Ways of the Christian Mystics

by Thomas Merton

In a miniature collection of classic essays taken from the bestselling Mystics and Zen Masters, Thomas Merton examines the diverse ways Christians of vastly different times and places have regarded the meaning and method of the Way that leads to the highest levels of religious and metaphysical awareness.

130 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 1994

About the author

Thomas Merton, religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. In December 1941 he entered the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani and in May 1949 he was ordained to priesthood. He was a member of the convent of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, living there from 1941 to his death.
Merton wrote more than 50 books in a period of 27 years, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain (1948). His account of his spiritual journey inspired scores of World War II veterans, students, and teenagers to explore offerings of monasteries across the US. It is on National Review's list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the century.
Merton became a keen proponent of interfaith understanding, exploring Eastern religions through his study of mystic practice. His interfaith conversation, which preserved both Protestant and Catholic theological positions, helped to build mutual respect via their shared experiences at a period of heightened hostility. He is particularly known for having pioneered dialogue with prominent Asian spiritual figures, including the Dalai Lama XIV; Japanese writer D.T. Suzuki; Thai Buddhist monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, and Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He traveled extensively in the course of meeting with them and attending international conferences on religion. In addition, he wrote books on Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, and how Christianity is related to them. This was highly unusual at the time in the United States, particularly within the religious orders.

Reviews

[Edward Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second reading of this little book filled with large wisdom. Thomas Merton covers the main forms of Christian spirituality in its monastic form including looks at eremitics in mediaeval England. He ends with a sympathetic section on the Shakers of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. If one read only one chapter of this little book, this is the chapter to read.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

good, but not what I had hoped for. More academic in its' presentation. Best essay was probably the last one covering the Shakers and the Kentucky community.