Thomas Merton In California

"In May and October of 1968, Thomas Merton offered two extended conferences at Our Lady of the Redwoods Abbey, a Cistercian women's community in Northern California. It is comprised of previously unpublished letters and over twenty-six hours of conference talks"--

Previously unpublished material from world-renowned Trappist monk and author, Thomas Merton, featuring the final conference talks given in the United States before his untimely death. In May and October of 1968, Thomas Merton offered two extended conferences at Our Lady of the Redwoods Abbey, a Cistercian women’s community in Northern California. Comprising over twenty-six hours of previously unpublished material, Thomas Merton in California covers a variety of topics including ecology and consciousness, yoga and Hinduism, Native American ritual and rites of passage, Sufi spirituality, and inter-religious dialogue, along with extended discussions on prayer and the contemplative life. The material presented in these talks reveals Merton’s wide-ranging intellectual and spiritual pursuits in the final year of his life, and fills a long-standing lacuna around Merton's visits to Redwoods Monastery, forming a necessary bridge to the Asian journey that was to come. Practical and applicable, as well as searching and inspired, Thomas Merton in California is essential for Merton readers and scholars, and all those interested in deepening their spiritual lives.

"In May and October of 1968, Thomas Merton offered two extended conferences at Our Lady of the Redwoods Abbey, a Cistercian women's community in Northern California. It is comprised of previously unpublished letters and over twenty-six hours of conference talks"--

"This is quintessential Merton."--The Catholic Review.

A fresh exploration of Merton's life and thought, focussing on his role as a Christian activist. Written by an author who combines a contemplative life with political action, this is an inspirational book that will encourage readers to work towards a more just world.

The book concludes by showing how the influence of Merton and Nhat Hanh is reflected in the work of contemporaries such as Thomas Keating, David Steindl-Rast, A. T. Ariyaratne, and Joanna Macy."--BOOK JACKET.

The celebrated spiritual writer Thomas Merton remains one of the most influential voices of our day. His many books are considered modern spiritual classics as he is credited with introducing the riches of the monastic tradition to many. Here, Esther de Waal devises a seven-day personal or group retreat program using excerpts from Thomas Merton’s writings and a selection of the photography for which he was also renowned. She creates a retreat that can be made at home, at a retreat center, on vacation, or over a week or longer. The focus of each of the seven days is: The Call, Response, The Solitary Within, Encounter with Christ, The Demands of Love, Ordinary Things, and Integration.

Catholic Worker leader Dorothy Day and monk/author Thomas Merton, who gave radical witness to love of God and neighbor in the tumultuous 1960s, together come center stage in this compelling account of the visionary duo spotlighted by Pope Francis in his historic address to Congress.