Thomas Merton, A Mystic Lover of Life

Summary

Thomas Merton was an American Catholic writer, mystic, and Trappist monk who died mysteriously in Bangkok, Thailand when he was 53 years old. The gifts he left behind from his short life were immense. He combined deep contemplation with social action. Here Fr. Matthew Fox shares his profound intersection with Merton via Creation Spirituality. It was Merton who suggested that Fox, who was a young Dominican at the time, go to Paris and pursue his doctorate. Through many years, Fox was stimulated by his correspondence with Merton. He takes us through a history lesson of the Roman Catholic Church and highlights such turning points as the introduction of original sin, which instituted a dualistic, pessimistic, and patriarchal view of the world. Fox also shares Merton’s view that technology and information will not save humanity, and analyzes the media and the capitalist system, as “giving the public what it wants in order to get the public’s money to increase profits.” Merton honored silence and understood that compassion contains action. Fox and Merton shared a similar path as they both explored Creation Spirituality. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)