The Nonviolent Alternative

by Thomas Merton, Gordon C. Zahn (Introduction)

The writings in this work were precipitated by a variety of events during the last decades of Merton's life - the civil rights and peace movements of the 1960s among them. His timeless moral integrity and tireless concern for nonviolent solutions to war are eloquently expressed.

Genres: Theology, Spirituality, Faith, Nonfiction, Philosophy

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Thomas Merton, religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. In December 1941 he entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani and in May 1949 he was ordained to priesthood. He was a member of the convent of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, living there from 1941 to his death.
Merton wrote more than 50 books in a period of 27 years, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain (1948). His account of his spiritual journey inspired scores of World War II veterans, students, and teenagers to explore offerings of monasteries across the US. It is on National Review's list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the century.
Merton became a keen proponent of interfaith understanding, exploring Eastern religions through his study of mystic practice. His interfaith conversation, which preserved both Protestant and Catholic theological positions, helped to build mutual respect via their shared experiences at a period of heightened hostility. He is particularly known for having pioneered dialogue with prominent Asian spiritual figures, including the Dalai Lama XIV; Japanese writer D.T. Suzuki; Thai Buddhist monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, and Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He traveled extensively in the course of meeting with them and attending international conferences on religion. In addition, he wrote books on Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, and how Christianity is related to them. This was highly unusual at the time in the United States, particularly within the religious orders.

Reviews

[David Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nonviolent Alternative presents an exhaustive compilation of Merton's dissertations about the role of the Christian, the church, and the citizen in the function of peacekeeping. The book specifically targets the topics of nuclear warfare, the Cold War, and the arms race.

The reader will likely find the book at least slightly redundant of itself. The book contains constant references to catholic ideology -a fact which many non Catholics will likely find grating. However, the book challenges the logical processes of the reader and forces him or her into contemplations that the reader has unlikely grappled with before. The book presents a profound introduction to Merton as well as his rhetoric.

[Tomek · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a bit more focused on technical, theological arguments of nonviolence than his other works, namely Faith and Violence, making it slightly less accessible. That said, with the threat of nuclear holocaust still looming (if we only pause long enough to recognize it), racial injustice still permeating our social institutions, and violence still raging on nearly every front of our lives, this book's message is timeless. It offers a hopeful but concrete vision for the future and guidance on how it might be achieved.

[David Doel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of seeing the Bogers and Klehrs of Auschwitz as fabulous and myth-sized monsters, we come to recognize that people like them are all around us. All they need is the right kind of crisis, and they will blossom out. (page 158)

This book is a compilation of Thomas Merton's writings on war and nonviolence. The writings were done 60 years ago, when nuclear war seemed more of a threat, although I’m not certain that the threat is gone so much as forgotten alongside other threats.
The entire book is well worth reading. Some parts are better than others. I will list my favorites.

Original Child Bomb pp 3 - 11,
War in Origin and Saint Augustine (part of The Christian in World Crisis) pp 39 - 46,
Or the entire essay pp 20 - 62,
Peace and Protest: A Statement pp 67 - 69 (the best argument against the Vietnam War I have seen),
Christian Ethics and Nuclear War pp 82 - 87,
Target Equals City pp 94 - 102,
Passivity and Abuse of Authority pp 129 – 133,
An Enemy of the State pp 133 – 138,
Auschwitz: A Family Camp pp 150 – 159,
Danish Nonviolent Resistance to Hitler pp 165 - 167
Saint Maximus the Confessor on Nonviolence pp 172 – 177,
Faith and Violence pp 185 – 207
Blessed Are the Meek: The Christian Roots of Nonviolence pp 208 – 218
Ishi: A Meditation pp 248 – 253 (perhaps the most significant chapter in the book)
Prayer for Peace pp 268 - 270

Thomas Merton, in these pages, frequently refers to Saint Pope John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris. It would have been nice if it had been included as an appendix to this book.

[Na · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a little dated, but most of the premise is timeless.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tiny bit dated but still quite valid for our current world.