Thomas Merton’s Holistic Spirituality

“Pat O’Connell’s synthesis of Merton’s spirituality offers us a hope-filled book when hope is in short supply.” – From the Foreword by Bonnie B. Thurston

In Thomas Merton’s Holistic Spirituality, renowned Merton scholar Patrick F. O’Connell shares the fruit of decades of reading, reflecting, speaking, and writing about this captivating monastic figure. He explores the full range of the prolific Cistercian’s diverse contributions to contemporary Christian life and thought, unified by his conviction that “We must contain all divided worlds in ourselves and transcend them in Christ.” This commitment to integrating seemingly disparate concerns and interests, the historical with the contemporary, the spiritual with the secular, contemplative prayer with prophetic critique, monastic stability with life-long pilgrimage, constitutes what O’Connell names as Merton’s holistic spirituality. 

Drawing on both well-known and relatively little-studied sources, this book explores key themes and motifs that exemplify Merton’s commitment, never fully realized yet never relinquished, to what he called “final integration,” an inner unity grounded in the experience of divine love that extends to embrace the entire human community and all creation.