Thomas Merton Reader (Revised)

Jacket Description/Flap: This edition brings us Thomas Merton is all his aspects: spiritual writer, poet, peacemaker, man among men, servant of God -- a one-volume synopsis of his quest for truth, drawn not only from his major works but from his lesser-known writings as well. Biographical Note: Thomas Merton (1915-68), Trappist monk, author, and peace activist, came to international prominence at a young age with his classic autobiography, "The Seven Storey Mountain." Over the rest of his life he wrote prolifically on a vast range of topics, including prayer, interior growth, social responsibility, violence, and war. Toward the end of his life he played a significant role in introducing Eastern religion to the West. He is today regarded as a spiritual master, a brilliant religious writer, and a man who embodied the quest for God and human solidarity in the modern world. M. Scott Peck, M. D., is a nationally renowned author and lecturer on the relationship between religion and the science of psychology. One of his most recent books is "Further Along the Road Less Traveled."Publisher Marketing:"A Thomas Merton Reader" provides a complete view of Merton, in all his aspects: contemplative, spiritual writer, poet, peacemaker, and social critic. In this closely knit volume are significant selections not only from his major works but from some lesser-known, yet equally valuable, writings as well. Presented here is a living Thomas Merton, expounding through prose and poetry on an abundance of important themes -- war, love, peace, Eastern thought and spirituality, monastic life, art, contemplation, and solitude. M. Scott Peck puts the writings included here into the context of Merton's life.

Contributor Bio:  Merton, Thomas Thomas Merton (1915-1968) entered the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, following his conversion to Catholicism and was ordained Father M. Louis in 1949. During the 1960s, he was increasingly drawn into a dialogue between Eastern and Western religions and domestic issues of war and racism. In 1968, the Dalai Lama praised Merton for having a more profound knowledge of Buddhism than any other Christian he had known. Thomas Merton is the author of the beloved classic The Seven Storey Mountain.