Opening New Horizons: Seeds of a Theology of Religious Pluralism in Thomas Merton’s Dialogue with D. T. Suzuki

by Joseph Quinn Raab

Publisher:

Pickwick Publications

, 2021

Overview

On the surface Christianity and Zen Buddhism can appear to be worlds apart, even antithetical. Christianity affirms the reality of the Tri-personal God and the eternal salvation of mortal human beings; Zen denies both the existence of God and the soul. Yet Thomas Merton, the Catholic spiritual master, and D. T. Suzuki, the famous teacher of Zen, engaged in an extensive dialogue and found ways of mutually affirming shared meanings of God and person that each regarded to be true. This book explores that dialogue within the larger context of Merton’s attraction to Buddhism and considers the implications of their achievement for contemporary theologies of religious pluralism.

Praise for Opening New Horizons

“Rarely has the ‘lion’s roar’ of interfaith dialogue been so keenly grasped as in this beautifully realized study. Joseph Raab approaches the Merton-Suzuki dialogue with the sensitivity of a poet and sophistication of a practiced theologian. Charting the idol-shattering friendship between Merton and Suzuki, Opening New Horizons unfolds like a Zen koan that invites deepening encounter with the mystery of God. Like the dialogue itself, Raab lays down lucid ‘stepping stones’ for others to follow.”

—Christopher Pramuk, author of Sophia: The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton



“This thoughtfully written volume explores Thomas Merton’s contemplative path in the light of his dialogue with notable religious figures such as the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, D. T. Suzuki, and others. Laying out the trinitarian features and theological underpinnings of Merton’s contemplative path, the author suggests ways toward ‘opening new horizons’ in Christian theology of religions.”

—Ruben L. F. Habito, author of Zen and the Spiritual Exercises



“In this challenging yet accessible volume, Joseph Raab convincingly shows how Thomas Merton’s ‘dialogue of religious experience,’ exemplified in his fruitful engagement with Zen scholar D. T. Suzuki, led not only to a recognition and appreciation of the wisdom and goodness present in other spiritual traditions, but to a deeper reflection on and insight into essential Christian beliefs on the nature of God, the centrality of Christ, authentic personhood, and the scope of salvation within and beyond the boundaries of the church. This is the most substantial and stimulating discussion of the explicitly theological dimension of Merton’s thought since Christopher Pramuk’s Sophia.”

—Patrick F. O’Connell, Gannon University



“Especially impressive in this work is the way Joseph Raab traces the ongoing expansion of Thomas Merton’s own horizons during his twenty-seven years as a monk. Crucial for this broadening was not only Merton’s own reading but also his interchange with persons like Daisetz Suzuki. Readers of this book will certainly find new horizons opening for themselves.”

—James A. Wiseman, OSB, The Catholic University of America



“A profound and knowledgeable exploration of Thomas Merton’s encounter with Zen Buddhism, beginning with his relationship with D. T. Suzuki, through Merton’s writings on Zen, to his final journey to the East. In Joseph Raab the reader has a dependable guide, one who has deeply mined Merton’s unique position as an exemplary initiator of monastic interfaith dialogue and who skillfully guides the reader through its lessons for today.”

—Paul M. Pearson, Thomas Merton Center



“The author’s careful study is timely in light of Pope Francis’s vindication of Merton in an address to the US Congress. Raab reminds us that Merton was a pioneer of interreligious dialogue and comparative theology. He beckons us to revisit Merton’s achievements in order to help us beyond current methodological impasses.”

—John D. Dadosky, Regis College/University of Toronto



“Perhaps the chief insight of Joseph Raab’s Opening New Horizons is his focus. Avoiding both thick postmodern approaches that focus on subsets of the traditions as well as any detached comparisons of ‘Buddhism’ vis-à-vis ‘Christianity,’ Raab offers a Merton horizon familiar to many, a horizon opening into insights beyond either the opacity of localized expressions or the overarching examinations of themes and doctrines that would first choose the fundamentals and then focus on their relationship, whether convergent or disparate. The very first sentence rejects dichotomous thinking, citing Pope Francis. Especially to be prized is Raab’s fulsome treatment of the interchanges between Merton and D. T. Suzuki, the most thorough and best account I have read.”

—John P. Keenan, Middlebury College

Product Details

• Title: Opening New Horizons: Seeds of a Theology of Religious Pluralism in Thomas Merton’s Dialogue with D. T. Suzuki
• Author: Joseph Quinn Raab
• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Print Publication Date: 2021
• Logos Release Date: 2021
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781725279384, 9781725279360, 9781725279377, 172527938X, 1725279363, 1725279371
• Resource ID: LLS:9781725279384
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T20:26:03Z

About the Author

Joseph Quinn Raab is Professor of Religious Studies and Theology at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Since 2012 he has served as coeditor of the Merton Annual: Studies in Culture, Spirituality, and Social Concerns.