The Way of Thomas Merton
A Prayer Journey Through Lent
By Robert Inchausti
SPCK, 128 pages, $13.99
Throughout history, much has been written about how Christians can understand the paradoxes of our lives and the challenges that Lent offers us to grow closer to what God desires for all of us. As N.T. Wright puts it in Lent for Everyone: “Lent is a time for discipline, for confession, for honesty, not because God is mean or finger-pointing but because he wants us to know the joy of being cleaned out, ready for all the good things he now has in store.”
Robert Inchausti is a learned Merton scholar who has previously published several manuscripts on the renowned American Trappist monk. He has written at length about what Merton’s life and work offer to writers, and he served as an editor of several books that encapsulate Merton’s voluminous teachings for readers seeking greater knowledge of themselves and their relationship with God.
One of the key themes of The Way of Thomas Merton is discovering who we genuinely are. Throughout his many written and unwritten works, Merton taught that humans struggle to shed their “false” self and discover their “true” self. People — even Merton and the monks he served as a novice director — often find an identity based on the opinions of others, our interests, passions, and careers. What many people find is that we feel like there is something missing from our lives; this can make us unhappy, anxious, scared, and nervous.
In contrast to this false self, Merton argues that our true self recognizes our need for a deep union with God. In a world of noise, the expectations of ourselves and others, and other modern challenges, how can we grow closer to God? Very few people would feel God calling us to live the consecrated religious life and ordained Catholic priesthood, as Merton did. One strength of Inchausti’s analysis is using many of Merton’s vocational challenges (becoming Catholic, living monastic vows, wrestling with romantic temptations, learning from those who were different) to show that Merton is relatable because of his experience of humanity.
The second half of The Way of Thomas Merton focuses on some of Merton’s better-known books (like The Seven Storey Mountain and My Argument with the Gestapo) and essays (“Apology to an Unbeliever” and “The Root of War is Fear”). These works demonstrate two important things about Merton: his vocational journey and his recognition of the importance of Christianity lived prophetically in the public square.
Christians in our postmodern (and, to borrow from Merton’s letters, increasingly post-Christian) world must realize that our faith operates in many different tensions. One increasingly common tension is how our private faith informs and influences our actions and beliefs about the world around us. Merton is an excellent guide in navigating these constantly troubled waters.
Let us continue to work on dying to our false selves as we come to realize our utter dependence on God to grow into our true selves more fully. Merton is an appropriate guide in this consistent discernment, especially during the holiest season of the year.
Anthony Nuccio is a theology teacher and campus minister at a Catholic high school in the Chicago suburbs.
