Thomas Merton - (Monastic Wisdom) by John Eudes Bamberger (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Like Bernard of Clairvaux, whose last act was to leave his cloister to mediate 'successfully 'between two nobles and prevent bloodshed, Thomas Merton found in the monastic life of prayer a source of strength, empathy, and understanding. To understand Merton, one must first know him as a Prophet of Monastic renewal.

John Eudes Bamberger entered Gethsemani Abbey in 1950, having earned an MD from the University of Cincinnati the previous year and done his internship at Georgetown University Hospital. A student of Thomas Merton from 1952-1955, he worked with Merton, after his ordination in 1956, in screening applicants to the abbey. He served as abbot of the Abbey of the Genesee, in New York state, from 1971 until 2001. Since returning from a term as superior in the Philippines, he lives in a hermitage at Genesee.

Review Quotes

The photo of Merton on the cover of Prophet of Renewal is intriguing enough to prompt careful attention to this perceptive analysis of Merton's contribution to returning contemplation to the centre of Christian, monastic and ecclesial prayer.Prairie Messenger

This book is destined to be one of the classics on Thomas Merton because of the nice mixture of scholarship and personal experience. Cistercian Studies Quarterly

Bamberger convincingly presents Merton as one who brought contemplation to the everyday person. He made the normal sacred and spiritual greatness accessible. . . . Contemplative prayer is no longer for the mystics and the solemnly professed; it is for all of humankind.Cistercian Studies Quarterly

This book captures the Cistercian spirit as embodied in the writings of Thomas Merton.Cistercian Studies Quarterly