The Thomas Merton Society
of Great Britain & Ireland
Since 1993, The Thomas Merton Society of Great Britain & Ireland has been at the forefront of exploring the life & writings of Merton and his impact on the contemporary world, with conferences, retreats and the publication of the Merton Journal.
Coronavirus Pandemic
Although for many, self-isolation means a radical change in their circumstances, Merton saw that the frenetic pace of our modern society "isolates a man in the worst way, separates him from reality in a way that is almost painless." As he wrote in 'Solitude is not separation' in New Seeds of Contemplation, "The constant din of empty words and machine noises, the endless booming of loudspeakers end by making true communication and true communion almost impossible. Each individual in the mass is insulated by thick layers of insensibility." Self-isolation gives us all a chance to slow down, to take stock, to examine our motives and values, to rediscover our shared humanity amid all the pain and heartache of this crisis.
Complete text of 'Solitude is not Separation' - used with permission of the Merton Legacy Trust
On-line resources for exploring the
life, work and legacy of Thomas Merton
Video clips:
The conclusion of Merton's final lecture delivered in Bangkok on the day he died
Where to begin with Thomas Merton? - A brief guide by Dan Horan OFM
Fr Mathew Kelty on Thomas Merton Part 1 Part 2
Thomas Merton's Prayer - with a commentary by James Finley
Audio resources:
Recordings of Merton's lectures to his novices are available to download at Learn25. This company has taken over the distribution of the recordings previously issued by Nowyouknowmedia.com.
Encountering Silence has many podcasts available by such writers and teachers as Cynthia Bourgeault, Martin Laird, Richard Rohr, James Finley and Br Paul Quenon - the last two knew Merton personally. These talks offer insights into many of the themes explored by Merton including silence and contemplation.
Turning to the Mystics, a series of podcasts by James Finley which take us deep to the heart of Merton's insights on the true self.
Blogs: Many blogs post articles and features relating to Thomas Merton's work and legacy, including those by Fiona Gardner & Jim Forest.
(For any suggestions for blogs to be included here, email: website@thomasmertonsociety.org.uk)
The written word:
Merton wrote more than 50 books during his time as a Trappist monk, mostly on spirituality and social justice, along with many essays, reviews, volumes of poetry as well as extensive personal journals. A select bibliography
Links to related websites of interest:
Wikipedia article on Thomas Merton
The Thomas Merton Centre at Bellarmine University and The International Thomas Merton Society
Social Media
The Society has a Twitter account with daily Merton quotes: @Thomas MertonGBI
The Thomas Merton Center in Louisville's Twitter account: @MertonCenter
The Merton Collection
Over the years the Society has built up a comprehensive collection of books, journals and volumes of letters by Merton along with a wide range of critical commentaries on Merton's work as well as recordings of talks and conferences given by Merton. In recent years the collection has been housed at St Michael's Priory, Willen outside Milton Keynes. Following the Priory's closure in 2019, the collection has been moved to Turvey Abbey - though access at present to the collection is not possible.
Dates for your diary
Contemplation and Fruitful Action
Thursday 2nd – Saturday 4th April 2020
Due to the rapidly developing coronavirus epidemic, which had already led to a number of cancellations, we regrettably made the decision on 5th March, 2020, to cancel the Oakham Conference, our overriding concern at the time being the safety of all those concerned, not only of those attending but also of the staff at the school and of the wider public.
It has not been possible under the current circumstances to reschedule the conference.
We anticipate that our next conference will be held at Oakham School in 2022.
Conference Programmes for previous years can be found under the Resources tab at the top. Gordon Oyer's keynote presentation, 'Thomas Merton's Journey with Social Movements', given at the Oakham Conference in 2018 can be downloaded here.
Thou Inward Stranger
17th General meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society
St Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana
June 24th-27th, 2021
“Thou inward Stranger / Whom I have never seen”
Thomas Merton, “Stranger” (The Strange Islands, 1957)
In the 1940s, Thomas Merton began the interior journey in search of God through the contemplative monastic life. In response to a question from a student at St. Mary’s College in 1948, Merton wrote What Is Contemplation? – first published by Saint Mary’s president Sr. Madeleva Wolff, a pioneer in women’s graduate theological education. In monastic life, Merton became a self-designated “stranger” to the values of contemporary society. He later discovered through his revelation in downtown Louisville that, though he should be alienated from oppressive systems,on the human level, “There are no strangers!” Merton the mystic transcends the seeming contradiction of retreat from the world and love of humanity. Just as in Louisville he found he could “not be alien” to all the people “shining like the sun,” he wrote that in his hermitage and among the trees, “here I am not alien.”
Selected Recent Publications
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Shaped by the End You Live For: Bonnie Thurston |
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Guard the Human Image eds. Gary Hall & Detlev Cuntz |
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We Are All Poets Here Kathleen Tarr Publisher's Details Amazon Link |
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Writing Staight with Crooked Lines: Jim Forest |
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Merton and Indigenous Wisdom eds. J Montaldo & P Savastano |
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Dorothy Day: Dissenting Voice of the American Century John Loughery |
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Medieval Cistercian History: Initiation into the Monastic Tradition 9 Thomas Merton, ed. P O'Connell |
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Thomas Merton's Encounter with Buddhism and Beyond Jaechan Anselmo Park |
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A Course in Desert Spirituality: 15 Sessions with the Famous Trappist Monk Thomas Merton, ed. Jon Sweeney |
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Angelic Mistakes: The Art of Thomas Merton Roger Lipsey pbk edition |
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Touched by God's Spirit - How Merton, Van Gogh, Vanier & Rembrandt influenced Henri Nouwen's heart of compassion by Father Luke Penkett 28 March 2019 |
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On Thomas Merton by Mary Gordon 18 Dec 2018 |
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Silence, Joy - A Selection of Writings by Christopher Wait, ed. - 22 November 2018 |
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The Significance of the Writing of by Maryann Pasda Diedwardo |
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Superabundantly Alive: Thomas Merton's Dance with the Feminine by Susan McCaslin & J S Porter - 12 Nov 2018 |
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The Waters of Siloe by Thomas Merton - 15 October 2018 Publisher's Details Amazon Link |
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Cistercian Fathers and Forefathers: by Thomas Merton & Patrick O'Connell, ed. |
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Spiritual Voices by Eleanor Clitheroe & S Brooke Anderson, ed. Publisher's Details Amazon Link |
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Thomas Merton - Evil and Why We Suffer: From Purified Soul Theodicy to Zen by David E. Orberson - 18 June 2018 |
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In Praise of a Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir by Paul Quenon - 30 May 2018 |
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Where Prayer Flourishes by Thomas Merton - 31 May 2018 |
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Thomas Merton Meets the Unspeakable: Redezvous in Thailand by Jerome Donovan - pub. 1 May 2018 Publisher's Details Amazon Link |
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What I Am Living For: Lessons for Life from the Life and Writings of Thomas Merton by Jon M. Sweeney (editor) - pub. 30 April 2018 |
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The Monk's Record Player: Thomas Merton, Bob Dylan and the Perilous Summer of 1966 by Robert Hudson - pub. 30 April 2018 |
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Our Centenary Edition of The Merton Journal, Universal Vision, is an enlarged volume of 200 pages with contributors from across Europe. It explores Merton's profound legacy in a unique collection of essays and meditations; and it also includes some of Merton's own newly-discovered student articles from his time at Cambridge University in 1933-34. All members receive copies of the Journal. Further copies are available for £8.99 +P&P. Contact centenary.edition@thomasmertonsociety.org.uk for further details. |
Further recent publications can be found under the 'Publications' tab