A Monastic Introduction to Sacred Scripture: Novitiate Conferences on Scripture and Liturgy 1
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Among the numerous sets of conferences that Thomas Merton presented to young prospective monks during his decade (1955–1965) as novice master at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani is a wide-ranging introduction to biblical studies, made available for the first time in the present volume. Drawing on church tradition, teaching of recent papal documents, and scholarly resources of the time, he reveals the central importance of the Scriptures for the spiritual growth of his listeners. The extensive introduction situates material of these conferences in the context of Merton’s evolving engagement with the Bible from his own days as a student monk through the mature reflections from his final years on the biblical renewal in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. For Merton, at the heart of any meaningful reading of the Scriptures, not only for monks but for all Christians, is the invitation to respond not just intellectually but with the whole self, to recognize the gospel as “good news,” as a saving, liberating, consoling, challenging word, reflecting his fundamental belief that “the Holy Spirit enlightens us, in our reading, to see how our own lives are part of these great mysteries—how we are one with Jesus in them.”
- Presents the central role that the study of Scriptures plays in the growth of the spiritual life
- Invites Christians to approach the Gospel in a way that goes beyond the intellectual by responding to it wholly under the conviction that the Holy Spirit is the means through which we can grasp biblical truths that foster deep and integral spiritual growth
- Opens the way for exploration of Thomas Merton’s scholarly acquaintance with and use of Sacred Scripture
As a monk, Thomas Merton was totally immersed in sacred Scripture and, in this book, we encounter some of the earliest fruits of Merton’s own prayer, lectio, and study as he began teaching Scripture in the years immediately after his ordination. A Monastic Introduction to Sacred Scripture is a foretaste of the rich banquet that would flow from Merton’s pen in the ensuing years.
Paul M. Pearson, Thomas Merton Center
This book brilliantly elucidates the centrality of sacred Scripture in Merton’s monastic life and reveals his successful efforts to integrate modern exegetical methods with the ancient tradition of monastic biblical hermeneutics. O’Connell’s profoundly learned introduction and illuminating editorial notations situate Merton’s lectures within the broader frame of theological renewal unfolding before and throughout the Second Vatican Council. This work is an indispensable contribution to the field of Merton studies.
Joseph Q. Raab, Siena Heights University, co-editor of The Merton Annual
The history of monastic biblical interpretation ‘must not be studied from the outside,’ insists Thomas Merton, but demands ‘a deepened and experiential study, from within.’ This critical volume demonstrates Merton’s encounter with the Bible ‘from within’ prior to Vatican II, while underscoring just how transformed his reading of the Scriptures would be by his engagement with Jewish and Protestant voices during the 1960s. Editor Patrick O’Connell tracks that dramatic evolution to the great benefit of readers.
Christopher Pramuk, Regis University
- Title: A Monastic Introduction to Sacred Scripture: Novitiate Conferences on Scripture and Liturgy 1
- Author: Thomas Merton
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 08/27/2020
- Logos Release Date: 08/27/2020
- Pages: 244
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Resource ID: LLS:MNSTCNTRDCTNLT1
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2020-09-23T17:35:38Z