Is Thomas Merton dangerous?

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DaveBj

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As a neophyte learning centering prayer and lectio and about to make my full Oblation as a Benedictine Oblate, I am concerned that I do not read the wrong books, anything that will led me down the wrong path. I only returned to the Church last July. So I am also trying to relearn and learn Catholic doctrine. Should I even be reading Thomas Merton, given my “infant” level of discernment?
I have his book on praying the psalms.

And if the “mantra” I use for centering prayer, since I use it to keep from getting distracted, which as an ADHD is a constant on-going battle, is somnething like “Jesus” repeated over and over, isn’t that OK?
 
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DaveBj:
If the “mantra” I use for centering prayer, since I use it to keep from getting distracted, which as an ADHD is a constant on-going battle, is somnething like “Jesus” repeated over and over, isn’t that OK?
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It sounds like you’re confusing centering prayer with mantra meditation.
 
It’s actually me who posted that ?, was using hubby’s computer. I only used the term mantra for convenience. I use the word Jesus or some other short phrase to center myself and get5 rid of the distractions. I’m not confusing the 2, and I intend to stay as far away from “Eastern” things as possible. I’m just concerned with what I’ve read about Merton on the forums recently.
 
OK. have read the old thread on Merton. Is his book on praying the Psalms still “safe,” i.e. early enough before he promulgated his errors? If not I will not read it and will get rid of it. I am very wary of being led into error. Adn I am not a liberal, but a very conservative, obedient to the letter of the Magisterium and the GIRM, etc.
 
I’m not even Catholic, but I wanted to say this much: I have seen an enormous difference between the Merton books that he edited himself (good), & those done by admirers after his death (not so good).
My own very personal take is that he was very careful to separate out what he might be looking into, in a purely intellectual way, from what he knew was truly Christian. After his death, a lot of things came out with his name on them, that were nothing like the books that he was so careful in working & re-working.
This always happens when a good/popular author dies; ordinarily, it is not a problem, because it’s a bad novel (or whatever). With someone like Thomas Merton, who was writing about matters of faith, it can be a big problem…
My own rule of thumb is, if it was published before he died, OK; if not, I don’t even bother with it.
(And someone else has undoubtedly all ready said this on another thread.):twocents:
 
Concerning “mantra prayer” and use of “the word Jesus”, all prayer is a dialogue with the Lord. Therefore it must not be the “use of a word,” but the “invocation of the Word” who was made flesh.

The Jesus Prayer is an ancient monastic prayer. Let the phrase run through your mind, over and over again: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

You don’t have to pay attention to the words, but you must make it a real prayer to Christ.

The difference between Christian prayer and far Eastern religions is that Christian prayer – even when it is contemplative, silent, meditative, transcendent, and unitive, remains always relational.

Merton does not always keep this in mind, and his account of prayer can sometimes verge toward the “use this word as a way to center yourself” when really prayer is about utterly humbling oneself and opening oneself to God.

I am no expert on Merton, but what little I have read and heard leads me to be cautious. Consider reading “The Way of a Pilgrim,” which – although written by a Russian Orthodox christian long ago – is eminently Catholic.
 
There are tons of authors who are not as controversial, but just as profound. Why not stick with them?
 
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b_justb:
Only if used in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.
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:rotfl:

Merton’s a great writer, and his books contain some wonderful insights. I read them as literature/pseudo-philosophy. But as others have pointed out, deep spirituality that is also theologically sound may be better found elsewhere.
 
Grace & Peace!

I’m reading a book that may be helpful in all of this discussion of mantra meditation, etc.–The Invocation of the Name of Jesus As Practiced in the Western Church by Rama Coomaraswamy, a devout Roman Catholic whose father was the Perennialist/Traditionalist Ananda Coomaraswamy. Rama’s book is a compendium of writings of saints and theologians from the Western Church (Bernardine of Sienne, John Eudes, Bonaventure, Aquinas, Chrysostom, Bernard, Anthony of Padua, Peter Canisius, Patrick…) on the practice of the Invocation of the Holy Name, with an introduction that is quite stunning, a long article on the Ave Maria, and an article on the Jesus Prayer in the Hesychast tradition of the Eastern Church.

Given Coomarawamy’s background, he does make reference to other religious traditions, but he does so with a mind to explication, not syncretism. As he writes himself in a note: “Reference to other religious cultures should not be interpreted as fostering any false syncretism. The author, of mixed cultural background, uses such references only in order to cast clearer light on Catholic principles. Justice requires that their source be identified.”

Anyway, it is a fantastic book.

Under the Mercy,
Mark

Deo Gratias!
 
At the parish that I used to attend there was chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society? Does anyone know whether the group (in general) follows his earlier or later writings?
 
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