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1. In class, we have spent a good amount
of time just trying to understand Thomas Merton's biography. What strikes you as particularly interesting
about Merton's biography? Also, why do
you think that so many people found and continue to find Thomas Merton to be such
an interesting and important religious figure?
2. Start of by explaining Clarke's distinction
between a dependent being and a necessary being that we covered in class when
we talked about some of the arguments for God's existence. Next, look at pages 185-189 from The Seven
Storey Mountain. Here Merton talks about
some of the thoughts/ideas he came across that led him to convert from his wild
ways in the past to Christianity. One of
these ideas involves a particular idea about God that he learned from a book
written by a French philosopher, namely, Etienne Gilson's The Spirit of
Medieval Philosophy. What concept did
Merton learn about God from Gilson?
Moreover, do you see any similarities between this concept from Gilson
that Merton talks about and Clarke's idea of a necessary being? If so, explain. Last, Merton talks about how this concept
regarding God made a "profound impression" on him and how it
"revolutionized" his life. Why
do you think that this concept made such as "profound impression" on
him and "revolutionized" his life?
3. Look at pages 346-364 of The Seven
Storey Mountain. Here Merton talks about
what it was like to visit The Abbey of Gethsemani for the first time in his
life. The first time his visited The
Abbey of Gethsemani was for a retreat around Easter time during 1941. Before he visited Gethsemani for the first
time, Merton researched a bit about different types of Christian hermits. Starting on page 346 Merton talks a bit about
what fascinated him about the life of Carthusian hermits and some of their hermitages
at Camaldolese. Explain in your own
words what Merton found so fascinating and refreshing about the Carthusian
hermits and some of their hermitages at Camaldolese. After this, Merton goes on to talk about his
first trip to Gethsemani, and he goes into great detail about this. What stands out to you as interesting, significant,
and important in Merton's account of his first visit to Gethsemani. At one point, Merton says this about
Gethsemani, "This is the center of all the vitality that is in America. This is the cause and reason why the nation
is holding together. These men, hidden
in the anonymity of their choir and their white cowls, are doing for their land
what no army, no congress, no president could ever do as such: they are winning
for it the grace and the protection and the friendship of God" (356). What do you think that Merton is saying here?
4. Look at pages 140-142 of Conjectures
of a Guilty Bystander. Here Merton
describes his famous "4th and Walnut" epiphany that happened in
downtown Louisville. We will be visiting
this spot on our trip to Louisville, because it was extremely significant in
Merton life. It is so significant that
the state of Kentucky has put a landmark there to Merton that we will see. Describe in your own words what happened to
Merton at 4th and Walnut. Also, do you think the insight Merton had was a good one?
5. I have given you Merton's preface to
his book Faith and Violence. He starts
off telling a provocative story. Summarize
the story he tells in your own words.
Last, he uses this story as a way to make some provocative and fiery
comments about "faith."
Explain what you take Merton to be saying about "faith" with
this story. Last, do you agree with
Merton? Why or why not?
6. I have given you a short essay from
Merton called "Target Equals City."
Here Merton talks about some of his views on the wars of his time. One thing he talks about throughout this
piece is the dropping of the atom bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World
War II. From what Merton says in this piece,
do you think that he believed dropping the atom bomb was ethical? Why or why not (be sure to include a quote or
two to support your view)? Last, do you
agree with Merton? Why or why not?
Kenzie Hassfurther
ReplyDelete1. I find it interesting that Merton had a moment of conversion to the Catholic tradition. I also find it interesting that he lived in solitude in a hermitage to ponder about God in silence. I think people found him interesting because they could relate to him. With Merton’s writing, it seems that people felt he was speaking to them. His writing and way of thinking made people think about life’s big questions and about their faith. He gave faith a different view, and people found him interesting. He had an important impact in the world due to being a monk and how he lived his life.
2. A dependent being is a being that did not have to exist, but it does exist. It exists because something else made it. A necessary being depends on nothing to exist. It existed forever and has no parents that made it. God is an example of a necessary being. From Gilson’s book, Merton learned of the word aseitas. It means the power of a being to exist absolutely in virtue of itself, not caused by itself, but as requiring no cause, no other justification for its existence except that its very nature is to exist. I do see similarities between the concept from Gilson that Merton talks about and Clarke’s idea of a necessary being. Both state that the being always existed. The being depends on nothing to exist. The being was always there, and nothing caused it to exist. I think this concept made such a profound impression on Merton because he discovered a new concept of God. It showed him at once that the belief of Catholics was not what he thought it was. He says God exists a se, of and by and by reason of himself, and that God must enjoy complete independence not only as regards everything outside but also as regards everything within Himself. Merton’s discovery of these concepts changed him, and the impact changed his way of life.
3. The life of Carthusian hermits and some of their hermitages at Camaldolese fascinated Merton because of the seclusion and solitude of their lives. The issues and problems of the world could not reach them. They found Christ and had the power of His love working in them. In Merton’s first trip to Gethsemani, I thought it was interesting that Merton was overcome with the power of solitude and how peaceful it was. I also thought it was significant that Merton had a moment when he could no longer pray and read anymore, and had to take a walk to clear his mind. Then he pondered the idea of becoming a monk. He also prayed the Stations of the Cross and at the end of the 14th station, prayed for the grace of a vocation to the Trappists if it were pleasing to God. In the text about Gethsemani being the center of all the vitality that is in America, I think Merton is saying the monks are there to pray for people and for this world to God. They are providing more spiritual support for the world. What the country and world are doing based on the government is not enough. In the end, everything is in God’s hands.
Hi Kenzie,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post and I think it shows some good thinking. I wanted to ask you a follow up to 3. You did a great job talking about the hermits and how they withdraw from the world to focus on God through prayer and meditation.
Here's a question: these hermits found inspiration for withdrawing from society and focusing on God through prayer and meditation in a deep and extended way through the life of Christ. They thought that there was a particular event in the life of Jesus where He withdrew from the world and spent a while focusing on God through prayer and meditation, and, in turn, hermits and monks such as the Trappists and Cistercians see precedent for what they do today in this moment of Christ's life. Thus, my question for you is whether you have any thoughts on the event/moment in Christ's life that hermits and monks such as the Trappists and Cistercians are trying to model and follow through their practice of withdrawing from society and focusing on God through prayer and meditation?
Best,
Prof Gehring
Thomas Scott
DeleteI totally agree with you about how people feel as if he is speaking to them. This helps me still find him very interesting in this point. You make a good points about how he made an impact in the world. Also he helps me think about how monks are not just spiritual people they are also human beings. What was his biggest impact in the world as a monk or as a human? But I was wondering how he still speaks to them and in what ways?
Kenzie Hassfurther
ReplyDelete4. Merton went to downtown Louisville at 4th and Walnut and was overwhelmed because he realized he loved the people around him and realized that they were not strangers. Everyone belongs to God, and Merton says the idea is insane that people think they are better than others. As a monk, he and others choose to make a profession out of being conscious of God and everyone belonging to God. Though they are somewhat out of the world, they share the world with everyone else. Then, Merton realized the depths of the people’s hearts. If only they could see themselves in the eyes that each belongs to God. He then says there would be no more war and hatred in the world. It seems as if Merton wants to help the people of this world. I think his insight was a good one, but kind of peculiar coming from a monk who lives in solitude.
5. Merton tells the story of two men going into the woods. One man was drunk, and the other man was sober. In the woods, they were attacked and robbed. When they got out of the woods, people asked them if they made it okay. The drunken one said everything went fine, and the sober one told them not to believe the drunken one. The sober one told them how they were attacked and they should be warned and look out for themselves. Merton says for some people faith seems to be a drunkenness that keeps them from realizing that anything could ever go wrong. Then he says this type of faith can be in the world of violence and make it seem like violence is fine. This enables people to go through life without seeing their own violence as disaster. He also questions that if we awaken, we could discover that our destruction comes from the root of hate in ourselves. In a sense, I do agree with Merton. I think many people today do have faith like this. How some people say love blinds you, I think faith can blind people, too. If they have faith and think nothing bad will ever happen to them that seems illogical to me. They need to realize how to handle things if the situation goes wrong, and need to turn to God to help them instead of violence and hatred in themselves.
6. From what Merton says in his essay, I think he believed dropping the atom bomb was unethical. He questions what has become of the meaning, “just war.” He also has a statement saying, “Neither invasion of Japan nor the use of the bomb was absolutely necessary for peace.” He also speaks about the Christian moral sense being eroded and worn down by the effect of different situations. He also says there is only one winner in war, and that is war itself. I do agree with Merton on his views that I mentioned. I think there is so much violence in the world today, and war itself is truly the only winner in war. I agree with Merton that the Christian moral sense is being worn down, not only about war, but other ethical issues, as well.
Hi Kenzie,
DeleteReply to Question 6
I like the points you made about Thomas Merton’s view on the dropping of the atom bomb being unethical. I think the quote you used does a terrific job of expressing his feelings on this issue. I also agree with you that there is too much violence in the world today. You mentioned that Thomas Merton believes that the Christian moral sense is being eroded and worn down by the effects of different situations. Could you elaborate on this and explain the types of different situations that erode and wear down the Christian moral sense? You also state that you agree with Merton that the Christian moral sense is being worn down, not only on war, but on other ethical issues as well. Could you please elaborate a little more on this? What specific ethical issues are you referring to?
Jonathan Brey
Thomas Scott
ReplyDelete1. Thomas Merton was a very famous person and one of the things that made him so famous was his autobiography called “The Seven Storey Mountain”. This book was number three on the New York Times Best Seller list in 1948. Also what made him so interesting was his radical change from such a party person into a Trappist Monk. The thing that strikes me the most was his ability to balance his monk life and being a human. The reason people find him still relevant today is because the things he wrote about was timeless. These things are still in very much question today and people find the things he wrote helpful in finding themselves and their religious spirit.
2. Clarke says that dependent beings are beings that depend on other beings to create them and that they exist because something made them. Necessary beings are beings that does not depend on another being to make them and they have no parents. He learned that Catholics were not avoiding science but using science to prove the existence of God which really made him think. Also Gilson was saying that God did not exist because someone created him but yet he existed because it is God’s nature to exist. Yes I do they are very similar almost to the point that it is the same argument. I think Merton thought God wasn’t being proved by science and that it was only just people trying to explain God and when he read that God was too big to explain he kind of had a feeling like that was right.
3. He felt as if they were away from everyone else in the world and he found that really refreshing in that he could get away from the world. He also found that they were able to still function without having to do anything about the rest of the world. He felt that since they were poor and didn’t have anything they had everything they needed. The funny thing I read was he didn’t see the monastery as a prison because he was separated from the world he felt that he didn’t know the world until he went there. Also what I found interesting was his mind was made up before he even went there to visit he just knew from pictures. He is saying that these people are the reason the USA is able to still function because they are praying for the mercy of God in all that they do.
Hi Thomas,
DeleteI thought you raised some good points in your blog post. In question 1, you said you thought people were drawn to him because the things he wrote about were timeless. You mentioned that these things are still in question today. I was hoping you could clarify what some of these things were specifically. I would also like to know what your thoughts on his topics were that are timeless and how they are relevant in today’s world.
Kenzie Hassfurther
4. He all of a sudden had realization that everyone around him was and is human just like him. He also realized that he wanted them to become the best they could be spiritually and also as humans. Like made him feel a great love for every single person around him. His eyes got open almost to the point that he felt as if he was asleep before this point and now he saw the world in a different light and that the people around him were his brothers and sisters. I think it is always a good thing or people to come to a realization and that now he feels important to the world but not as if he was the only person in the world. I have always wanted to have one of these but I have not been quite fortunate enough yet to have an epiphany.
ReplyDelete5. Two men went into the woods on was drunk the other was not. Both of these men were robbed and beaten and when they got back to town they were asked if they got everywhere ok and the drunk said yeah they were fine while the other said that it was horrible. Then he goes on to say that nonbelievers think to have faith you have to be blind and that nothing will ever go wrong but Merton believes the very opposite and that faith is more of an awakening then blindness. He also says that violence to protect our faith is ok except it is when the Negro is the one that wants to fight for his faith. I do agree with Merton to have faith in something is not to have blind faith in it but to realize that sometimes things mess up but that faith helps us keep going no matter what that faith is based in, religious faith or faith in oneself. This does help me think about faith in the wrong things though such as money or power.
6. Merton certainly did not think that bombing Nagasaki and Hiroshima was the answer he thinks, “Traditional standards no longer applied because, for one thing, there was no longer any distinction between civilian and combatant”. He thinks the “only one winner in war” is war itself because with all the killing and destruction war is the one getting all the benefit of these things not human kind. He thinks since Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese that we should still not have gone into war because war is such a bad thing. Which some points I agree with him about the bombing part I think that was very unnecessary because I thought why are we bombing civilians when it is the military doing all the fighting not the civilians. But, at the same time doing nothing says just as much or even more than doing something. Merton is correct about a lot of his points and backs them up pretty well.
Thomas,
DeleteI agree with you that Merton backs up his points well in question 6. He provides enough information for us to see that war isn't a good thing. I also agree with you when you said that not doing something is just as bad, if not worse, as joining the war after Pearl Harbor. Do you think that we would have the same qualms today if we were to bomb Japan and it was to "save lives"?
-Savannah Stivers
Hi Thomas,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post and I think it shows some great thinking. I wanted to see if you could expand on something you said in your answer to 5. You talked about how Merton's views on faith made you think about having faith in the wrong things - like power and money. I am wondering if you could elaborate a bit more on that idea, which I found intriguing. What do you think that faith in power and money looks like, and why do you think that faith in those things is wrong?
Best,
Prof Gehring
Savannah Stivers
ReplyDelete1. Something that strikes me as interesting about Merton is how he started out. He was the wild child that was turned into a monk. Most people don’t think that is something that actually happens. He went from being someone who did everything from partying, intercourse, and communist rallies to someone who prays seven times a day and praises God. It appears as though he pulled a 180 and people find that fascinating. It shows them that they could do the same thing with their lives if it was their desire to. I think people continue to find Merton an important religious figure because he voiced his opinions. He was able to relate to the religiously devoted and the “ordinary” people and that fascinated everyone.
2. A dependent being is someone who has a creator and a necessary being is someone or something that didn’t have a creator. Necessary beings don’t depend on anything to exist. They just exist. Merton learned from Gilson that God is a being that exists, not for himself, but for everyone. God is pure and he doesn’t do things selfishly, he does things for everyone he loves. I do see similarities between Gilson and Clarke’s theories. Clarke said that there was a necessary being for everyone to be here and Gilson is explaining that God is a being who doesn’t exist because he was created but he exists because he is necessary for everyone else. I think that this revolutionized Merton’s life because he had never thought of God as being selfless and existing for everyone else. I think that he was intrigued by the idea that God existed for us.
3. Merton found hermits and hermitages fascinating because he wanted peace and silence like they did. He wanted to be able to think for himself and enjoy solitude. He understood that they were cut off from the world and that they became part of God when they put all of their love and time into Him. He wanted to be loved by God and become part of it like the monks. I find it interesting that he was affected so much by just walking through the doors. I think he was so shocked by how much God’s presence was there and it wasn’t something he was ready for. I believe Merton is talking about how the monks pray for everyone. They don’t pray to be selfish. They want the world to continue and they pray for peace and not war. They don’t like war (naturally) and they want the world to be peaceful. I think Merton is saying that God graces us with mercy because of the monks who pray for all of us and devote their lives to God. He shows mercy to us because someone is decent enough to ask for forgiveness for us. Even if we don’t ask forgiveness for ourselves, they ask it for us.
Hi Savannah,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post, and I think that it shows some great thinking. I wanted to ask you a follow up to your answer to 3. You talked about how Merton enjoyed hermits and hermitages because of how they are cut off from the world. I am wondering if you see any connections there with Merton's wild past? Do you think that Merton was perhaps looking for a way to get away from his past wild ways and he was attracted to the hermits and hermitages in part because he saw them as a way to get out of the world and the things that he did wrong in the past?
Best,
Prof Gehring
Professor Gehring,
DeleteI definitely think that could have been a factor. He had already experienced the wild life and maybe he regretted it and wanted to think about his decisions. I think his want for solitude was because he already knew what the wild life was like and he wanted something different.
-Savannah Stivers
Savannah Stivers
ReplyDelete4. The significance of 4th and Walnut is that Merton discovered he is just like everyone else. He realized that everyone is part of the human race and we are all alike. He said that God was a part of the human race as well and that no one was better than someone else. We are all alike and therefore no one is a stranger. He knew everyone because we are all the same. He said that if everyone realized this there would be no war and everyone would be at peace with each other. I think that Merton’s insight is different from others’ but I do think it holds some value. I believe that no one is better than someone else. For that I agree with Merton. I don’t agree that everyone is the same. Everyone is unique in some way and have to say I don’t agree with Merton on that point.
5. In summary, the story said that two men walked through the forest and were attacked. The drunk man said nothing wrong happened when they were robbed and beaten. The sober man said that faith in God is like being drunk. He believed that faith or believing in faith is like being drunk because you don’t truly understand what is happening and you see things differently. It doesn’t allow us to see violence and other bad things because we believe that God does everything for a reason and with a purpose. I believe that Merton is saying that faith is like a blanket for us. It covers us and we aren’t able to see the bad because we see that God has a reason for everything. I don’t agree with Merton. I believe that we can see the violence and the bad things. I do believe that with faith we are able to see that God does everything for a reason but I still don’t think it is a cover that hides things from us.
6. I think that Merton was horrified by the atom bomb being dropped on Japan cities. He talks about how the cities were no longer seen as cities at all but as targets. Merton definitely didn’t think that this was ethical but he voiced the opinions and arguments of people saying that it was for the military and it had to be done to protect the people. The arguments said that
“Their war effort was just, that their methods were just, and that it was necessary to do all that they did in order to win the victory, end the war quickly and ‘save lives.’”
The wars started and America had every intention of remaining ethical and doing what was “just” and only if they had to. Then torture was allowed and bombing and it was all shot from there. Pacifists were shut down because they didn’t want war at all and therefore their opinions meant nothing during the war. Others who were upset about the bombing were shut down because it was supposed to be for the greater good and would “save lives.” It may have saved lives in America but it didn’t save lives in Japan. The bombing was unethical because it killed innocents to prove to Japan it could be done. It was used as a tactic to make Japan back down and not attack us anymore because we could kill thousands of theirs in seconds. I don’t think that it was ethical but I do see how the arguments were opened. People think it was okay to do because it helped us win the war. I agree with Merton though when he says that the only winner of war is war itself.
Jonathan Brey
ReplyDelete1. What strikes me as interesting about Thomas Merton is the fact that he was such a rebellious young adult and decided to dramatically change his ways and convert to Christianity. Not only did he convert, he made the decision to join a monastery and become a monk. Another thing I find interesting is how much he loved and valued solitude. People are designed to develop relationships and interact with one another, therefore it is amazing how he could enjoy such solitude and live at a hermitage. It is also interesting how had he an epiphany that made him desire to not only focus on devotion to God, but also to helping others. Something else that is interesting is that he became very interested in other religions, such as Buddhism, and searched to learn more information about them. His death is even something that interests me, considering he died from an electrical shock. I think so many people found Thomas Merton to be such an interesting and important religious figure because they could very easily relate to him. He came from a bad background, but made the decision to change his ways. Even though he did change dramatically, he still struggled with everyday situations that many Americans face, and he was open about his struggles. He did not appear to be perfect like many of the other religious leaders. People also found him interesting and important because he provided deep insights on very tough ethical issues that were present at the time. He gave the views that Christians should hold on topics like racism and war, rather than what society pressured you to believe.
2. A dependent being is a being that did not have to exist but does exist, and exists because something made it. A necessary being depends on nothing to exist and has existed forever. The concept that Thomas Merton learned about God from Etienne Gilson’s book The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy is aseitas. Aseitas means a being exists absolutely in virtue of itself, is not caused by itself and requires no cause, and there is no justification for its existence except that its purpose is to exist. The concept aseitas also involves the idea that there can only be one of these beings, which is God. This concept from Gilson and Clarke’s idea of a necessary being are almost identical. The concept of aseitas states that a being exists and was not created by something. This concept also involves the implication that God is this being. Clarke’s idea of a necessary being states that a necessary being depends on nothing to exist and has existed forever. It also implies that God is the necessary being that created all the dependent beings. I believe this concept made such a profound impression on Merton and revolutionized his life because it made him come to the realization that he was a dependent being. He realized that he did not have to exist but did, and that there was a purpose that he did exist. Until this point in his life, he had not been doing anything meaningful and believed it was time to search for his purpose and make a difference in the world. Also, he realized that nothing could have existed without God and that everything that does exist exists because God created it. This shows Merton the power of God and that the only way man will succeed and fulfill his purpose on earth is with the power of God.
Hi Jonathan,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your post, and I think that it shows some great thinking. I wanted to ask you a follow up to your answer to 2. You talked about how Merton realized that he is a dependent being that depends on a necessary being - God - to exist. And you talked about how this showed Merton God's power.
What I am wondering is this: do you think that there is a sense where, at this moment, Merton is starting to worship God? The idea would be that one might think that in coming to grasp how Merton's very existence is dependent on God and His power it seems as though Merton is starting to worship and praise God for the first time in his life? What do you think?
Best,
Prof Gehring
Hello Jonothan Brey,
DeleteI read your post for question one and I found it very insightful. I though that it showed a lot of deep thought, and I can't help but wonder what you would think about some other perspectives...
You stated that people were designed to interact with one anouther, and thus you found it fascinating that Merton wished to live as a hermit. Similarly, my ultimate goal is to become a self-sufficient farmer and live of the grid. But unlike Merton, I do not wish to do this for religious reasons. What I would like to know is this: Do you believe it is immoral for mankind to take pride in mankind's potential? As a farmer, I can't help but take pride in my work. When I look at a barn full of tobacco or hay that I helped put up, I can't help but feel proud. Is this unethical according to Merton? Maybe this is why farmers seem to have so much bad luck when compared to other professions!
I appreciate and respect your views,
Josh Durall
Jonathan Brey
ReplyDelete3. Thomas Merton was fascinated and refreshed about the Carthusian hermits and some of their hermitages at Camaldolese because it was a place of happiness. Merton saw it as a place of joy and solitude where you could escape the miserable and cruel earth. It was a secluded place where the news, desires, appetites, and conflicts in the world were not present. The Carthusian hermits had nothing, which meant they had everything. They were free and clean of the evil present in the world and were raised to God and heaven. They worked with their hands and made everything themselves. Most importantly, they had found Christ and understood the power of His love working in them. The grace of God had emptied their hearts of desire and Spirit of God entered. God spoke to them all day and filled them with grace, love, and freedom. Everything that they did glorified God and expressed their love for Him. I find it significant that on Merton’s first trip to Gethsemani he describes the steeple shining like silver and being as bright as platinum. This expresses the importance of the steeple to the monks. I also find it interesting that he says there is a barrier and a defense against the world. This illustrates how secluded the monastery is from the rest of society. I find it extremely interesting how vivid of a description Merton gives of the first mass. He includes every detail that occurred which shows the importance and the significance that mass had on his first trip to Gethsemani. Merton is saying that Gethsemani is America’s core of strong devotion to God. He believes that God is completely satisfied in Gethsemani and the monks at Gethsemani glorifying God is supporting the nation and making it peaceful. Merton states that the monks are working to receive God’s grace, protection, and friendship for the entire nation, which no army, congress, or president could ever do.
4. Thomas Merton was in Louisville, standing on the corner of 4th and Walnut, when he had an epiphany. He was overcome by a feeling that he loved people. He saw that he was just like them and they were just like him. Even though he did not know them, he felt that there was a relationship between them. Merton felt that the monastery presented an illusion that the monks were much different than everyone else, when in reality, everyone was the same and they all lived in the same world. The thought of this brought him joy and he became ecstatic. Then, Merton saw everyone as God would see them and realized that if everyone could see each other the way God sees them, there would be no war, hatred, greed, or cruelty. He saw that everyone has a little point of nothingness inside them, which is the pure glory of God. Merton came to the conclusion that God and Christianity is open to everyone and that everyone is invited into God’s kingdom. I believe the insight Merton had was a good one. This insight helped him connect with society and realize that even though the monks are secluded from society, they still deal with issues of war, racism, hatred, technology, and media. I also believe that having this insight encouraged Merton to begin writing on ethical issues of war and racism in order to inform society on how they should feel about them as Christians.
Johnathan,
DeleteI liked that you included that the monks still have to deal with issues in today's society even though they appear to be secluded from society. That is something that not many of us contemplate on in today's time. What do you believe that monks think about our wide use of technology today? Do you believe that they think technology could actually help us strengthen our faith or does it only hurt our faith? Do you believe that monks approve of social media, and do you believe that Merton would?
Jessica Burk
Jonathan Brey
ReplyDelete5. The story Thomas Merton tells in his preface to his book Faith and Violence involves two men traveling through a forest. One of the men is drunk and the other man is sober. While traveling through the woods, robbers attack them and steal everything they have. When they reach the end of the forest, people ask them if they had any troubles getting through the woods. The man that is drunk said that everything went fine and that there were no troubles. So the people ask why they have nothing and are bloody. The man that is sober replies by saying they had been beaten and robbed and told them to look after themselves. With this story, Merton is saying that faith is like drunkenness and keeps you from thinking that anything could ever go wrong. Merton believes that faith has given people the idea that violence is acceptable and keeps us from seeing the violence we have created. I agree with Merton. Many Christians use Christianity as somewhat of an escape from the world. They believe that as long as they practice religion and worship God that everything will work out and everything will be fine. When people practice Christianity they focus on the good things and glorify God. This causes the tendency to push the evil things, such as violence, to the side. When this is done, it can be very simple to overlook the amount of violence present in the world and can generate the idea that violence is acceptable.
6. Thomas Merton believed that dropping the atom bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II was unethical. Merton states, “Double effect was completely out of the question when the slaughter of civilians was explicitly intended as a means to “breaking enemy morale” and thus breaking his “will to resist.” This was pure terrorism, and the traditional doctrine of war excluded such immoral methods.” The double effect is a result of an attack that will break the enemy’s morale, which will also break their will to resist. The atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in an attempt to cause a double effect. However, when this was done, many innocent civilians were killed as a result. Merton says the atom bomb was used to slaughter civilians, which would cause a double effect. He believes this is completely unnecessary, considered terrorism, and is completely unethical. Merton also states, “Though no clear official pronouncement in this matter has been made by the Church, the repeated warnings of the Popes and their strong pleas for peace have insisted on the traditional principle that the rights of unarmed and noncombatant civilians must be respected and that failure to take these rights into account is a grave crime.” Merton is saying that purposely killing unarmed and noncombatant civilians is a crime and does not respect their rights. Dropping the atom bomb completely disregarded this principle and killed many innocent civilians, which justifies Merton’s view that dropping the atom bomb is unethical. I agree with Merton. Dropping the atom bomb affected innocent civilians that were not the cause of the war. Their country was involved in the war, but they were not personally involved. Punishing these defenseless civilians and taking their rights away in order to break enemy moral is unethical.
Question 1: Josh Durall
ReplyDeleteJust as the stories of most rebels, underdogs, and eccentrics tend to do, Thomas Merton’s storey fascinated and continues to fascinate people the world over. The grand paradox that was Thomas Merton’s life continues to this day to perplex even those who knew him personally. He was an advocate for God who may have at one time fathered an ill-legitimate child, consumed way too much alcohol, and defied most everything collective religion stands for. Yet he admitted his mistakes. Throughout his life- both after and before the conversion- he changed his mind and changed it frequently. It is this aspect of Thomas Merton that I (and I believe most other people as well) find inspirational and fascinating. After all, how many people- including ‘world leaders’ and religious leaders- have enough courage to boisterously proclaim what they believe in, but at the same time admit when they have made a mistake, admit they have changed their mind? Although I am not much of a church person, I find Thomas Merton very inspiring simply because he told the truth in his life and writing. He was not afraid to offend people- in fact he did offend people- but yet he routinely admitted to changing his mind, and what could be more inclined to the truth than that?
Question 3: Josh Durall
ReplyDeleteAs Merton read about the Carthusian hermits he found refreshing their dedication to a simple life, and perhaps more importantly, their dedication to serving God. For the hermits practiced this self-sufficient lifestyle not out of personal ambition, but out of a desire to “surrender all before God.” They chose to remain poor in an attempt to deny the self, to deny human pride, and to deny the ego. And surprisingly enough, Merton looks onto his coming stay at Gethsemani with excitement, with longing. He is excited at the prospect of surrendering all to God, rather than feeling defeat, than feeling conquered. In fact, Merton even feels that the happenings within the monastery hold America together. For certainly America- the entire Western world even- embraces the free will God gave mankind and thereby paradoxically lives in constant conflict with God. In essence, Merton is saying that if not for the actions of people like those at Gethsemani, God would have reason to destroy creation.
Question 4: Josh Durall
On a random day, at the random intersection of Fourth and Walnut, Thomas Merton has a certain “epiphany” that he is related to everyone else, and everyone to him. He ponders the question as to whether human-beings are really all different, if there really is a thing as individuality. And according to Merton’s realization, all human beings are alike because all are created in God’s image, and all have within them a certain incomprehensible core of truth. Perhaps most perplexing about Merton’s realization is his statement that he can only realize this equality when alone. As an individualist myself, I believe that the world would be a much better place if mankind glorified the potential of individuals, rather than focusing on the worship of some higher power. However, I like Merton’s idea that one may only realize equality when alone. After all, if everyone lived a mostly self-sufficient lifestyle, would there even be a need for war, subjugation, or racism?
Question 5: Josh Durall
ReplyDeleteIn Faith and Violence Merton tells a story in which two men travel through a forest- one as drunk as a skunk, the other sober and serious as a heart attack. Along their journey, they were attacked by robbers, and the robbers did most everything robbers tend to do- or at least everything not too obscene to put in a didactic story. They finally emerged from the woods, nude at bloody, and so naturally bystanders asked what was wrong. Drunken man said that everything was a o.k. while sober man said that the trip was a disaster- he even had enough concern for his contemporaries to offer a warning. From Merton’s storey, one may reasonably conclude that both men represent certain factions pervading religious America- the drunken man representing the faction attempting to ignore war and racism, and the sober man that faction ready to take action. Since I have not read any of the book other than the short preface offered here, I will hazard a guess that Merton is attempting to expose the folly of “passive faith.” And certainly I agree with Merton that religious factions attempting to ignore important issues make possible more crimes against humanity than any other entity to have existed throughout history.
Question 6:
ReplyDeleteIn Target Equals City Merton outlines his belief that no war can be fully justified. A reasonable person may have no doubt that Merton disagreed with Truman’s decision to drop the atom bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II. Of course, looking back in hindsight, one may conclude that the Korean Conflict, Vietnam War, and the more comprehensive Cold War relate in some way to decisions made during WWII, and that all the human casualties, fear, and incurred debt have not been worth the decision to use tactics as those used in WWII. Certainly, the buck did not stop with Truman. Merton even goes so far as to define “cycles” that society goes through that ultimately lead to the false justification of war. According to Merton, “soothing answers are provided by policy-makers and religious spokesman are ready to support them with new adjustments.” Moreover, Merton concludes that in war the winner in war is “war itself.” Regardless of how it falls in with Merton’s views, I believe that (I think I am quoting Ben Franklin, please forgive me if I’m wrong) “a man who would exchange freedom for security deserves neither.” Hitler certainly had to be stopped. But of course the Nazi regime was already defeated by the time the U.S. dropped Little Boy and Fat Man, and certainly Japan would’ve eventually surrendered, albeit with a cost of more military casualties.
Jessica Burk
ReplyDelete1. Merton is a very interesting religious figure for many reasons and I believe one of the main points I find interesting about him is the internal struggle he seemed to always have. Merton seemed to be never completely content with life and the "answers" he would find. He was always searching for something more, for the next big thought, and I feel like I connect with him on that trait. Also, like most other people, I find his lifestyle before him being becoming a monk interesting because it was such an extreme lifestyle change for him. His relationship with the young nurse while he was in the hospital is also an interesting piece of information. I believe that Merton continues to be found as an interesting religious figure because his sins were so apparent. He has not been a saintly figure since the day of his birth; he has made mistakes, sinned greatly, and lived a rough lifestyle but still had such a deep and powerful connection with God and his religion. People are able to connect to him and relate to him which does not happen often with most known religious figures.
2. Clarke states that a dependent being is one that depends on something for creation; dependent beings have not been around forever and they have been created. In contrast, a necessary being is something that did not depend on anything for creation and has existed for forever. Merton learned the concept of "aseitas" from Gibson which has a lot of similiarities with Clarke's statement of a necessary being. Aseitas means to be able to exist on it's own and not having to depend on anything else for existence which is almost identical to Clarke's definition of a necessary being. I think that this concept made such a big impact on Merton because it was something that he could completely understand even with a lack of philosophy education. Merton was always cautious towards the Catholic Church, and he didn't even want to read the book because of who the author was but him connecting with the concept that Gilson created was a whole not eye-opening experience for Merton towards Christianity and the Catholic Church.
3. The images that caused Merton to feel so much admiration were simple pictures of men in the hermitages that seemed to be overflowing with joy. The men who were so commited to their silence, the men that basically had nothing, the men who had to work their hands dry seemed to bubble over with happiness. Merton was possessed by this thought: how could men who basically had nothing seem like they had everything? The most interesting thing I found about Merton's account of his first visit was how completely overwhelmed he was by the atmosphere of the place. He explains how he felt almost choked with love because of the prayers that were being distributed in silence and the mere thought of that feeling is enough to warm my heart, I couldn't imagine how it would feel to actually endure a feeling that powerful in a church that silent. I believe that quote that Merton says to explain the contribution by the monks mean that their prayers are more powerful than anything else; their speaking to God is more powerful than any guns or government. Basically Merton is saying that God is real leader of the world, and the monks realize that enough to be committed to him whenever society may not be.
Jessica Burk
ReplyDelete4. I think what truly happened at the corner of 4th and Walnut is that Merton saw people and society for the first time through the eyes of God. He became overwhelmed with love for the people around him that he did not even know. He did not know any of their first names, their favorite colors, their weakest moments in life: but yet he felt a enormous desire to love all of them individually despite who they were. This is the true calling of God, to love all His people like He loves them, and Merton finally felt that connection to people instead of his longing for solitude. I believe that his insight to want to help change the world and love all the people was definitely a good one, it is definitely a challenge, but a good challenge to attempt.
5. Merton's story is basically about a sober guy and a drunk guy who were attacked by robbers in the woods. When asked about their appearances, the drunk guy said that everything was fine and nothing was wrong whereas the sober guy was quick to tell what really happened the horror that they had dealt with. Merton uses this story to state that faith is something that can make you almost ignorant to the things that are happening around you. "Faith" is what the drunk guy represented by ignoring the violence that had occured to him and Merton uses to state that some people use faith as a reason to ignore the violence that is happening in our own lives and the violence that we allow to happen. I do agree with Merton in that sometimes we use faith as a block to real problems, or we use faith to ignore the bad things that are happening in the world. Whenever we let faith blind us to what is really happening in the world and the issues that are occurring, that is when we end up acting like the ignorant drunk guy.
6. Within this essay, Merton makes it pretty clear that he does not find dropping the atom bomb ethical. In fact, he makes it very apparent that he believes the atom bomb and war in itself is definitely not ethical. "How is is that we are now almost ready to permit any outrage, any excess, any horror, on the grounds that is "lesser evil" and "necessary" to save our nation?" Merton believes that fighting war with war is ridiculous and war is not ethical at all. Merton also believes that Christians were mainly hypocrtical during this time, at least those who supported the killing of others and war were. "Did anyone stop to reflect on the total absurdity of this self-contradiction on the part of the Christians?" shows that Merton believed that Christians were not acting like true Christians during this time if they supported the bombing and war. I do agree with Merton on the thought that war is not the answer and the idea of killing people to save people is quite a contradiction. Killing people in war is not the Christian thing to do but saving people is, and sometimes the only way you can do that is put a stop to the people are controlling the mass means of war. Merton acts if a solution to war and violence is so simple, when it's actually not.
Jessica,
DeleteI agree with your thought that it's not as easy to come up with a solution of war and violence as Merton would like to say it is. When in war, lines get blurry as to what is ethical and what isn't. I would however like some expansion of what you mean about killing people to save them. If they are going to cause death and suffering, maybe the only way to save some people is to kill others. Do you agree with that or is it what Merton was talking about?
Bethany Dutton
Hey Jessica,
Delete6. I’m not sure if I agree with you, at least not completely. While there are in fact times when war is most definitely not the answer, there are times when it is necessary. As for killing people to save people being a contradiction, I don’t really agree with that either. If someone was putting my friends or family or even strangers in life-threatening danger, I would have absolutely no qualms with killing a criminal to save my life or the life of someone I cared about; I would kill them in a heartbeat. I agree that there is no easy path to peace, but I also have to wonder if such a thing is even possible. It is like good and evil. If we don’t have wars and violence, then how do we measure peace? What do we compare it to to actually know what it is? After all, the world is supposed to be made up of opposite’s right? Right and wrong, up and down, good and evil, war and peace… If we rid ourselves of one, we will effectively end up ridding ourselves of the other won’t we?
Colton Horton
Bethany Dutton
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1:
I honestly found it very interesting that an autobiography was in the top of the New York Time’s bestseller list in the first place. The fact that it was an autobiography about a monk makes it even more surprising. I didn’t really anticipate that so many people in 1948 would want to read a book about a monk. I think the reason most people found Merton to be so interesting is because he wasn’t always on a good and true path. He had started out very wild and unruly, he wasn’t really religious at all. I guess people were able to relate to that with Merton. They thought that if Merton could go from being on a bad path in life to being a well respected religious figure, then they could change their lives for the better too.
Question 2:
A dependent being is a being that didn’t have to exist, but it does because something else made it. A necessary being is something that has always existed and nothing brought it into existence. Merton stated that he learned a new concept of God from Gilson, which is that God has the power to exist in virtue himself. He exists not because of a cause, he just exists and always has. This is similar to Clarke’s ideas; they are both saying that God has always existed, he is a necessary being and nothing made him. I think it revolutionized his life by allowing him to think more openly on the concept of God and the possibility of his existence.
Question 3:
I think what Merton found so fascinating about the Carthusian hermits is that they lived in such simplicity yet were so happy. They lived simply and valued virtues that ordinary men didn’t, but they were extremely happy and satisfied in their ways. I found it interesting that Merton was instantaneously affected by this place. The second he walked through the door he was overwhelmed by the presence of God and how it made him feel spiritually. I think Merton is saying that the monks are providing more spiritual support for the world than the world itself is actually giving. They are devoting their lives to do nothing but praise God, and that’s more than what the nation as far as the government and its people do.
Bethany Dutton
ReplyDeleteQuestion 4:
Merton had this sudden realization that he didn’t want to be separated from the people in the world anymore. He was connected with the people around himself. The monks believed that their concept of “separation of the world” almost made them a completely separate race of people. Merton realizes in this crowd of people that he’s the same as them and that the separation is all an illusion. He also started to see the beauty in the hearts of those surrounding him. Everyone around him is human and they are all connected through God. I think his insight was great, just because everyone has different vows and virtues they are all still human.
Question 5:
Two men traveled through a forest; one man was drunk and the other was sober. While in the forest they were beaten and robbed. When asked about the incident the drunken man said there were no problems and everything was fine, while the sober man said it was horrible and not to listen to the drunken man. Merton begins to compare faith to being drunk or an anesthetic drug. It puts you in this high and keeps you from realizing all the awful things in that are happening around you. Faith tricks you into believing that nothing can ever go wrong. I agree with Merton about his viewpoints on faith. Many people say that as long as you have faith everything is okay, but in reality its not. Bad things are still happening in the world regardless of whether you have faith or not.
Question 6:
Merton was against the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. He says that “there was no proportion between the permitted evil and the intended good” and by that I think he means that there wasn’t enough justification to bomb those places as there needed to be. The deaths that resulted from the bombings didn’t really make up for the deeds that had been done already. Even then the factories were barely crippled and were often up and running again very shortly, which almost makes it seem as if the deaths from the bombings were pointless. He also makes a point to say that the only true winner in war is war itself. I agree with that viewpoint. Countries get blinded by war and winning, and often they forget the mass of casualties that are being caused by this bloodlust. No one really wins in war.
Will Johnson question 6 reply
DeleteI agree with you the Merton would not have approved of the use of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However I think that his reasoning had less to do with the deeds already committed and the factories. I think that his reason was more along the lines of it never being okay to take innocent human life, or to specifically target cities with thousands upon thousands of people. I agree that the true winner in war is war itself, but sometimes you can not avoid war. It is unfortunately a necessary evil.
Hey Bethany!
DeleteI like your response to question four. I have a question regarding your answer to faith. Do you think that in all circumstances faith tricks you? Do you think you can have faith and still be aware of the problems and bad things happening in the world?
Shelby Nelson
Bethany,
DeleteIn response to your answer to question five, I tend to disagree. Faith doesn’t trick anyone into thinking anything. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith gives us optimism and a brighter outlook and this story was an extreme case of blind faith which I think you forgot. He talks about blind faith, a distinction that you didn’t make in your answer. Blind faith leads people to ignorance such as the kind demonstrated in the story. Faith and blind faith are very different and the omission of “blind” in your response, I think, takes away from your meaning.
Kumari Logan
Will Johnson
ReplyDelete1. I think the thing I found most interesting about Thomas Merton was what interests almost everybody about Thomas Merton; how he went from being a “bad boy” to a philosophical hermit. How does somebody that is rumored to have fathered a child and have been the “Jesus” in a mock crucifixion making fun of Christianity become a monk? That is what interests me most about Merton’s life. This is also what makes Merton such an important figure in religion. People see the sinner in Merton and can connect with him. If Thomas Merton can change his life around, then anybody can turn to God.
2. To Clarke, a Dependent being is a being that had to have had a creator to exist. These are things like people, plants, and animals. A Necessary being depends on nothing to exist, and therefore was not created, meaning it has existed forever. This necessary being is God, and is necessary to end the “well what created this?” chain. Gilson’s “Aseitas” is the principal that God has the power “to exist absolutely in virtue of itself”. This is similar to Clarke’s independent being that he says created all dependent beings. This changed Merton’s life by giving him evidence to believe in and support God’s existence, which led to him joining the Cistercians.
3. What Thomas Merton loved about the Carthusian at Camaldolese was how secluded they were. He found the idea of men living alone in the mountains away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life refreshing. He liked how close they became to God stating “They had come so close to God in their hiddenness that they no longer saw anybody but him.” To me, one of the most interesting parts about his trip to Gethsemani is his description of one of the monks. This monk happens to be in the cloister praying at the base of a statue of Mary holding the body of Jesus. I like this passage in the biography because it shows how intensely the monk was praying, along with the respect Merton had for the monk. What Merton means by this quote is that the monks at Gethsemani are bringing the nation closer to God by continuous praying and worship. A president cannot bring the nation closer to God because he must deal with the issues of the world, while the monks can because they deal with God and spiritual well-being.
Will Johnson
ReplyDelete4. At Fourth and Walnut Thomas Merton had an “epiphany” of sorts where he became awash in the realization that he truly loved all of the people on the earth. He was here to help lead them along the path to happiness, and wanted to always help people from that point out. He felt alive and truly apart of the human race during this experience. I believe that Merton’s insight was good because we do need to love each other and have each other’s best interests in mind. Thomas said that he realized his solitude needed to be just as much for the people of the earth as it was for him, and that is how he helped people in his life. By being a great thinker showing people the way.
5. In his preface Merton tells the story of the drunken man and the sober man who get robbed in a forest. When they emerge, the drunken man tells the towns people that the trip was perfectly safe, while the sober man tells everyone how they were robbed. Merton says faith can be a “drunkenness”, not allowing us to see the violence in our own lives. While sometime we can become numbed to the violence in our lives, I don’t necessarily think that faith makes blind to it. If anything, overexposure in the media makes violence seem common place; more so than faith blinding us to it.
6. Thomas Merton does not think that the dropping of the bombs was ethical at all. This is because they had so much collateral damage of innocent human lives that there was absolutely no way they could be claimed as part of “just war”, and in fact were acts of terrorism. “Any resort to terrorism and total annihilation is unjust, whatever be the weapons it employs.” I both agree and disagree with Merton. I agree that it is never okay to take an innocent human life, and is especially wrong to do it en masse. However, it has been estimated that more lives were saved by avoiding a full scale invasion of japan, than lives were lost in the bombings. I definitely think that there could have been a better way to handle the situation that did not involve the bombings, or an invasion, but I am not sure what that alternative would have been. And if there was no alternative, how do you decide whose lives to save? War is a necessary evil, which due to human nature will never truly go away. That does not mean however, that we cannot strive for peace.
Kumari Logan
ReplyDelete1. I find the fact that Thomas Merton is afraid of the Catholic Church yet admires the catholic culture is very interesting. I know that it surely possible to like a certain part of something while fearing another aspect of it because that is how I feel about spiders; I like their webs but I hate what seeing a spider web means. I think that people find Thomas Merton to be so intriguing and an important religious figure because of his reality. He may use higher level thinking and be advanced in his mindset but he is still a normal person. He binged on alcohol and women in his youth then had a life changing experience that gave him the desire to purge himself in his adulthood.
2. According to Samuel Clarke, you can argue for God’s existence by adopting the belief that there are dependent and necessary beings. A dependent being is one that relies on another being to exist, while a necessary being does not because it has always existed of and by itself. Thomas Merton learned Aseitas, or having the nature to exist and existing because of that and that alone. The idea of a necessary being and that of Aseitas are similar because they both allude to the fact that there is a being that exists due to its own recourse. I believe that when Merton said that these ideas had a “profound impact” on his life and “revolutionized” his life, he meant that because these notions made since in every conveyable way that he was overwhelmed with the epiphany of their higher meaning and provoked him to want to learn more about Him.
3. I find Merton’s astonishment with the silence and serenity of it to be very important, significant, and interesting. When the Brother left him alone in the room he tells in detail of the silence and how he adored it. Something like silence seems small but to him he completely loved and embraced it. By his statement on page 356 of The Seven Storey Mountain, it is my belief that he means that the abbey of Gethsemani is the bread and butter of America. The country is so corrupt that the Abbey alone has the power to purify the country because of how holy it is.
Kumari Logan
ReplyDelete4. While in Louisville at the corner of fourth and walnut street Thomas Merton had an epiphany. He came to the sudden realization that he was a man. This may sound basic and lazy but it’s true, Thomas Merton realized that he was a creation of God and was not much different from the others he observed while out that day. The only notably difference was that he knew he was a child of God. He realized that he loved everyone despite their religious affiliation or lack thereof, race didn’t matter, only love and tolerance. Although he was a monk he was a man. He loved like man loves and he, although separated from the world, was still one with and in it. I undeniably believe that his revelation was a tremendously powerful one because it puts away walls and breaks down barriers. He doesn’t care that the people are all different but they are also all the same. E Pluribus Unum, the idea that we are many different people but we are all one in Christ.
5. In the preface to faith and violence a story is told where a drunken man and a sober man are walking through the forest together. They are brutally beaten and robbed of everything they possess. When they reach a nearby town they are asked how it was. The drunken man answers that everything went well with no trouble and the sober man says that they beaten and robbed and tells the people to take heed. I believe that he is trying to say that we should not have blind faith where we believe that everything is good and well and that we should see things for what they present themselves to be. I wholeheartedly agree with Merton because being so blind in faith can provide one with an optimistic outlook on life but, in the end, it will end up doing more harm than good.
6. Merton was wholly and solely against dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I know this to be factual because he says on page 95 of his Target Equals City essay “How did precision bombing turn into obliteration bombing?” he clearly is criticizing the decision made to completely destroy those places. I must agree with Merton; bombing a country into submission must be done with the desire to force a preferred action and not destroy an entire city until they submit to our will. If that is done we are no better than Hitler with his extermination of the Jews. Yes these situations are very different but Hitler tried to eradicate a group of people but so did we. The bombs not only incinerated those it directly affected but it also affected children born years after the bomb was even dropped.
Shelby Nelson
ReplyDelete1. When reading the writings of Thomas Merton, I found him to be a very descriptive writer. I found his description of his first time experiencing Gethsemani very interesting. I also found the description of his realization at the corner of Forth and Walnut intriguing. I think many people find Thomas Merton interesting because he is very real when it comes to his writing. He does not hold back from sharing his feelings what he honestly believes is true. He also captures the reader’s attention by describing everything in detail.
2. Clark describes a dependent being as a being that did not have to exist but does exist, and it exists because something else created it. He describes a necessary being as a being that depends on nothing to exist. Thomas Merton learned about the concept of aseity in Etienne Gilson's The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy. Aseity is the power of a being to exist without a cause. The only being with aseity is God. This concept is similar to Clark’s concept of the necessary being. I believe this concept made a profound impression on him because at the time he read about it, he was not a Christian. This concept was not difficult to comprehend and made sense to him. It gave him a whole new view on God.
3. Thomas Merton found the Carthusians interesting because they gave up everything they had to be away from society and be with God. They grew their own crops to feed themselves and the poor. They built their own houses and made their own furniture and clothes. They filled their lives with God instead of worldly things. I find it interesting that Thomas Merton was so fascinated by the trappist monk life and that he was so passionate about becoming one. I believe a significant and important part of the passage is where Merton is talking about how the world believes a man’s success and perfection rests on the thoughts and opinions of other men. When talking about Gethsemani, I think Merton is saying that the trappist monks are doing something that the country’s leaders are not doing. The monks are spending everyday with and for God. They are contributing to the “holding together” of the country by praying to God and asking for his grace and protection all day long.
Shelby Nelson
ReplyDelete4. At the corner of Forth and Walnut Street, Merton realizes that he is human like every other human and that they are just like him. He realizes he should love the people in society instead of trying to stay away from them. He decides to become knowledgeable with the issues of society to instead of trying to block them out. He feels it is his job to inform others about the truths and understandings he has come to know while being a monk. I do think Merton’s insight is a good insight and makes sense.
5. In the story Merton tells, there is a drunken man and a sober man in the forest. They are robbed and beaten. The drunken man said nothing happened and that everything was fine. The sober man explains that really happened and warns others to be on the lookout. I think Merton is saying that faith can blind people from the world if they are not careful. Faith can cause people to ignore the world’s problems and just be concerned with the safety their own self. They can be so infatuated with their own faith that they become careless for the faith of others. I do agree with Merton in this. I think people can get to a point where they, without noticing, ignore issues or problems in others’ lives because they have grown accustom to only being concerned about themselves and their own faith.
6. I think Merton thought the dropping of the bombs was unethical. He says, “Few stop to think that what is now regarded complacently as ‘justice’ was clearly a crime twenty years ago. How long can Christian morality go on taking this kind of beating?” By this, I think he is saying that people will accept something as moral without really thinking about it. They accept it because society makes it sound ethical and others are accepting it as ethical. He also says, “Neither the invasion of Japan nor the use of the bomb was absolutely necessary for peace. However, the war mentality of the time made it impossible for policy-makers to see this. They were convinced the bomb was necessary and their conviction overwhelmed all other considerations. Nevertheless the use of the bomb on two open cities was a dire injustice and an atrocity.” If the bombs were truly not absolutely necessary for peace, then I agree with Merton. I think at the time, many people were tired of the war and wanted peace as soon as possible. They became concerned with the possibility of the loss of more of their own people. They were not morally thinking about the fact that to save their own people they were going to kill many other people.
-Colton Horton-
ReplyDelete1. What strikes me about Merton’s writing is not only his detailed descriptions, but his use of both reasoning and emotions in synchronization. He speaks of both common sense and bewilderment, disgust and rationality. By combining both a rational thought process and backing it up with emotional epiphanies he creates a sense of interest that holds a reader’s attention. I also think that a reader’s attention is held by the fact that he never ceases in his search for answers, that he is always seeking ever deeper knowledge and enlightenment. He never comes across as a stuffy old coot who has learned everything there is to be learned and is just dishing out that knowledge to others. People can relate to his search for answers, because they are searching too.
2. Clarke’s definition of a dependent being is that of something that requires a cause for its existence, for something to have come before it, such as a child needing parents before it can be born. Yet therefore you also need a necessary being, something that is completely independent of anything else, something that just is, that has no beginning or end, to be the cause of the first dependent beings. This necessary being is what is meant when people say God. Gilson’s book introduced Merton to the idea of Aseitas, meaning simply to exist independently not as being caused by one’s self, but as requiring no cause and to exist simply because it is in one’s nature to exist. This being is God, which implies that God is being. This is similar to Clarke’s view in that they both claim God as an independent, necessary being without cause or reason behind its existence, as if he is just a natural force. It may have been that this concept caused Merton to believe that we are a part of God rather than him simply being some unknown entity that we can never truly comprehend.
3. I think that Merton, who was so accustomed to the noise and clamor of everyday life was most profoundly struck by the silence and solitude of the abbey. They had also given up everything worldly in their quest to be closer to Christ; they had “given up everything to gain everything.” I think that his comment on seeing all of the wonder of the American landscape and not wanting any part of it implies that he has already made his decision in his own mind and that at this point visiting the abbey and seeing the other monks is just a necessary formality. In his comment about Gethsemani, I believe he was saying that it was the thread holding America to god; that if it wasn’t there we would be completely lost from god’s grace.
-Colton Horton-
ReplyDelete4. On 4th and walnut, Merton realizes that he is human just like everybody else and that they all have been given the same life by God, so there is no reason for him to continue living his entire life in seclusion. Rather, he should become knowledgeable on current issues so that he can better use his knowledge to heal the world and make it a better place. He sees that he should “share his solitude with others so that they can share in some of his spiritual revelations. He hopes that his views can help to bring an end to war, racism, and other world issues that stand in the way of peace. I think his intentions are good, but I can’t say that I agree with him.
5. In the preface, Merton refers to a story of two men walking through a forest, one drunk and one sober. While they are walking they are attacked, and mugged by robbers. When they exited the woods and were asked how everything went the drunkard says that everything went well and without incident, while the sober man recounts the events more accurately and warns others to be cautious. I believe that what he is trying to say is that if we let our faith blind us to our surroundings, than we will miss seeing how ugly the world can be. I have to agree with Merton on this. If we let blind faith cloud our common sense to the point that we don’t even notice when there is a crime, then we are no better than the criminals themselves. If you see someone being mugged and you pass them by without even a second glance just because you fear being hurt, are you really a good person?
6. Merton’s opinion on the Dropping of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima is, and I have to agree with him, vehement opposition. It is completely unethical. If you are going to fight a war right you try to minimize casualties as much as possible, and when “there is no longer any distinction between civilian and combatant” you have a problem. I disagree with his statement that the ‘Christian moral sense is being worn down.” You in no way have to be Christian to know that genocide is wrong. However, I do agree that the only winner in war is war itself.
Selina Priest
ReplyDelete1. I find it particularly interesting that Merton actually stuck with the idea of being a monk. His whole life he was undecided. Once he decided he was going to be a communist, but only went to one group meeting. He bounced around from place to place, never content with where he was. He’s view as interesting and important because he was a man of many colors. He transformed from a student to teacher, from a drunken partier to a monk. He was able to speak to people as a human, not as a holy man with more power and dignity than they had.
2. Dependent beings, such as trees, people and kitties, have an origin. They have a maker and could not exist without said maker. A necessary being has no origin. It has no parents or brothers, it just exists. It has always existed and depends on nothing to exist. Merton learned the concept that God is “a being to exist absolutely in virtue of itself, not as caused by itself, but as requiring no cause, no other justification for its existence except that its very nature is to exist.” That sounds exactly like the idea of a necessary being to me. Glison basically just explains the idea of a necessary being without using that specific term. Perhaps this explanation of the nature of God’s existence “revolutionized” his life because he’d never thought about God in that way.
3. Merton found the hermitages and their inhabitants intriguing because of how they viewed the world and how the world viewed them. They had nothing, no physical property, no outside life, and no social circle at all. They loved God and God alone. They depended on nothing outside of the hermitage, completely self-sufficient. On Merton’s first visit to Gethsemani, as soon as he’s inside the walls a monk asks him if he’s here to stay. It’s been his goal for years now to become a monk and now that he’s presented with the question he blurts out “no”. He says that this Abbey is the reason the nation is holding together… what no army, no congress, no president could ever do… friendship of God. All that, in my opinion, means that Merton honestly believes that without the prayer and praise that God receives from these monks, this country would perish under God’s almighty hand.
4. In Louisville Merton has the epiphany that he loves people. By loving God and all of God’s creations, he realizes that he loves all the people around him. They may be strangers and may think one is better than the other, but all people are God’s children. If more people would realize that they are all God’s children they wouldn’t want war and racism and murder. This is a good view to have, though it’s a little strange that he had this epiphany as a monk. I thought monks would already have this view prior to leaving society.
5. Two men go through the woods. One is drunk and the other is not. While in the woods the two men are beaten and robbed. Once they exit the woods they are stopped and asked if everything went ok. The drunken man rambled on about everything going fine while the sober man told the story how it actually happened. Merton is saying that faith can make you blind to reality of life. That reality being violence and racism all around us and is overlooked for reasons of faith. Some people use faith to ignore the real issue. They believe that if you pray for something it’ll happen, but you also have to work for it.
Joseph Coyle
ReplyDeletePhilosophy of Religion
1. Thomas Merton had many different interesting ideas and beliefs. One thing that struck me about his biography was the title. The Seven Storey Mountain I think is a reference to the seven voices he said was in his head. It was also referencing to a book talking about the seven steps to hell. His ideas were so solid, people still refer and use his ideas today. He had very good reasoning.
2. A dependent being has to come from something. It has to have a beginning. An independent being has no beginning, no end, and relies on nothing to live. Aseitas was the concept he talks about. They are truly similar, being able to exist by themselves. This concept helped him understand how God could exist and create everything He created.
3. Merton was fascinated with the Trappist life. There were many things that interested him about the people. He was impressed the way that they built everything with their own hand. The houses, the furniture, the clothes; all were made by their own hands. Because these people had made themselves outcast, becoming the least of all men, they were poor, but they chose that which impressed Merton. When he finally visited, the thing that stood out to him was that everything seemed to cry God, God.
4. I believe Merton had a vision at 4th and Walnut. A vision of himself as one of these people. He had previously only been a hermit, separating himself from the world. He realized he needed to help them. I do believe his belief was correct. Jesus told his disciples in the Bible to go forth and preach the gospel. How can you do this living as a hermit?
5. The story references a story about two men walking through the woods. One drunken man and one sober. On their way they are mugged by robbers. When they come out, the drunken man recounts the story as going well while the sober man warns people to be careful. He is trying to say I think to not let faith cloud what we can see for ourselves. I agree with Merton on what I believe he is trying to say.
6. Merton thought that the use of the atomic bombs was unethical and unnecessary. He says that they were not needed to end the war. He also says it was pointless to kill all the civilians. While I wish this was true, I have to disagree. Did the Japanese care how many civilians they killed at Pearl Harbor. He said they were close to surrendering all ready before we dropped the bombs. If they were so close to surrendering all ready, wouldn’t they have surrendered after the first bomb? Their kamikazes were killing our soldiers every day. Something big would have to happen for Japan to surrender. They really didn’t care about their soldiers. War in itself is unethical, but if a war starts, American needs to do what it needs to do to defend herself and the people that live in it.
Joseph Coyle