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Man of Dialogue: Thomas Merton’s Catholic Vision
2022 Catholic Media Association first place award in biography
How Catholic was Thomas Merton? Since his death in 1968, Merton’s Catholic identity has been regularly questioned, both by those who doubt the authenticity of his Catholicism given his commitment to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and by those who admire Merton as a thinker but see him as an aberration who rebelled against his Catholicism to articulate ideas that went against the church. In this book, Gregory K. Hillis illustrates that Merton’s thought was intertwined with his identity as a Catholic priest and emerged out of a thorough immersion in the church’s liturgical, theological, and spiritual tradition. In addition to providing a substantive introduction to Merton’s life and thought, this book illustrates that Merton was fundamentally shaped by his identity as a Roman Catholic.
How Catholic was Thomas Merton? Since his death in 1968, Merton’s Catholic identity has been regularly questioned, both by those who doubt the authenticity of his Catholicism given his commitment to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and by those who admire Merton as a thinker but see him as an aberration who rebelled against his Catholicism to articulate ideas that went against the church. In this book, Gregory K. Hillis illustrates that Merton’s thought was intertwined with his identity as a Catholic priest and emerged out of a thorough immersion in the church’s liturgical, theological, and spiritual tradition. In addition to providing a substantive introduction to Merton’s life and thought, this book illustrates that Merton was fundamentally shaped by his identity as a Roman Catholic.
320 pages, Paperback
Published November 21, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 29, 2024
Greg was a friend, so my review is necessarily biased. I read this as much to learn about Merton as to learn about my friend, and I learned a lot about both. I wished I’d read it when I could’ve told Greg that.
Greg writes persuasively that Merton is often misunderstood, and he does a good job of letting Merton’s own words tell his own story while keeping the book moving and well organized. Merton, like all of us, was a complicated and conflicted man. But his spirituality and faith have a lot to teach us all. And Greg writes in a clear and accessible way that allows the reader to find what resonates on a broad array of spiritual and social topics that animated Merton’s life.
Greg writes persuasively that Merton is often misunderstood, and he does a good job of letting Merton’s own words tell his own story while keeping the book moving and well organized. Merton, like all of us, was a complicated and conflicted man. But his spirituality and faith have a lot to teach us all. And Greg writes in a clear and accessible way that allows the reader to find what resonates on a broad array of spiritual and social topics that animated Merton’s life.
November 6, 2022
I found this biography of Thomas Merton in my library and really glad that I virtually picked it up. It is probably the best of the several I've read in the recent past.
What Hillis is trying to address is the conservative Catholic critique of Merton, that, in the later part of his life, he was drifting away from the Christian monasticism he originally exemplified towards an Eastern, Buddhist or non-Christian monasticism in his later life. Hillis addresses this by making a case (and a strong case, in my opinion) that Merton's writing and his monastic practice was always a very Catholic one, so his approach to Eastern monastics was in the spirit of dialogue, not a desire to change allegiances. I think Hillis makes his case, but then I'm sympathetic to Hillis' and, I think, Merton's dialogue style.
What I found most helpful in this book is the effort to engage in Merton's theological underpinnings. So many of the biographies I've read have focused on other things, but I had been looking for something to understand the background of what Merton was trying to say- both theologically and personally. Like most of us, Merton was a complex man and he was as unfaithful at times as he was faithful, so understanding what he was trying to do as well as what he did is really quite important. Hillis does this with a thorough understanding of Merton's writing (both published and journals) and a strong understanding of the theology behind it. I found myself learning more about Catholic, especially monastic, spirituality which was a plus.
I strongly recommend this book because it does take Merton seriously, both theologically, but also as a person. That is an achievement in any biography, but, with Merton, who rapidly becomes a cipher for whatever cause one might have (and this is both progressives and conservatives), that is a huge accomplishment.
What Hillis is trying to address is the conservative Catholic critique of Merton, that, in the later part of his life, he was drifting away from the Christian monasticism he originally exemplified towards an Eastern, Buddhist or non-Christian monasticism in his later life. Hillis addresses this by making a case (and a strong case, in my opinion) that Merton's writing and his monastic practice was always a very Catholic one, so his approach to Eastern monastics was in the spirit of dialogue, not a desire to change allegiances. I think Hillis makes his case, but then I'm sympathetic to Hillis' and, I think, Merton's dialogue style.
What I found most helpful in this book is the effort to engage in Merton's theological underpinnings. So many of the biographies I've read have focused on other things, but I had been looking for something to understand the background of what Merton was trying to say- both theologically and personally. Like most of us, Merton was a complex man and he was as unfaithful at times as he was faithful, so understanding what he was trying to do as well as what he did is really quite important. Hillis does this with a thorough understanding of Merton's writing (both published and journals) and a strong understanding of the theology behind it. I found myself learning more about Catholic, especially monastic, spirituality which was a plus.
I strongly recommend this book because it does take Merton seriously, both theologically, but also as a person. That is an achievement in any biography, but, with Merton, who rapidly becomes a cipher for whatever cause one might have (and this is both progressives and conservatives), that is a huge accomplishment.
January 1, 2022
Insightful, scholarly strong, a great read. A must-read for cradle Catholics to a better understanding of one's faith from the perspective of a convert. A look into the thinking of Merton and what faith meant to him as an expression of his Catholicism. an understanding that the Eucharist is a communal event that units all of us worldwide. Hillis shows us how for Merton Eucharist is the basis for praxis.
Lesson for all of us in the understanding of Merton as a human being and the difference it made.
Lesson for all of us in the understanding of Merton as a human being and the difference it made.
September 29, 2022
If you have read Merton's Seven Storey Mountain you might not find this as easy to read. However, it is difficult to put down and I often stopped to reflect upon what Merton had written in his journal. His reflection on the the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Mass are quite profound and inspiring.
He is truly a man who suffered and prayed. I consider him a Saint after reading this book. I would hope to have a small fraction of the faith and love he had for Christ and the Church. Walnut and 4th I hope to remind myself when I become agitated with people.
He is truly a man who suffered and prayed. I consider him a Saint after reading this book. I would hope to have a small fraction of the faith and love he had for Christ and the Church. Walnut and 4th I hope to remind myself when I become agitated with people.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews