Author Topic: Thomas Merton (Read 2268 times)

Marlelar · « **on:** June 28, 2013, 02:39:37 PM »

I know Merton went off the deep end later in life but what do you think of his early works like The Seven Story Mountain?

Marsha

Telesphorus · « **Reply #1 on:** June 28, 2013, 09:41:10 PM »

He was originally a Communist.

jen51 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 28, 2013, 09:51:25 PM »

I read a lot of his books about 4 years ago when I was Protestant. I got rid of them when I became Catholic.... mainly because some guy on EWTN warned against him, but just his later works.

Sorry, I'm not much help. I remember Seven Story Mountain, I really liked it. But I would have to skim through it again or read a summary in order to discuss it.

Larry · « **Reply #3 on:** June 29, 2013, 12:09:54 PM »

I really liked The Seven Story Mountain when I read it, but that was about 25 years ago when I first started taking the Faith seriously. I was pretty sad when I saw what happened to him in his later life. Alice Von Hildebrand once gave a talk at the Roman Forum called "The Tragedy of Thomas Merton". It may be available on the web, I'll search for it and see what I can come up with.

Luker · « **Reply #4 on:** June 30, 2013, 01:22:36 AM »

Didn't Thomas Merton become a buddist or something, near the end of his life?

Luke

Marlelar · « **Reply #5 on:** June 30, 2013, 02:03:57 AM »

Quote from: Luker

Didn't Thomas Merton become a buddist or something, near the end of his life?

Luke

I don't think he actually became Buddhist, but he certainly embraced many of the ideas of Eastern religions. That's what I meant by "going off the deep end".

I wonder why I got two thumbs down just for asking for opinions????

Marsha

Sigismund · « **Reply #6 on:** July 01, 2013, 05:50:34 PM »

Quote from: Luker

Didn't Thomas Merton become a buddist or something, near the end of his life?

Luke

Not formally, although he seemed to thing that Catholicism and Buddhism were completely compatible.

The Seven Storey Mountain is fine, as I recall, but it has been a long time. Some his other academics works on the history of the Cisctercian order or such topics are also okay. His later stuff I would expect is not, but I have not read it.

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #7 on:** July 01, 2013, 06:36:51 PM »

Merton was into the New Age Movement. His work should be avoided.

Napoli · « **Reply #8 on:** July 01, 2013, 10:19:57 PM »

Many liberal priests I have met in my life embraced Mertons works.

Larry · « **Reply #9 on:** July 03, 2013, 07:29:04 PM »

Here's a link to the talk I mentioned in my previous post by Alice Von Hildebrand on Merton. It's available on the Keep the Faith website. Unfortunately, it's not free(1.50). But here it is for anyone that is interested:

Tragedy of Thomas Merton

BTNYC · « **Reply #10 on:** August 01, 2013, 08:20:03 AM »

I'd recommend consigning his works (and those of Teilhard de Chardin, Kung, Rahner, & de Lubac while we're at it) to the same receptacle that houses your old coffee grounds, eggshells, and banana peels.