About the Thomas Merton course
Modern Mystics on Mondays
We often think that mysticism is a thing of the past, that the great mystics like Francis of Assisi, Julian of Norwich or Teresa of Avila are resigned to times long gone, and that mysticism died in the Reformations, the Enlightenment, or the Quietist Controversy. However, there are important mystical elements of all major world religions today including Christianity, and many 20th- and 21st-century figures exemplify mysticism.
This series looks at three prominent figures who have been described as modern or postmodern mystics: Thomas Merton, Evelyn Underhill and Simone Weil.
Each session is led by an expert on the figure discussed and will comprise of a 55-minute lecture, a 25-minute discussion of a set text (sent out two weeks prior to the session), and a 25-minute question and answer session.
This first session is on Thomas Merton, one of the most significant mystical writers of the 20th century.
The Trappist Monk, spiritual writer, and social critic Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is one of the most significant Christian mystics of the 20th Century. In addition to his numerous books and essays on prayer and contemplation, Merton was a keen social critic who taught modern Christians to see the unity of contemplation in action, especially regarding issues of social justice such as racism, poverty, and war.
Merton corresponded with hundreds of notable figures in global politics, literature, and church life, including Nobel Laurate Czeslaw Milosz, Dorothy Day, Pope John XXIII, Ernesto Cardenal, Jacques Maritain, John Howard Griffin, Evelyn Waugh, and many others. He was also a poet and artist, whose creative works continue to inspire readers and viewers. Known for his advocacy on behalf of peace making and profound interreligious friendships, including with HH The Dalai Lama, Merton was remembered by Pope Francis in 2015 as “above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.”
This course provides a brief introduction to his life, thought, and legacy.
The pre-reading is Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation (New York: New Directions, 1961), Chapters 5-7, pp 29-51. The reading will be circulated to course participants ahead of the course.
About the Tutor
Daniel Horan is the Director of the Center for Spirituality and a Professor of Philosophy, Religious Studies and Theology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. He has written extensively on Franciscan Spirituality and on the spirituality of Thomas Merton. His books (popular and academic) include The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton (2014), All God’s Creatures: A Theology of Creation (2018), Catholicity and Emerging Personhood: A Theological Anthropology (2019), The Way of the Franciscans: A Prayer Journey Through Lent (2021).
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