Hidden Wholeness: The Visual World of Thomas Merton

by John Howard Griffin

Surveys the photographic achievements, monastic life, and thought of the Trappist Monk

147 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

John Howard Griffin was a white American journalist who is best known for his account, Black Like Me, in which he details the experience of darkening his skin and traveling as a black man through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia in 1959. (The racism that he encountered was so disturbing that he cut short the time that he had allotted for this very unique experiment, clearly demonstrating that no one would tolerate being treated as many blacks are, if he or she could possibly avoid it.)

Reviews

[Sophfronia Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book highlights the striking photography of the monk Thomas Merton and the stories these pictures relate of his life in his hermitage and the surrounding Kentucky woods and of his trip to Asia where he died in 1968. What's most touching is the author was a close friend of Merton's and he also happened to be the guy who gave Merton a good camera and encouraged his curiosity about photography. For his part in the book Griffin offers his own observations on Merton's life as well as photographs he took showing the monk in all the fullness of his humanity. I could tell Griffin took on this project with great love.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cool. It gave a pretty good overview of life at the monastery.

[Dariyn Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational and thought provoking of the monk Thomas Merton. THis book details his passion for praying and for taking photographs...and talks about how he uses his contemplative temperament in taking photos in nature.