Life and Holiness

Thomas Merton (1915-1968), Trappist monk, author, and peacea activist, came to international prominence at a young age with his classic autobiography, The Seven Story Mountain. Over the rest of his life he wrote prolifically on a vast range of topics, including prayer, interior growth, social responsibility, violence, and war. Toward the end of his life he played a significant role in introducing Eastern religions to the West. He is regarded today as a spiritual master, a brilliant religious writer. and a man who embodied the quest for God and human solidarity in the modern world.