The Social Thought of Thomas Merton: The Way of Nonviolence and Peace for the Future

Overview Designed for College Students Taking Courses in Peace Studies, Social Thought and Christian Ethics This new edition traces the evolution of Thomas Merton’s social thought, particularly as it evolved toward a way of nonviolence and peacemaking grounded in contemplation and Christian love. It identifies the social context that shaped Merton, including civil rights and racism, the Vietnam War, and a growing nuclear threat. And it explores the religious influences and experiences that shaped Merton, including Catholic social teaching—particularly Pope John XXIII’s encyclical letter Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth)—the words and actions of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., the practice of contemplation and Zen, and Merton’s own life as a Trappist monk.