Nature was
always vital in Thomas Merton's life, from the long hours he spent as a
child watching his father paint landscapes in the fresh air, to his
final years of solitude in the hermitage at Our Lady of Gethsemani,
where he contemplated and wrote about the beauty of his surroundings.
Throughout his life, Merton's study of the natural world shaped his
spirituality in profound ways, and he was one of the first writers to
raise concern about ecological issues that have become critical in
recent years.
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In The Environmental
Vision of Thomas Merton, author Monica Weis suggests that
Merton's interest in nature, which developed significantly during his
years at the Abbey of Gethsemani, laid the foundation for his growing
environmental consciousness.
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Tracing
Merton's
awareness of the natural world from his childhood to the final years of
his life, Weis explores his deepening sense of place and desire for
solitude, his love and responsibility for all living things, and his
evolving ecological awareness.
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The Environmental Vision of Thomas Merton
by Monica Weis
The
University Press of Kentucky,
2011
Order
a copy
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