Contemplation in a world of action

the long version

The spiritual and psychological insights of these essays were nurtured in a monastic milieu, but their issues are universally human. Merton lays a foundation for personal growth and transformation through fidelity to "our own truth and inner being." Our desire and need to attain "a fully human and personal identity" is the focus of Merton's concern. The republication of this classic in a newly restored, corrected edition is the first of Gethsemani Studies, a series of books that explores, through the twin perspectives of psychology and religion, the dynamics and depths of being fully human.