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Contemplative

Thomas Merton

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August 2021

August 15, 2021

Thomas Merton: the Noisy Contemplative

N.B. Today's guest post is by Jon M. Sweeney. Jon is the author of numerous books,...

May 2021

May 18, 2021

“He Confuses a Lot of People” — Jon M. Sweeney on Writing About Thomas Merton

N.B. Today's guest post is by Jon M. Sweeney. Jon is the author of numerous books,...

July 2020

July 28, 2020

Questions After a Retreat: What Books to Read, What Steps to Take Next

Shortly after concluding my Praying with the Spanish Mystics Retreat, one of the persons who...

May 2019

May 06, 2019

I’m Uncomfortable with the Notion of the “False Self.” Here’s Why.

A reader named Dave recently sent this question to me: Hi Carl, could you please...

February 2019

February 08, 2019

Inter-Religious Spirituality and the Contemplative Renaissance: How Our Friends From Other Faiths Helped Christians Rediscover Our Spiritual Heart

Christianity has a long history of contemplative practice. But many scholars and spiritual teachers within...

January 2019

January 31, 2019

Religious Violence, Hate Crimes, and Contemplation

About ten miles or so from Thomas Merton Square in Louisville, KY — the street...

October 2018

October 02, 2018

How To Know When to Speak (and When to Be Silent)

Recently I posted this on Facebook: In response, a reader made this comment: Carl, it...

August 2018

August 11, 2018

The Contemplative Charism of the Humble Haiku (Anam Ċara in Verse, Part II)

N.B. Today’s guest post is by Judith Valente, poet, Benedictine oblate, and author of How to...

July 2018

July 16, 2018

Sarah Coakley on Thomas Merton: The Climate of Monastic Prayer

To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the last book Thomas Merton completed before his death,...

May 2018

May 16, 2018

Just What is Contemplation, Anyway? And Why Should I Care?

A Jesuit priest, a Trappist monk, and a Tibetan buddhist walked into a bar. (No,...

September 2017

September 04, 2017

Imagine Thomas Merton Teaching You a Class on Christian Mysticism…

Wouldn't it be great if you could have access to the lecture notes of a...

August 2016

August 16, 2016

Books for Beginning the Spiritual Journey

Here is a list of several books I recommend for spiritual seekers — especially those...

April 2015

April 08, 2015

Contemplation and Conflict, or, How the Prayer of Silence Changes the Way We Think About Possessions, Theft, and Just About Everything Else

I simply love this story of two desert fathers, which Thomas Merton recounts in his...

February 2015

February 19, 2015

The Dazzling Darkness

"There is in God (some say) A deep, but dazzling darkness" — Henry Vaughan “Truly,...

January 2015

January 31, 2015

Seven Essential Thomas Merton Books

Today is the 100th anniversary of Thomas Merton's birth. To celebrate this day here is...

January 20, 2015

Christian Mystics to Celebrate in 2015

2015 is something of a red-letter year for Christian contemplatives. This is the 100th anniversary of...

July 2014

July 27, 2014

Interfaith-Friendly Christianity?

Jesus, following the law of his people, instructed his followers to "love your neighbor as yourself."...

June 2014

June 01, 2014

“That God’s Love Might Live in Us” — A Few Lovely Words from Thomas Merton

I've been re-reading Thomas Merton's The Waters of Siloe for a class I'm teaching at the...