Thomas Merton and the Search for True Self (Part 1)
Nov 15th, 2007 by Michael Krahn
Thomas Merton has been rightly called “one of the most influential Catholic authors of the 20th century,”1 but his influence has spread far beyond the limits of the Catholic population. The endurance and diversity of his influence is due in large part to the strict observance of The Rule of St. Benedict Merton practiced at The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, the monastery where he spent his 27 years as a monk.
Merton was no stranger to the disciplines of the spiritual life. As a monk, the spiritual disciplines would have been his main focus. As a Trappist monk in particular, silence and solitude were two disciplines he practiced constantly. These were wellsprings of insight for Merton and he directed the flow into a body of work that can easily be described as prolific.
To understand Merton and his writings, we must first examine his daily life. Next we will examine how his spirituality was formed and practiced in the context of this disciplined life by an analysis of his book Thoughts In Solitude. We will then look at the extent of his influence on other people of influence and conclude with some personal reflections.
Go to: Part 1|Part 2|Part 3|Part 4|Part 5|The Thomas Merton Page
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1 Wikipedia, “Thomas Merton,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Merton, (accessed November 7, 2007)
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I’ve always felt close to Thomas Merton, starting with a meeting with his friend John Howard Griffin in the ’70’s. Read my post on this fortunate happening. Thanks for your site on Thomas.
http://katrinasmall.wordpress.com/2007/10/14/john-howard-griffin-thomas-merton-and-the-house-in-mansfield/
Kat
Kat,
I love those sketches. I know they were probably quick ones, but they are more than I can pull off. Thanks for the link.
Thank you for visiting the link on Thomas Merton and John Howard Griffon. The sketches came so easy back then. Today life drawing is more of a chore; I guess it’s been too long soince I’ve concentrated on it. :)
Hi Michael,
I appreciate the comment you left on my blog today. I look forward to reading the other five posts you did on Thomas Merton. Thanks for the link to your blog!
Also, my husband and I just listened to your song “She Remembers” on your website…really nice!
Hi Michael
I appreciate your comment on my blog. Thank you for pointing out this source on Thomas Merton. It has reminded me of things I tend to forget, to my spiritual detriment, such as the need for meditation and solitude.
Yours inChrist
Frank J. Capone
Frank,
You’re quite welcome. I need to revisit Merton more often as well. For example, I didn’t rally know anything about Cistercian or Trappist monastic orders before I researched this piece.