More of Merton's spirituality for the modern age, here in the form of talks given to nuns on retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. In December 1967 and May 1968, a small group of contemplative sisters met with Merton—or Father Louis, as he was known in religious life—to discuss the purpose of their vocations, the state of the world, the future of the Church, and the nature of prayer and contemplation. It was a time of tremendous uncertainty within the Church, when both the incidentals and the foundations of Catholicism had come under close internal scrutiny, and the very existence of religious life itself seemed threatened: Within a few years, thousands of monks and nuns were to repudiate their vows and return to secular life, and many congregations were to vanish entirely. This atmosphere of confusion is a strong presence in the talks and conversations that comprise this work, in which Merton and the sisters keep coming back to the question of ``What would you do if organized religious life were to disappear?'' Most of Merton's contributions, it must be said, sound pretty dated after 25 years—his excitement over Zen, his hopes that ``integration'' will help resolve ``the Negro question,'' his allusions to Marcuse and McLuhan—but he has some good things to say, especially on the organization of modern society (``Contemplative Life as a Prophetic Vocation'') and the processes of prayer (``Asceticism and Results''). His pronouncements concerning the nascent influence of feminism upon the Church (``The Feminine Mystique'') are sadly facile, however, and highlight one of Merton's great shortcomings as a thinker: his eagerness to pontificate upon unfamiliar themes. The sisters, oddly enough, seem even less sure of themselves here, and in their questions throughout sound more like Merton's straight-men than his colleagues. Pretty slim pickings: a few nice bits sunk in a sea of platitudes.
Pub Date: May 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-374-12893-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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