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A Course in Desert Spirituality: Fifteen Sessions with the Famous Trappist Monk
2020 Association of Catholic Publishers first place award in spirituality
Thomas Merton’s sessions with the young monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani showcase Merton’s brilliant ability to survey the key figures and synthesize their writings, inspiring his listeners and readers with what it means for the spiritual life. Like its companion volume, A Course in Christian Mysticism , this book is a collection of fifteen lectures that get to the heart of Merton’s belief that monastic wisdom and spirituality are applicable for everyone. This compact volume allows anyone to learn from one of the twentieth century's greatest Catholic spiritual teachers. The study materials at the back of the book, including additional primary source readings and thoughtful questions for reflection and discussion, make this an essential text for any student of Christian desert spirituality.
Thomas Merton’s sessions with the young monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani showcase Merton’s brilliant ability to survey the key figures and synthesize their writings, inspiring his listeners and readers with what it means for the spiritual life. Like its companion volume, A Course in Christian Mysticism , this book is a collection of fifteen lectures that get to the heart of Merton’s belief that monastic wisdom and spirituality are applicable for everyone. This compact volume allows anyone to learn from one of the twentieth century's greatest Catholic spiritual teachers. The study materials at the back of the book, including additional primary source readings and thoughtful questions for reflection and discussion, make this an essential text for any student of Christian desert spirituality.
- GenresTheologyChristianity
200 pages, Paperback
Published April 25, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 29, 2022
I've seen several complaints, here and elsewhere, about how this series of lectures seems to have been written specifically for monks rather than for the general public.
This is a series of lectures Merton originally gave to novitiates at the Abbey of Gethsemani, now collected into a single work; so yes, these talks were absolutely conceived for, and delivered to, new monks undergoing training at the abbey. Anyone looking for a self-help book of some sort or a commentary on modern Christian living is going to be sorely disappointed here.
That said, for anyone interested in the early Christian church; the origins of monasticism and the competing theologies that helped shape the Christian religion almost from its inception in the first and second centuries, this book is absolutely fascinating. It is Merton at his intellectual best and such a distinction from reading his theological and autobiographical works (which are, of course, also brilliant).
When I finished the book I felt as if I had completed a college course; which I suppose in some ways I had. The reader of this book will receive, in Merton's own words, the same instruction you g monks would have received over 50 years ago.
This will definitely go on my favorites shelf and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in church history or Merton himself.
This is a series of lectures Merton originally gave to novitiates at the Abbey of Gethsemani, now collected into a single work; so yes, these talks were absolutely conceived for, and delivered to, new monks undergoing training at the abbey. Anyone looking for a self-help book of some sort or a commentary on modern Christian living is going to be sorely disappointed here.
That said, for anyone interested in the early Christian church; the origins of monasticism and the competing theologies that helped shape the Christian religion almost from its inception in the first and second centuries, this book is absolutely fascinating. It is Merton at his intellectual best and such a distinction from reading his theological and autobiographical works (which are, of course, also brilliant).
When I finished the book I felt as if I had completed a college course; which I suppose in some ways I had. The reader of this book will receive, in Merton's own words, the same instruction you g monks would have received over 50 years ago.
This will definitely go on my favorites shelf and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in church history or Merton himself.
December 2, 2021
5/10
“When the senses are controled, the body becomes a finely tuned instrument for the use of the Holy Spirit.”
I doubt this series of lectures was the introduction that I needed to Merton, as it did not quite track with the picture of him set in my mind. What was delivered was a bland overview of different monastic orders. I like monastic orders as much as the next person, and yet I found most of his observations relatively surface level. I suppose I'll have to read more of his actual works, as many I respect have gained much from Merton. Still, I can see that Merton sees none of the divide between inward and outer life that I've so often struggled with, and that alone is reason to learn more from him.
Pslamity (the practice of saying the Pslams as if they were from you), is new for me, I'll have to try it.
“When the senses are controled, the body becomes a finely tuned instrument for the use of the Holy Spirit.”
I doubt this series of lectures was the introduction that I needed to Merton, as it did not quite track with the picture of him set in my mind. What was delivered was a bland overview of different monastic orders. I like monastic orders as much as the next person, and yet I found most of his observations relatively surface level. I suppose I'll have to read more of his actual works, as many I respect have gained much from Merton. Still, I can see that Merton sees none of the divide between inward and outer life that I've so often struggled with, and that alone is reason to learn more from him.
Pslamity (the practice of saying the Pslams as if they were from you), is new for me, I'll have to try it.
October 15, 2019
I don’t think this was the same book... I listened to nine Merton lectures on desert spirituality. Maybe this book is the formal bookified version of it? Never sure how or why some things don’t end up on Goodreads despite being on Audible.
I enjoyed this lectures though. Merton knows a lot and is funny and fairly ecumenical from what I could discern. I would read and listen to more of his work.
I enjoyed this lectures though. Merton knows a lot and is funny and fairly ecumenical from what I could discern. I would read and listen to more of his work.
December 2, 2022
While a helpful overview and primer, as an edited collation of lecture notes ultimately, A Course in Desert Spirituality lacks some of the coherent readability that A Course in Christian Mysticism largely managed to present.
October 14, 2021
The introduction said that it is "not only for monks." It is really just for monks.
October 23, 2022
Am citit ediția în limba română, apărută la editura Paralela 45, sub numele de „Înțelepciunea părinților deșertului” (traducere și note de Mihai Liță).
Este un adevărat compendiu de teologie patristică, ce pune punctul pe i pentru fiecare dintre marile spirite ale creștinismului răsăritean și în parte și apusean, de la părinții apostoloci până la Filoxenie din Mabbug, practic, întreaga perioadă patristică. Este adevărat, sunt trecute sub tăcere personalități importante, mai ales din zona isihasmului, lucru cumva de înțeles, dat fiind faptul că autorul este un teolog apusean, care cel mai probabil nu a înțeles esența isihasmului și fiind conștient de această lipsă a sa personală, a preferat să nu îl aducă în discuție decât punctual acolo unde nu se putea trece peste.
Dar în linii mari este un studiu bine realizat, cu multe părți bune, dintre care amintesc, reabilitarea lui Origen, punerea în valoare a lui Grigorie de Nissa sau accentul pus pe gândirea lui Ioan Cassian.
Recomand studiul lui Thomas Merton, atât teologilor, cât și celor ce sunt pur și simplu însetați de a cunoaște cât mai multe din istoria creștinismului și din înțelepciunea părinților deșertului și a marilor teologi ai primelor 8 secole ale Bisericii.
Este un adevărat compendiu de teologie patristică, ce pune punctul pe i pentru fiecare dintre marile spirite ale creștinismului răsăritean și în parte și apusean, de la părinții apostoloci până la Filoxenie din Mabbug, practic, întreaga perioadă patristică. Este adevărat, sunt trecute sub tăcere personalități importante, mai ales din zona isihasmului, lucru cumva de înțeles, dat fiind faptul că autorul este un teolog apusean, care cel mai probabil nu a înțeles esența isihasmului și fiind conștient de această lipsă a sa personală, a preferat să nu îl aducă în discuție decât punctual acolo unde nu se putea trece peste.
Dar în linii mari este un studiu bine realizat, cu multe părți bune, dintre care amintesc, reabilitarea lui Origen, punerea în valoare a lui Grigorie de Nissa sau accentul pus pe gândirea lui Ioan Cassian.
Recomand studiul lui Thomas Merton, atât teologilor, cât și celor ce sunt pur și simplu însetați de a cunoaște cât mai multe din istoria creștinismului și din înțelepciunea părinților deșertului și a marilor teologi ai primelor 8 secole ale Bisericii.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews