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Edward

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Edward is Currently Reading

Edward is currently reading

Knickerbocker's History of New York, Complete

by Washington Irving

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Jun 25, 2026 11:28AM

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The Return of the Native

by Thomas Hardy

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Jun 25, 2026 11:27AM

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Turning Toward the World: The Pivotal Years; The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 4: 1960-1963

by Thomas Merton

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read in May 2022

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Edward said: " Thomas Merton in this journal, (volume 4 of 7) unpublished by request until 25 years after his death in l968, reveals a far-ranging and restless mind that extends well beyond the confines of his Trappist monastery. He is always questioning convention Thomas Merton in this journal, (volume 4 of 7) unpublished by request until 25 years after his death in l968, reveals a far-ranging and restless mind that extends well beyond the confines of his Trappist monastery. He is always questioning conventional thinking, both inside and outside the monastery. He sees the monastery and the world as two sides of the same reality and inextricably intertwined. But always at the center of his concerns was his spiritual desire to become closer to God.

One important concern that he had was his opposition to the arms race, the nuclear armaments buildup of both the United States and the Soviet Union, one he was convinced could only lead to a nuclear war. The buildup led, too, to a permanent military mentality in the United States which he deplored. His views were not shared by many within the Catholic Church and he received much criticism. At the same time he realized that his stance could be distorted into violent action and lead to what he called “psychotics in the peace movement.”

Merton always faced questions about how a Trappist monk who had withdrawn from the world could be so popular as a writer. Monasteries have as their purpose a submission and witnessing to goals beyond the purely materialistic ones of secular society, After Merton’s autobiographical account of his life and his decision to enter a monastery in THE SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN, anything he wrote became publishable and brought in money for the monastery. Wasn’t this a conflict of interest?

Not necessarily. Merton always felt the need to reach out, to communicate with all kinds of people, Christians and non-Christians. He was a writer and felt the need to continue writing, both for publication and for himself in these private journals. He expressed opinions on what he considered the right kind of life for a monk. He thought it could go beyond conventional monastic prayers and rites and expand a monk’s consciousness. He often commented on the need for thoughtful experimentation about what could best benefit a monk’s, or anyone’s, consciousness and in the end, his holiness. Again, there was questioning of his motives, both on his part, and on the part of his superiors who often suspected him of having an inflated ego.

Toward the end of Merton’s life, he was drawn to the study of Buddhism, and that beginning interest is reflected in these earlier journals. He writes, “Buddhist texts are often far closer to the depth of Catholic truth” than worn-out 19th century intellectual cliché's that try to instill faith. He doesn’t develop his idea here, but I think he is responding as a poet, one who is seeking meaning through imagery and analogy.

Merton’s journals are always interesting reading as they depict the struggles of an man who is both ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary in his questioning, his honesty as to his inadequacies, and extraordinary in his incredibly wide range of interests and his attempts to fuse them into a meaningful whole, one that would guide his life. ...more "

May 19, 2022 10:53AM · see review