Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is one of the foremost spiritual thinkers of the twentieth century.
He was also unique among religious leaders in his embrace of Eastern mysticism, positing it as complementary to the Western sacred.
An outspoken proponent of the antiwar and civil rights movements, he was both hailed as a prophet and castigated for his social criticism.
Though he lived a mostly solitary existence as a Trappist monk, he had a dynamic impact on world affairs through his writing.
Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is one of the foremost spiritual thinkers of the twentieth century