Reblogging for future reference:
The Seven Storey Mountain: An Autobiography Of Faith, by Thomas Merton
In finishing this book I have completed the task of reading the books that various contemplative Christians have viewed as the 25 books that all Christians should read. I can honestly say that I likely would never have read the book had I not been encouraged to do so by this challenge [1]. Was it a worthwhile book to read? Absolutely. There was a lot to appreciate about this book. Yet, at the same time, I feel rather ambivalent about this book, specifically about Thomas Merton’s self-portrayal. I have read Catholics complaining about the Mertonization of contemporary Catholicism, and I can understand the nature of the problem in looking at this person, who comes off as being highly conflicted and even self-contradictory. It also seems as if Merton popularized a model of celebrity renunciation that others, like Henri Nouwen…
View original post 529 more words
James' Ramblings 