Thomas Merton: Contemplative Critic

by Henri J.M. Nouwen

English (translation)
Original Dutch

Genres: Spirituality, Biography, Faith, Prayer, Nonfiction, Christian Living

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, psychologist, professor, and spiritual writer whose work profoundly shaped contemporary Christian spirituality. Born in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, in 1932, Nouwen pursued religious studies and was ordained a priest in 1957. His intellectual curiosity led him to study psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen and later at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, where he explored the connection between faith and mental health. Throughout his life, Nouwen remained committed to integrating pastoral care, psychology, and spiritual theology in a way that addressed the emotional and existential needs of believers.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My life is a listening. His is a speaking. My salvation is to hear and respond. For this, my life must be silent. Hence, my silence is my salvation." —Merton

This book is about moving into solitude and silence in order to move closer to God and to others. It is spectacular. I wrote "wow" in the margins of my paperback at least 15 times, and this book is barely 151 pages long.

Merton's comments on racial tension during the Civil Rights movement were phenomenal. Listen to this quote (although I am going to say Black people instead of "the Negro" because this is not 1968):

Because of the impotency and frustration of a society that sees itself involved in difficulties which . . . promise to be insuperable. Actually, there is no reason why they should be insuperable, but as long as white society persists in clinging to its present condition and to its own image of itself as the only acceptable reality, the problem will remain without reasonable solution, and there will inevitably be violence. [emphasis mine]
The problem is this: if Black people....enter wholly into white society, then that society is going to be radically changed. [emphasis his!]

Merton has a profound grasp on the character of God, His relationship with humanity, and humanity's relationship with itself. This introduction to him, through Nouwen, has really made me think.

This book lost me just a bit by the last chapter, when he was talking about Zen + Christianity. But I don't fault him that I wasn't tracking. It's been a long day, and it was somewhat esoteric. Maybe when I reread it, it will make more sense.

Five stars have been awarded to Mr. Merton because dang son. Dang.

Total score: 5/5 stars

[Susy Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to know more about Thomas Merton, and wasn't ready to tackle his book, The Seven Story Mountain. This book was smaller, and written by someone I've read and respect, so I went with it. Can't say I learned a lot, but I also read it in small chunks so maybe I lost the context and flow of the material.

This book was divided into two parts; For Instruction and For Meditation. The later part was broken down as journal entries and they referenced page numbers. I was confused on whose journal and what pages it was referencing. I did enjoy the very end where he talks about "discovery of the East," talking about Tzu and zen. Glad I read it, not sure I know much more about Merton...yet.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite introductions to Merton.

[Betsy Schwarzentraub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henri Nouwen’s Pray to Live gave me a fascinating way into the otherwise overwhelming depths of spirituality and activism of Thomas Merton, one of the most impressive contemplatives of our time. Having heard Father Nouwen speak in person, I wasn’t surprised to find his writing humble, clear, and accessible. He touches on Merton’s lifelong themes of solitude, silence, compassion, and radical advocacy for others.

Nouwen gives powerful glimpses into Merton’s attraction to contemplation; his use of silence, non-violence, and self-imposed poverty; and the “solitude of heart” that prompted his personal commitment to the human race. The book is filled with quoted jewels from Merton’s books, clustering them for our current meditation. I found many timeless gems that continue to unsettle and inspire me.

“My life is a listening. [Christ’s] is a speaking,” says Merton. “There is greater comfort in the substance of silence than in the answer to a question. Eternity is in the present. Eternity is in the palm of the hand.” For this and more, Pray to Live is an outstanding read.
Betsy Schwarzentraub

[Catrina Berka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had a hard time finding books by Nouwen or Merton, so when I found this gem of Nouwen's summary and compilation of Merton's work, I was sold! Nouwen does an excellent job of framing Merton's life and writing in an accessible way. The book is short, giving the reader a taste of Merton. I'm even more determined to track down Seeds of Destruction now!

[Dom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nouwen, one of my favorite authors, does an adequate job of making Merton’s philsophy and theology more accessible, as well as giving historical context to his development as a thinker. I particularly enjoyed Nouwen/Merton’s writings on Zen and Christianity found near the end of the book

[5greenway · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, clear, well-written short overview. The sections on Merton engaging with race and the civil rights movement were particularly interesting and new to me.

[Eunsung · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was interesting getting a view of Fr. Louis [Thomas Merton:] through Henri Nouwen's eyes. I am currently living at L'Arche Daybreak, the community Fr. Henri lived in before he died, and the man has almost become myth and legend. The book has helped me to keep both Fr. Louis and Fr. Henri's humanity in mind. Both seemed to have sought peace and love in their own way.