AUDIOBOOK
Thomas Merton on The Cistercians: Sages of Silence
An Introduction to the Cistercian Order (1962)
Thomas Merton4.6
(15)
About
Join monk and mystic Thomas Merton on a journey through monastic and contemplative history.
In these talks delivered by Thomas Merton, you will gain a rich introduction to the monastic period of Church history, encountering such figures as St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Benedict, John Cassian, Basil, and Charlemagne. As you will come to discover, the history of monasticism is deeply intertwined with the greater history of Europe and the Christian contemplative tradition.
Join one of the twentieth century's great contemplative masters in deepening your understanding of the Christian life and spiritual history.
A bestselling author and mystic, Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk, and his monastic vision shaped his profound spirituality. In this series of lectures, he examines the founding of the Cistercian Order, of which the Trappists are a part, and what the early Cistercians can teach us today.
You will journey with Merton through the most vital events of Christian contemplative history. Explore Christian monasticism’s origins in the Desert Fathers and Mothers, who encountered God in inspiring and radical ways. Then, see how monasticism flourished under the St. Benedict, whose rule promoted the power of humility, work, and prayer.
Most importantly, you will see how the medieval Cistercians, founded at the Abbey of Cîteaux, have much to teach us about our world today. Facing the excesses of the Middle Ages, these inspiring spiritual ancestors sought lives of simplicity in order to make manifest their love of Christ. Theirs was a deeply contemplative practice in which they gave themselves over to God completely. With Merton as your guide, you will explore such topics as Lectio Divina, the conversion of manners, and the core values of the Trappist way of life.
Merton delivers these lectures with his signature grace, wit, and wisdom. In taking Merton as your guide, you will discover what it means to dedicate yourself to the search for God.
In these talks delivered by Thomas Merton, you will gain a rich introduction to the monastic period of Church history, encountering such figures as St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Benedict, John Cassian, Basil, and Charlemagne. As you will come to discover, the history of monasticism is deeply intertwined with the greater history of Europe and the Christian contemplative tradition.
Join one of the twentieth century's great contemplative masters in deepening your understanding of the Christian life and spiritual history.
A bestselling author and mystic, Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk, and his monastic vision shaped his profound spirituality. In this series of lectures, he examines the founding of the Cistercian Order, of which the Trappists are a part, and what the early Cistercians can teach us today.
You will journey with Merton through the most vital events of Christian contemplative history. Explore Christian monasticism’s origins in the Desert Fathers and Mothers, who encountered God in inspiring and radical ways. Then, see how monasticism flourished under the St. Benedict, whose rule promoted the power of humility, work, and prayer.
Most importantly, you will see how the medieval Cistercians, founded at the Abbey of Cîteaux, have much to teach us about our world today. Facing the excesses of the Middle Ages, these inspiring spiritual ancestors sought lives of simplicity in order to make manifest their love of Christ. Theirs was a deeply contemplative practice in which they gave themselves over to God completely. With Merton as your guide, you will explore such topics as Lectio Divina, the conversion of manners, and the core values of the Trappist way of life.
Merton delivers these lectures with his signature grace, wit, and wisdom. In taking Merton as your guide, you will discover what it means to dedicate yourself to the search for God.
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Reviews
"The Merton talks (any and all) are special because in addition to the sound quality being acceptable and the content being as rich as is found reading his books, one can get a sense of the kind of person Merton was that is hard to get just from reading: warm, down-to-earth, funny."
Stephen Cook, Mansfield, TX, US
"We are privileged to be ,flies on the wall, of his classroom as Merton leads the novices into the deeper insights of the Benedictine tradition. Highly recommended. "
Richard Bell
"I've read many published works of Merton and, even though his work is now decades old, more than ever, they speak to our world today. To hear him speaking in his own voice adds a dimension of humanness to him that writings alone cannot convey. Also, his sense of humor, something we seem to never catch a glimpse of in print, clearly comes to us."
Therese McAteer, Winterville, NC, USA