Run to the Mountain: The Story of a VocationThe Journal of Thomas Merton, Volume 1: 1939-1941 (The Journals of Thomas Merton)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.92 (880 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0060654759 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 512 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-07-08 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
When Thomas Merton died accidentally in Bangkok in 1968, the beloved Trappist monk's will specified that his personal diaries not be published for 25 years -- presumably because they contained his uncensored thoughts and feelings. Now, a quarter of a century has passed since Merton's death, and the journals are the last major piece of writing to appear by the 20th century's most important spiritual writer.The first of seven volumes, Run to the Mountain offers an intimate glimpse at the inner life of a young, pre-monastic Merton. Merton playfully lists everything from his favorite lines of poetry and songs to the things he most loves and hates.Thomas Merton was an inveterate diarist; his journals offer a complete and candid look at the rich transformations of his adult life. As Brother Patrick Hart, general editor of the series notes, "Perhaps his best writing can be found in the journals, where he was expressing what was deepest in his heart with no thought of censorship. With their publication we will have as complete a picture of Thomas Merton as we can hope to have.". Here readers will witness the insatiably curious graduate student in New York's Greenwich Village give way to the tentative spiritual seeker and brilliant writer
NotATameLion said the hatching of a heart. A good friend of mine sent me all seven volumes of Merton's journals. It was a gift of immeasurable worth and value. I will no doubt still be reading through these wonderful books for years to come.Having just finished the first volume, "Run to the Mountain," I stand in awe of the sheer depth and scope of the life we've each been given. The life presented here, that of Thomas Merton, is remarkable in many ways. "Run to the Mountain" is the chronicl. "An account of the first steps of a spiritual journey" according to A Customer. An outstanding account of the beginning of a vocation. From the first stirrings of spirituality to the full fleged desire to enter a monastery, Fr. Merton records his faith and doubts, his triumphs and disasters, his hopes and fears. His writing is eloquent yet simple. And his style becomes more free and prayerful as he comes closer to entering the Trappist monastery at Gethsemani. A wonderful book to feed and encourage the soul of anyone on a spir. Steve Harper said The Breadth of Sanctity. To read the journals if Thomas Merton is to be brought face-to-face with the fact that following God not only deepens our lives, it also broadens them. As we come to know the God of life, we find ourselves becoming interested in all sorts of things. Merton is "alive to life," and this shines through in his journals, whether he is reviewing a book, recording impressions of a trip, wrestling with a decision, or writing a prayer.
This collection is a fascinating personal glimpse into the intellectual and spiritual sources of that influence. As the subtitle promises, it is the story of a vocation, and as any complete story of a vocation must be, it is the story of the time in which the vocation was formed. Steve Schroeder. Moments of brilliance are intertwined with ordinariness lifted to extraordinary heights by increasingly disciplined reflection. From Booklist This first of seven volumes of Merton's journals consists of writings that predate his entrance into the Trappist monastery of Gethsemani. Merton was already one of the most influential spiritual writers of the twentieth century when he died unexpectedly in 1968, and in the more than 25 years since, his influence has continued to grow. The book will be of particular interest not only to those who seek a greater understanding of Merton, but also to those who seek a greater understanding of spiritual development