Trappists

Of course, we're talking about Thomas Merton.

We discuss Merton's surprising path that led him deep into the Franciscan tradition, as well as the fascinating details as to why he became a Trappist monk and not a Franciscan friar.

Dan also unpacks how John Dunst Scotus's idea of particularity shaped Merton's famous teaching about the true self and the false self, and he also delves into how Scotus and St. Bonaventure both informed Merton's expansive Christology.

We discuss how a life grounded in contemplation freed Merton for prophetic engagement in the world, inter-religious dialogue, and exploring some of the most pressing social questions of his time.

made possible because of this kind of migration of Franciscan intellectuals from Europe to the United States.

So Merton is there as this is kind of unfolding.

It's the friars there that also encourage him to consider religious life further, and it leads him to go on retreat at the Trappist monastery at the Abbey of Gethsemane outside of Louisville, Kentucky.

And they encourage him to apply and he's accepted into that community and spends the rest of his adult life, about 27 years, as a Trappist monk.

Merton was this, um, guy, very talented, very accomplished, was in New York, wanted to be a writer, knew all these famous people.

And then long story short, he becomes a Catholic and then wants to become a Trappist monk, which is about as serious a monk as you can become-

Hmm

... living in silence and prayer.

I wonder if his perspective isn't tainted by his own marriage.

I mean, he was married and then The marriage, I think, was annulled, right? And he became a Trappist monk eventually.

Because I think that binary wouldn't be my favorite way of looking at it.

I don't think you're either best friends or, you know, mortal enemies.

He is the worshiper of nature, and he bears the external symbols of his passion as does the follower of some religious order.

To this body of real scientists belong those who, forgetting, like the Trappists of the Middle Ages, the world about them, live only in the laboratory, careless often in matters of food and dress because they no longer think of themselves.

Those who, through years of unwearied use of the microscope, become blind.

Those who, in their scientific ardor, inoculate themselves with tuberculosis germs.

Wow.

Her husband founded the Trappist Monk movement.

Richard of Chester.

Oh, he's my favorite Earl of Chester.

So I remember the advice.

The first session I had in spiritual direction with my spiritual director, who happened to be a Trappist monk for 17 years, and then he became a diocesan priest, and he said to me, I understand you're coming to me for spiritual direction and I want to direct you.

I'd be happy to help you grow in the spiritual life, but I want you to understand that Holy Mother Church is really your spiritual director.

And if you want to grow in the interior life, then I would recommend that you pay attention to the liturgical life of the church.

And I had a fair amount of money working at GE, but I wasn't satisfied.

And so what am I really made for? Who am I made for? And I come home one night and turn on the TV and there's a documentary about Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, and it just captivates me.

And I thought, gosh, maybe this is what I've been looking for this whole time.

And what's extraordinary to me is somebody asks you at one point, well, if you didn't have to think about money, you didn't have to think about anything else.

For me, it was something that was brand new.

I mean, I had obviously gone to mass and whatnot.

I wasn't super religious, but I turned on the TV and I saw this documentary about a Trappist monk.

And, you know, where someone perhaps in your situation might say, oh, my gosh, you know, I had enough of this and elementary school and high school.

Yes.

Thomas Merton, 20th century Trappist monk, Christian monk, theologian, mystic, author.

I pulled a quote from him because I just think it's so beautiful, and also he uses the word contemplation.

Christianity, you might hear it be ca-