Thomas Merton's Dark Path: The Inner Experience of a Contemplative

by William H. Shannon

A study of Merton's unpublished writings examines his opinions on contemplation, redemption, and the nature of grace

Genres: Spirituality

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1981

Reviews

[Phil Calandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another spiritual classic by Thomas Merton. What I like most in this book is that it serves as an excellent roadmap to several of Merton's classics such as "Seeds of Contemplation," "Seven Storey Mountain," "Ascent to Truth," and others. The author very deftly shows Merton's spiritual evolution in reviewing these books. These books compliment each other nicely and what Merton does not answer or explain well in one book, he does in another.
Merton's main theme is the comparison between "Active Contemplation" and "Infused Contemplation". Although it is inferred that "Infused Contemplation" may the superior of the two not everyone is "wired" for "Infused Contemplation" or the so called "Dark Path". Merton also states that although "Infused Contemplation" is the direct experience of "God" which penetrates to the deepest essence of "God" without conceptual knowledge, it does not necessarily mean a deeper love of "God" that can be achieved in "Active Contemplation".
Thomas Merton, as in several of his other books, affords the reader with deep spiritual insights into Christian Mysticism. His work is both spiritually uplifting and informative. I would highly recommend this book