sources of Catholic tradition. Pius''s encyclical letter draws on that doctrine to bring the highest spiritual perfection within reach of all Christians. Praise for The Last of the Fathers "A study that will have to be on the shelves of all libraries and in the personal collections of all who are interested in spirituality . . . . Merton has provided an exquisite spiritual and intellectual setting for the jewel of the Encyclical [by Pope Pius XII]." — Catholic World

From the author of The Seven Storey Mountain, this book looks at an order of Catholic monks dating back to eleventh-century France. "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 their purpose in the Church. If you want to understand why the monks lead the life they do, you will have to ask, first of all, What is their aim?" In his bestselling memoir, The Seven Storey Mountain, Catholic poet, theologian, and mystic Thomas Merton chronicled his journey to becoming a Cistercian monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky. In The Waters of Siloe, he provides an enlightening account of the Cistercian Order, better known as the Trappists. With clarity and wisdom, Merton explores the history of the Cistercian Order from its founding in 1098, its development and waning, and the seventeenth-century reforms by the Abbé de Rancé, which began the second flowering that continues today. Throughout, Merton illuminates the purposes of monasticism and its surprising resurgence in America and elsewhere. "Only Thomas Merton could have written single-handed this history of Trappist monks, for it is a work of diverse gifts and skill, an ardent collaboration of scholar and story-teller, priest and poet." — The New York Times

"With the [publication of this book], an ever-wider audience may more fully appreciate the ... range of the poet''s technique, the scope of his concerns, and the humaneness of his vision"--Back cover.

"This ... collection of Merton''s essays on various Native American cultures provides a ... window on Merton''s important work raising consciousness about the key social justice issues confronting the world in his later years--issues that continue to have a profound impact on our world today. With references to the civil rights movement and the United States war in Vietnam, Merton draws parallels from history and the modern world to show the deep-rooted nature of society''s injustice. In ''Ishi Means Man'', Merton''s commitment to interreligious, intercultural understanding is the powerful overarching theme that continues to inspire"--From publisher''s description.

Of the full-length prose works that Thomas Merton wrote before he entered the Cistercian Order in 1941, only My Argument with the Gestapo has survived--perhaps in part because it was a book that Merton never ceased wanting to see in print.

Thomas Merton''s final testament as a poet is his most ambitious long work and a remarkable poetic achievement.

Free renderings of selections from the works of Chuang-tzŭ, taken from various translations.

Examines the meaning and purpose of spiritual direction. Also provides insights into how to meditate.

Merton shows us how to draw out the richness of worship from the psalter and to use it to achieve "the peace that comes from submission to God''s will and from perfect confidence in him".......Catholic Review Service

In Life and Holiness, Thomas Merton offers a simple yet profound exploration of the fundamental principles of Christian spirituality. This concise treatise illuminates the transformative power of grace, the divine light that purifies hearts, shapes souls in the likeness of Christ, and empowers believers to act as instruments of God''s love in the world. Merton''s insights transcend the contemplative-active dichotomy, presenting a vision of the Christian life in which action flows naturally from a deep union with God, making this book a valuable resource for all who seek to live out their faith with authenticity and purpose.