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New York Times best-selling author and monk, Thomas Merton, exploring the literature and spirituality of 20th century’s greatest novelist: James Joyce. Born in 1882 to a Catholic family in Dublin, James Joyce wrote some of the most acclaimed masterpieces of modern literature: Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Dubliners, and Finnegans Wake. Educated by Jesuits and deeply influenced by Thomas Aquinas, Joyce wove Catholicism into his works.

Travel into the desert with Thomas Merton as your guide. In the third century, men and women journeyed into the deserts of Syria and Egypt. Turning away from the world, they sought to find salvation in solitude. By doing so, they developed new forms of monasticism and spirituality. Now known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers, their wisdom remains as inspirational today as ever.

Learn about Irish Catholicism, early Christianity, and Eastern religions with Thomas Merton as your teacher. Recorded in March of 1968 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Celtic Spirituality: The Beginnings of Irish Monasticism investigates the history of Irish monasticism with special attention to St. Patrick.

Merton first looks at the "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy," which is, as Merton calls it, a work of supreme faith and the most important document on the liturgy in 1,600 years. He then explored the Vatican II's schemata on the religious life, which eventually culminated in the "Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life." Merton's lectures took place before this document was issued, so you will get a fascinating look at the inner workings of the church.

Follow the contemplative path with Thomas Merton as your guide. In 1942, Thomas Merton relinquished a promising academic career to join the Abbey of Gethsemani. Instead of running away from the world, however, he actually developed his most profound wisdom about it.

This set of six talks reveals a lesser-known side of Thomas Merton: an eminent critic and teacher of literature. His dual identity as a monk and literati make him the premier guide to poetic expression. As you listen along, you will enjoy moments of penetrating insight and reflection as often as moments of levity and laughter.

What is the function of the contemplative in the modern world? This question lies at the root of Thomas Merton’s extended contemplation of Franz Kafka’s dystopian novel, The Castle. Now, you have the rare opportunity to hear Merton - the English professor-turned-monk and a literary genius in his own right - discuss The Castle as a metaphor for the monastic life. Originally recorded in 1967 and newly remastered to enhance your listening experience, this audio set collects four talks on Kafka that Merton delivered during the month of June.

Study a premier Jewish writer of the 20th century with one of the century’s most important Catholic authors. This digitally remastered recording is part of Thomas Merton’s spoken word legacy, and it presents his voice at its most spiritually edifying. Originally recorded in February of 1968 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Thomas Merton on The Mystical Life and Martin Buber unpacks Buber's resonant Hasidic tales one at a time in a discussion-heavy class setting.

In the summer of 1967, religious communities around the world were experiencing a time of renewal and reflection. As monasteries sought to adopt practices prescribed by the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI asked two Cistercian monks to compose a message about the contemplative life. Those monks in turn sought the contributions of a fellow monk and master of contemplation - Thomas Merton.

Recorded in May of 1966 at at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, The Christian in the World contemplates the value of life on the premise that Christ died for a world he thought was worth dying for.

Hear Thomas Merton’s spiritually edifying voice. Originally recorded in August of 1965 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Greek Tragedy: Suffering Leads to Wisdom considers the parallels between ancient Greek models of suffering (with Sophocles’s play Antigone as an exponent) and Judeo-Christian ideas about suffering and the creation of meaning. This was among the last classes that Merton ever gave to the novice monks at Gethsemani.

Originally recorded in July of 1968 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Eastern Gurus: Holiness, Discipleship, and the Mystical Heart puts forth a prayerful meditation of gurus and Jesus. Now You Know Media - through our exclusive partnership with the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center - is proud to offer a wide selection of archival recordings of Thomas Merton: a Trappist monk, great 20th-century mystic, and beloved author of the 1948 autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain.

Recorded by a monk and mystic who changed the world, these newly remastered lectures showcase Thomas Merton's brilliant teaching. Originally delivered at the Abbey of Gethsemani to his fellow monks, Thomas Merton's talks invite you on a journey through monastic and contemplative history. Under his guidance, you will encounter the great figures of the Christian monastic tradition: St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Benedict, John Cassian, Basil, and Charlemagne.

As Christians, we are all called to be pilgrims, navigating the way to God. For many this pilgrimage is figurative, a spiritual journey that deepens our awareness. Some, however, choose to undertake physical journeys to the lands most sacred to our tradition. Now, you can join Thomas Merton in learning about one such fascinating journey and the spiritual significance pilgrimage has for all of us.

William Faulkner was undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers. Now, you can take Thomas Merton as your personal guide in discovering the literary and spiritual genius of Faulkner’s works.