A second read of one of TM's later books. Also a read after reading more Jesuits philosophy. Became infatuated with TM 35 years ago. His mental and spiritual wanderings are internal and on this re-read sounded like spiritual naval gazing with the Catholic verbial trimmings (a lot of capital letters). But when one sits and prays and thinks without reflecting on actions never taken that is where a well meaning literary monk would end up,
But Catholicism is a large tent. Both TMs and Father James Martin's "God is where You Are" and the Jesuits "God in All things" can abide. ( )

This is another book I read years ago, and now cannot recall what it was like. ( )

Thoughtful and eloquent, as timely (or timeless) now as when it was originally published in 1956, Thoughts in Solitude addresses the pleasure of a solitary life, as well as the necessity for quiet reflection in an age when so little is private. Thomas Merton writes: "When society is made up of men who know no interior solitude it can no longer be held together by love: and consequently it is held together by a violent and abusive authority. But when men are violently deprived of the solitude and freedom which are their due, the society in which they live becomes putrid, it festers with servility, resentment and hate."

I've read this short book countless times and find great comfort in it. I believe solitude is a need all humans have, to varying degrees, and yet most of us don't take or make time for quiet contemplation.

There's a distinct pattern to Thomas Merton's writing in each chapter of Thoughts in Solitude, none of which is more than three or four pages. Merton makes an insightful assertion about living a spiritual life, immediately points out the dangers of misinterpreting either his point or one's own feelings about his point, lays out the benefits of applying his thoughts to one's actions, and admits how difficult it is. He's perfectly concise while still managing to delineate the progression of his thoughts, a talent that I probably respect most in any writer, but especially one with a religious focus. Because Merton is so succinct and direct, readers are forced to confront what he's saying head-on. This will probably make you uncomfortable, but hey, it'll be much more comfortable than THE FIRES OF HELL!!!

I'm exaggerating. While Merton does force us to ask tough questions of ourselves, there's nothing accusatory in his tone. My favorite aspect of his writing is his unique way of showcasing his struggles with living out his understanding of the spiritual life. He writes his own prayers at the end of several chapters (some long, some short) that are great in two ways. These prayers are a way for him to illustrate his personal struggles to the reader without having to pull the "Hey guys, we're all in the same boat! Let's get through it together!" hokeyness that so many Christian writers love, but more importantly, they're a great guide for those looking for help on the path to achieving what Merton wants us to achieve.

I'm looking for two things from non-fiction spiritual writing. I want the author to both reaffirm and challenge my thoughts (basically saying that I'm right but not right enough) and then challenge my actions, not based on the fact that they're naughty but rather that my actions don't gel with my revised thoughts. I think we all are to a certain extent aware that we live our lives in this way, but we aren't reminded of it in a productive manner. Thinking about it on our own tends to lead down a road of perpetual self-castigation rather than self-improvement. We need a quality outside resource to pair with our thoughts, and Merton provides that here.

Somewhat unrelated, I've been thinking a lot about how Merton is perceived by the modern reader. I love the guy and find his struggles with vices in his personal life both endearing and a good supplement to his writing. Other than the dolts who conflate imperfect humans and hypocrites, other than the irrepressible morons who somehow see failure to live up to one's own standards as a counterpoint to religion, I think most people appreciate a generally holy person's struggles that linger long after his religious epiphany has occurred. But the most important thing to remember is that even disliking Merton as a person is alright as long as it isn't affecting the way you live your life. Merton makes a great point in the book that alludes to the dangers of tying goodness to people rather than letting it stand on its own.

“The desire for virtue is frustrated in many men of good will by the distaste they instinctively feel for the false virtues of those who are supposed to be holy. Sinners have a very keen eye for false virtues and a very exacting idea of what virtue should be in a good man. If in the men who are supposed to be good they only see a “virtue” which is effectively less vital and less interesting than their own vices they will conclude that virtue has no meaning, and will cling to what they have although they hate it.”

Dismissing someone's ideas because of their personal failings is the ultimate "shoving your head inside your own asshole because someone else forgot to wipe" move (I don't know who I'm quoting there. Ben Franklin, maybe?). Don't do that, but do read the book. ( )