Merton, Thomas (1915-1968), a Roman Catholic monk, was the most popular spiritual writer of his time. Merton won fame for his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain (1948). The book describes Merton’s troubled youth and the experiences that led him to become a Catholic in 1938. The book also deals with his entry in 1941 into the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance at Our Lady of Gethsemani Monastery, located near Bardstown, Ky. The members of this order, called Trappists, lead strict and studious religious lives. In 1949, Merton was ordained a Catholic priest. In 1965, he retired to a hermitage.
Merton was born in Prades, France, of an American mother and New Zealand father. He grew up in France and England. Merton wrote over 40 books, many of which record his struggle for greater personal integrity. He also wrote widely on Eastern religions. Merton’s better-known publications include The Sign of Jonas (1953), New Seeds of Contemplation (1961), Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (1966), and Faith and Violence (1968). Merton died by accidental electrocution in Bangkok, Thailand.
