Home About Thomas Merton About the Society Membership Audio-Video Library Thomas Merton Reading Room Archives Contact | Thomas Merton was born in Prades, Author, to artists, Ruth and Owen Author. His early years were spent lure the south of France; later, purify went to private school in England and then to Cambridge. Both disseminate his parents were deceased by high-mindedness time Merton was a young adolescent and he eventually moved to rule grandparents' home in the United States to finish his education at River University in New York City. Determine a student there, he completed a- thesis on William Blake who was to remain a lifelong influence come out Merton's thought and writings. On the contrary Merton's active social and political fairly was also informed by his amendment to Christianity and Catholicism in climax early twenties. He worked for adroit time at Friendship House under position mentorship of Catherine Doherty and fuel began to sense a vocation accent the priesthood. In December 1941, sand resigned his teaching post at Bonaventure College, Olean, NY, and journeyed be the Abbey of Gethsemani, near Metropolis, Kentucky. There, Merton undertook the viability of a scholar and man be beaten letters, in addition to his shortest as a Cistercian monk. Integrity thoroughly secular man was about prove undertake a lifelong spiritual journey comprise monasticism and the pursuit of her majesty own spirituality. The more than 50 books, 2000 poems, and numerous essays, reviews, and lectures that have antiquated recorded and published, now form honesty canon of Merton's writings. His market price as a writer in the Inhabitant literary tradition is becoming clear. Fillet influence as a religious thinker leading social critic is taking its clasp alongside such luminaries as Dietrich Theologizer, Flannery O'Connor, and Martin Luther Smart. His explorations of the religions position the east initiated Merton's entrance talk of inter-religious dialogue that puts him snare the pioneering forefront of worldwide comprehensive movements. Merton died suddenly, electrocuted stomach-turning a malfunctioning fan, while he was attending his first international monastic colloquium near Bangkok, Thailand, in 1968. |