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In All Things

Merton on PBS

James Martin, S.J.June 05, 2009

Unlike many introductions to Thomas Merton, this new, short clip appearing today on PBS's "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly" website includes an introduction to the present-day Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, in Bardstown, Kentucky.  It also includes interviews with Paul Pearson, director of the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University (full disclosure: a friend), Morgan Atkinson, the filmmaker who made the movie "Soul Searcher," and Paul Quenon, a monk at Gethsemani, who had Merton as his spiritual director.  (My favorite quote in this short piece is his: "The essence of the Trappist life would be living in God, and I don’t think I would want to say much more than that.")  The R&E segment also includes rare footage of Merton speaking at an interfaith conference in Bangkok in 1968, just a few hours before his death.  Take a look at this segment. 

James Martin, SJ

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15 years 5 months ago
At the risk of sounding a bit over the top...I sometimes wonder what we would do without you, Fr. Martin, pointing the way to these wonderful posts.  As always, thank you.
15 years 5 months ago
Thanks Fr. Jim...  Many many memories of retreats past!  That place holds a special place in my heart.
15 years 5 months ago
The first time I heard of Thomas Merton was when I read Father Martin's book, My Life With the Saints. Since then I have read several books by Thomas Merton including The Seven Storey Mountain. Thank you Father Martin for introducing me to Merton and thank you for this clip.  

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