Thomas Merton & the Monastic Vision

This unique approach clearly reveals the paradox of Merton's life. Here was a person deeply involved in the cultural struggles of his day despite having made a conscious decision to draw away from the world in silence and solitude. With both pen and voice, Merton construed to face the most seething issues of the century, including the antiwar and civil-rights movements. Equally intriguing was Merton's dialogue with Zen Buddhism, a figurative and literal journey to the East that ended with his death in Bangkok in 1968.

Adding to the interest of this balanced and reliable biography is a foreword by Father Timothy Kelly, the current abbot of the Abbey of Gethsemani, who was himself a novice under Merton.