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Bread in the Wilderness
The Psalms, which Thomas Merton called "one of the most valid forms of prayer for men of all time," are the most significant and influential collection of religious poems ever written, summing up the theology of the Old Testament and serving as daily nourishment for the devout. Bread in the Wilderness sets forth Merton's belief that "the Psalms acquire, for those who know how to enter into them, a surprising depth, a marvelous and inexhaustible actuality. They are bread, miraculously provided by Christ, to feed those who have followed Him into the wilderness." Merton's goal in this moving book is to help the reader enter into the "The secret is placed in the hands of each Christian. It only needs to be discovered and fulfilled in our own lives." The new ND Classic edition of Bread in the Wilderness faithfully reproduces the beautiful, large-format original 1953 New Directions books, created by the celebrated designer Alvin Lustig and lavishly illustrated throughout with photographs of a remarkable medieval crucifix at Perpignan, France.
146 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
70 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Merton
554 books1,900 followersThomas 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 26, 2017
I have been reading the psalms aloud during my prayer time almost daily for about a year now and find myself unable to connect with the psalms at times to the point where I wonder whether it is meaningful to continue. So I decided to read this book. I am still processing it but I can say for now that it is very very deep and it has made me hungry not to merely read the psalms but to really enter in and pray them.
As always, Thomas Merton`s writing blows me away.
One to read and reread.
As always, Thomas Merton`s writing blows me away.
One to read and reread.
February 2, 2021
This was recommended to me by a monk as a classic. As someone who was attracted to, but was very challenged by, the language of the psalms, it gave me a deeper appreciation. Merton is always poetic, and brings out the deeper meaning in (to me) the sometimes opaque language. It felt like a revelation, and I would recommend to anyone seeking a way into appreciation of the psalms.
August 24, 2012
i thought this was great and a really personaLly useful explication of The Body as Word. I think this book exemplifies TM's style of thinking in general. Awesome.
A year and a half later now... This slender work has directly led me to a much much more mature position from which to study and worship within the psalter.
Crazy good!
A year and a half later now... This slender work has directly led me to a much much more mature position from which to study and worship within the psalter.
Crazy good!
November 12, 2022
Merton’s book interprets the Psalms from the Old Testament in light of the Catholic liturgy of the mass, especially the Eucharist, or communion. Just as the manna Yahweh sent down for nourishment provided life for the Israelites who were wandering in the desert, so does the communion bread, in this view, become the nourishing body of Christ, available to people in their own modern “wilderness.”
At the outset Merton emphasizes that he is not writing a systematic treatise but rather a collection of notes that would appeal mostly to monks, especially in their singing of the Psalms. That said, there are a surprising number of insights. An important one is that the Psalms shouldn’t be seen as “spiritual instruments which will lead us into some special psychological state.” Rather, when sung, spoken, or read, they provide a kind of spiritual experience of God that enables us to continue with our ordinary lives. In the same way, the manna in the desert enabled the Israelites to struggle on across the desert. What it didn’t do was to remove the wilderness or immediately transport them out of it.
Merton sees the Psalms as the “songs of Christ.” “They are the images of God in this world. Singing them, we become more fully incorporated into the mystery of God’s action in human history.” That usually involves the extremes of hope and despair in the actions of humanity as they alternately embrace and reject compassionate and forgiving God. But compassionate and forgiving as the Creator may be he is also capable of great destruction and power, as suggested by the natural and even cosmic symbolism of some of the Psalms.
This destructive power causes the suffering and anguish expressed by humanity in the Psalms and reflected in the Catholic mass being called a “sacrifice.” Its benefit is that it can lead to holiness. Suffering is not the cause of holiness, but its occasion. Love, Merton says, is expressed in sacrifice and that is what makes us holy. We achieve goodness, or holiness, not by undergoing pain, but by overcoming it. That is what the Psalms say to us
Merton concludes by emphasizing that the liturgy of the mass “does not have to bring Christ from heaven. It is the manifestation of his presence and his power on earth.” It is not a future kingdom that is being prepared for, but instead a kingdom that has already come. Heaven is within us, and the Psalms are the language of the Kingdom. However, the Psalms were spoken by prophets to people who were able to understand them. Not everyone will see the Psalms in the way Merton understands them and while I think a consistent correlation between the psalms and the Eucharist is missing. there are enough original ideas to make a reading worthwhile.
At the outset Merton emphasizes that he is not writing a systematic treatise but rather a collection of notes that would appeal mostly to monks, especially in their singing of the Psalms. That said, there are a surprising number of insights. An important one is that the Psalms shouldn’t be seen as “spiritual instruments which will lead us into some special psychological state.” Rather, when sung, spoken, or read, they provide a kind of spiritual experience of God that enables us to continue with our ordinary lives. In the same way, the manna in the desert enabled the Israelites to struggle on across the desert. What it didn’t do was to remove the wilderness or immediately transport them out of it.
Merton sees the Psalms as the “songs of Christ.” “They are the images of God in this world. Singing them, we become more fully incorporated into the mystery of God’s action in human history.” That usually involves the extremes of hope and despair in the actions of humanity as they alternately embrace and reject compassionate and forgiving God. But compassionate and forgiving as the Creator may be he is also capable of great destruction and power, as suggested by the natural and even cosmic symbolism of some of the Psalms.
This destructive power causes the suffering and anguish expressed by humanity in the Psalms and reflected in the Catholic mass being called a “sacrifice.” Its benefit is that it can lead to holiness. Suffering is not the cause of holiness, but its occasion. Love, Merton says, is expressed in sacrifice and that is what makes us holy. We achieve goodness, or holiness, not by undergoing pain, but by overcoming it. That is what the Psalms say to us
Merton concludes by emphasizing that the liturgy of the mass “does not have to bring Christ from heaven. It is the manifestation of his presence and his power on earth.” It is not a future kingdom that is being prepared for, but instead a kingdom that has already come. Heaven is within us, and the Psalms are the language of the Kingdom. However, the Psalms were spoken by prophets to people who were able to understand them. Not everyone will see the Psalms in the way Merton understands them and while I think a consistent correlation between the psalms and the Eucharist is missing. there are enough original ideas to make a reading worthwhile.
March 20, 2023
(not quite my cover, mine is in grey, with no square in the upper left corner)
Aaanyway... the Psalms can be seen as bread Christ uses to feed us in the wilderness of this world (which brings to mind the two versions of feeding certain number people with bread and fish in the Gospels). This is a 1953 collection of personal notes on chanting these Psalms by him and some other monks, and how it nourishes a monk's interior life; these notes could be used as meditations on the subject. Also there are reasons why they are one of the most valid forms of prayer, and more than just 'literature'.
There are many short writings in here: things like why do it, finding Christ and hidden meanings within them, what misunderstanding there are about chanting them, how Holy Ghost helps us with doing this, how it can nourish solitary prayer afterwards, their poetic nature, how the troubles mentioned in the Psalms help us in our troubles and helps us generally to continue through our fatigue moments, how sometimes they can bring us deep into contemplation (even its highest moments)... and they offers joys to us.
I could perhaps go into more details (my notes certainly look like I noticed many). The length of chapters and the feel of ease - and depth - in the writings made this so worth it. It made me think more about the Psalms... I'm glad that another round of going through them is still ahead with the Bible I'm currently reading; now I can appreciate them even more.
Aaanyway... the Psalms can be seen as bread Christ uses to feed us in the wilderness of this world (which brings to mind the two versions of feeding certain number people with bread and fish in the Gospels). This is a 1953 collection of personal notes on chanting these Psalms by him and some other monks, and how it nourishes a monk's interior life; these notes could be used as meditations on the subject. Also there are reasons why they are one of the most valid forms of prayer, and more than just 'literature'.
There are many short writings in here: things like why do it, finding Christ and hidden meanings within them, what misunderstanding there are about chanting them, how Holy Ghost helps us with doing this, how it can nourish solitary prayer afterwards, their poetic nature, how the troubles mentioned in the Psalms help us in our troubles and helps us generally to continue through our fatigue moments, how sometimes they can bring us deep into contemplation (even its highest moments)... and they offers joys to us.
I could perhaps go into more details (my notes certainly look like I noticed many). The length of chapters and the feel of ease - and depth - in the writings made this so worth it. It made me think more about the Psalms... I'm glad that another round of going through them is still ahead with the Bible I'm currently reading; now I can appreciate them even more.
December 22, 2017
Seldom has a book been so personally impacting on so many different levels as Merton's Bread in the Wilderness. It explores liturgical theology in the vein of Schmemann, sheds light on certain personal experiences in a way similar to Lewis, and echoes the Christian philosophy of Marion and Tillich all while being a thorough and accessible primer on Roman Catholic ecclesiology as well as an extended essay in appreciating - and praying - the Psalms. "Accessible" is a key word here, for Merton can be dense when discussing the contemplative life. But here his writing seems purposely geared to the novice. And while that has meant beginners in the monastic tradition, Merton is sure to emphasize that finding Christ in the Psalms and in the liturgy is a golden opportunity to experience God no matter what one's vocation may be. This book gets my personal seal of approval and hearty recommendation (fwiw).
July 27, 2018
Despite a litany of various headings, sub-headings and chapter titles, the book does not stray far from its main points, which relate to the monastic practice of reciting the psalms as a ritual. Merton is quite clear on the matter, that their must be a heartfelt reading, instead of just a recitation to satisfy some quota. He says it is better to recite just ten verses, with a genuine heartfelt feeling, a sincerity, than to recite ten entire psalms by rote.
May 18, 2018
Physically beautiful and overwhelming deep and difficult read. Definitely full of the Mertonesque takeaways found in many of his books. The book, with its size, feel, and potency; is recommended for any book shelf with Spirituality, Religion, or Contemplation space.
June 27, 2021
Bread in the Wilderness was written for a narrow audience: he considers the psalms as the primary prayer book for the monastic office. Along the way he plumbs such topics as charity, sacrifice, mass, and liberty.
November 12, 2021
Didn’t know what to expect from this. It’s more like an explanation of how the Psalms fit into catholic theology and liturgy than a journal of his experiences with the Psalms. I guess those two things aren’t necessarily at odds with each other, but this book didn’t do much for me.
November 6, 2022
Opened my eyes
As one who has undertaken reading the Divine Office as often as I can, this book has been a revelation and has heightened both my understanding and my desire to make it part of my daily prayer regimen.
As one who has undertaken reading the Divine Office as often as I can, this book has been a revelation and has heightened both my understanding and my desire to make it part of my daily prayer regimen.
March 15, 2025
An excellent spiritual look at the Psalms and their relationship to the Liturgy.
May 12, 2022
Merton writes: "The Psalms acquire, for those who know how to enter into them, a surprising depth, a marvelous and inexhaustible actuality. They are bread, miraculously provided by Christ, to feed those who have followed Him into the wilderness." Avowedly "slanted", the book is not technical, but rather concentrates on the spirit of the Psalter and our approach to acquiring that spirit. There is continual stress on the role of the Psalms in relation to contemplation and charity.
We use the Psalms correctly when their substance is possessed and lived. This we achieve through love. This love leads us to fulfill the Law by understnding it more deeply and by adhering to it more faithfully. In this we see reality as it is and in living the truth we ourselves become true.
We use the Psalms correctly when their substance is possessed and lived. This we achieve through love. This love leads us to fulfill the Law by understnding it more deeply and by adhering to it more faithfully. In this we see reality as it is and in living the truth we ourselves become true.
December 15, 2014
Tons of information. I've found the book most enjoyable in reading chapters in random order. If we are to endure this holiday season with Padre Pio in the streets, Rabelais by a bowl of black licorice and a pint of burgundy, Augustine in intense, crystal clear nocturne, then Bread in the Wilderness makes the perfect companion, parallel, of blowing softly on a hot cup of tea, lighting an incense, and absorbing beatific meaning in the fractured world. How could one ever own a TV again? I must now go meet up with my Hindu friends before a ten mile walk to retrieve The Waters of Siloe, return home, bake bread, and return to my study. I have two major outlines for projects I have to put off because I have been so blessed with a perfect stockade of texts. The Gift: Experential recognition.
June 12, 2014
I expected more from the author of Seven Storied Mountain, and was so disappointed. Published in 1954 this is a great example of the bankrupt inner spirituality of the Roman Church at the time. Vatican II was only a few years away, and the dead spirituality in this book is an example of why reform was needed.
I suppose if you are intent on monastic living under the illusion that separating from humanity will allow you to find God, this book might inspire you. I find God, however, in the people around me needing help.
I suppose if you are intent on monastic living under the illusion that separating from humanity will allow you to find God, this book might inspire you. I find God, however, in the people around me needing help.
April 18, 2014
Fantastic. Highly recommended. I only gave it 3 stars because Merton takes for granted that the reader of his work is the person in a religious occupation (esp. a monk), who interacts with the psalter on a regular basis. If that's not you, then this is not the book to begin with for a study of the psalms. Otherwise, full steam ahead.
January 21, 2009
very thought provoking book on the Psalms.
August 3, 2010
This is a profound study of the Psalms. I study it often.
August 8, 2014
Whatever has been said by other commenters my opinion is that it is a very spiritual book, you feel blessed by reading it and taking what you need to know and to use.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews