Bibliograph

New seeds of contemplation, Thomas Merton ; introduction by Sue Monk Kidd

Type

Label

New seeds of contemplation, Thomas Merton ; introduction by Sue Monk Kidd

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

New seeds of contemplation

Oclc number

163603843

Responsibility statement

Thomas Merton ; introduction by Sue Monk Kidd

Summary

New Seeds of Contemplation is one of Thomas Merton's most widely read and best-loved books. Christians and non-Christians alike have joined in praising it as a notable successor in the meditative tradition of St. John of the Cross, The Cloud of Unknowing, and the medieval mystics, while others have compared Merton's reflections with those of Thoreau. New Seeds of Contemplation seeks to awaken the dormant inner depths of the spirit so long neglected by Western man, to nurture a deeply contemplative and mystical dimension in our lives. For Merton, "Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost, because men are not prepared to receive them: for such seeds as these cannot spring up anywhere except in the soil of freedom, spontaneity and love."

Table Of Contents

What is contemplation? -- What contemplation is not -- Seeds of contemplation -- Everything that is, is holy -- Things in their identity -- Pray for your own discovery -- Union and division -- Solitude is not separation -- We are one man -- A body of broken bones -- Learn to be alone -- The pure heart -- The moral theology of the devil -- Integrity -- Sentences -- The root of war is fear -- Hell as hatred -- Faith -- From faith to wisdom -- Tradition and revolution -- The mystery of Christ -- Life in Christ -- The woman clothed with the sun -- He who is not with me is against me -- Humility against despair -- Freedom under obedience -- What is liberty? -- Detachment -- Mental prayer -- Distraction -- The gift of understanding -- The night of the senses -- Journey through the wilderness -- The wrong flame -- Renunciation -- Inward destitution -- Sharing the fruits of contemplation -- Pure love -- The general dance

Classification