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Thomas Merton on Desert Spirituality
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Thomas Merton on Prayer
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Renew your prayer life with Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton was one of the great spiritual masters: a Trappist monk, profound mystic, and brilliant writer. He inspired men and women from all walks of life with his dedication to prayer and contemplation. In 1967, near the end of his life, Merton gave a powerful set of lectures on prayer to the Sisters of Loretto. He channeled a lifetime full of wisdom, piety, and prayerfulness into these erudite yet down-to-earth talks.
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Excellent
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Ways of Prayer
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Join Thomas Merton in exploring one of the most influential figures in the history of spirituality. Born in the fourth century, Saint John Cassian (AD 360-435) lived when tensions between the traditional and innovative peaked. A monk and theologian, Cassian made the Christian tradition relevant for the needs of his day in his spiritual works. Indeed, his spirituality remains essential today; he influenced Saints Benedict and Ignatius of Loyola, and his works continue to be read worldwide.
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As an ex monk I could really appreciate this!
- By Clive Smart on 29-07-19
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Thomas Merton on the 12 Degrees of Humility
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You are invited into the classroom in which Thomas Merton delivered some of his most impassioned lectures on a timeless topic. In 1962 at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton taught an extraordinary course on the heart of Benedictine spirituality.
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Wonderful
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Thomas Merton on Contemplation
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You are invited to sit at the feet of a contemplative master. After a radical conversion experience, Thomas Merton became a Trappist monk in the Abbey of Gethsemani. At the heart of Merton's transformative conversion was contemplation. Now, this series invites you into that profound contemplative experience in six remastered conferences delivered by Merton. As you listen to Merton in his own voice, you will encounter his most profound teachings on prayer and contemplation.
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The best I've heard from Merton.
- By Kingdiplodocus on 16-07-15
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Heroes of the Desert: The Lives and Teachings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers
- By: Philip G. Bochanski
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Beginning in the third century AD, pious men and women journeyed into the Egyptian desert, where they sought to be "alone with God alone." Known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers, they pursued lives of solitude and prayer in order to make offerings of themselves to God. They acquired great insight into the spiritual life, which has been passed down to us in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers. Now, you can discover the fascinating lives and works of such awe-inspiring figures as St. Antony the Great and St. Mary of Egypt.
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Insightful and thought provoking
- By Anonymous User on 01-09-18
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Thomas Merton on Augustine, Jerome, and Ambrose
- The Philosophy of the Great Latin Fathers
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
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Story
Three men laid the groundwork for Christianity’s philosophy, theology, and learning. Seventeen centuries later, Thomas Merton, a spiritual visionary, taught gripping classes on these Church Fathers.
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Thomas Merton on Prayer
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Renew your prayer life with Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton was one of the great spiritual masters: a Trappist monk, profound mystic, and brilliant writer. He inspired men and women from all walks of life with his dedication to prayer and contemplation. In 1967, near the end of his life, Merton gave a powerful set of lectures on prayer to the Sisters of Loretto. He channeled a lifetime full of wisdom, piety, and prayerfulness into these erudite yet down-to-earth talks.
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Excellent
- By David Mullins on 16-10-18
-
Ways of Prayer
- A Desert Father's Wisdom
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Join Thomas Merton in exploring one of the most influential figures in the history of spirituality. Born in the fourth century, Saint John Cassian (AD 360-435) lived when tensions between the traditional and innovative peaked. A monk and theologian, Cassian made the Christian tradition relevant for the needs of his day in his spiritual works. Indeed, his spirituality remains essential today; he influenced Saints Benedict and Ignatius of Loyola, and his works continue to be read worldwide.
-
-
As an ex monk I could really appreciate this!
- By Clive Smart on 29-07-19
-
Thomas Merton on the 12 Degrees of Humility
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You are invited into the classroom in which Thomas Merton delivered some of his most impassioned lectures on a timeless topic. In 1962 at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton taught an extraordinary course on the heart of Benedictine spirituality.
-
-
Wonderful
- By martlayton on 29-06-18
-
Thomas Merton on Contemplation
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Fr. Anthony Ciorra PhD, Thomas Merton
- Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You are invited to sit at the feet of a contemplative master. After a radical conversion experience, Thomas Merton became a Trappist monk in the Abbey of Gethsemani. At the heart of Merton's transformative conversion was contemplation. Now, this series invites you into that profound contemplative experience in six remastered conferences delivered by Merton. As you listen to Merton in his own voice, you will encounter his most profound teachings on prayer and contemplation.
-
-
The best I've heard from Merton.
- By Kingdiplodocus on 16-07-15
-
Heroes of the Desert: The Lives and Teachings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers
- By: Philip G. Bochanski
- Narrated by: Philip G. Bochanski
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning in the third century AD, pious men and women journeyed into the Egyptian desert, where they sought to be "alone with God alone." Known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers, they pursued lives of solitude and prayer in order to make offerings of themselves to God. They acquired great insight into the spiritual life, which has been passed down to us in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers. Now, you can discover the fascinating lives and works of such awe-inspiring figures as St. Antony the Great and St. Mary of Egypt.
-
-
Insightful and thought provoking
- By Anonymous User on 01-09-18
-
Thomas Merton on Augustine, Jerome, and Ambrose
- The Philosophy of the Great Latin Fathers
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three men laid the groundwork for Christianity’s philosophy, theology, and learning. Seventeen centuries later, Thomas Merton, a spiritual visionary, taught gripping classes on these Church Fathers.
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Thomas Merton on Monastic Spirituality and the Quest for Peace
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- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
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What can your spiritual ancestors teach you about holy living today? Although they led ascetic lives centuries ago, St. Benedict, the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and other early Christian saints have much to teach everyone in the 21st century. Through their enduring writings, they created blueprints of the spiritual life that remain as powerful in our time as ever.
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Thomas Merton on the Great Monks
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- Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
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Recorded by a monk and mystic who changed the world, these newly remastered lectures showcase Thomas Merton's brilliant teaching. Originally delivered at the Abbey of Gethsemani to his fellow monks, Thomas Merton's talks invite you on a journey through monastic and contemplative history. Under his guidance, you will encounter the great figures of the Christian monastic tradition: St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Benedict, John Cassian, Basil, and Charlemagne.
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Thomas Merton’s Path to the Palace of Nowhere
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- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
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First presented at a series of popular retreats, this full audio program takes a participatory approach to Merton's most useful teachings, helping us to discover our true self...to disappear into God; to be submerged into his peace; to be lost in the secret of his face, as Merton said, through daily practices including contemplation, prayer, and faith. In the end we find ourselves in what the Taoist sage Chuang Tzu called the Palace of Nowhere, where all the many things are one.
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The Cloud of Unknowing: With the Book of Privy Counsel
- By: Carmen Acevedo Butcher (translator)
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism, and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. Carmen Acevedo Butcher’s new translation is the first to bring the text into a modern English idiom - while remaining strictly faithful to the meaning of the original Middle English. The Cloud of Unknowingconsists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union.
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Beaufitul
- By TGW on 27-09-16
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The Cistercians
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- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Join monk and mystic Thomas Merton on a journey through monastic and contemplative history. In these talks delivered by Thomas Merton, you will gain a rich introduction to the monastic period of church history, encountering such figures as St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Benedict, John Cassian, Basil, and Charlemagne. As you will come to discover, the history of monasticism is deeply intertwined with the greater history of Europe and the Christian contemplative tradition.
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Thomas Merton on the Contemplative Way
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Follow the contemplative path with Thomas Merton as your guide. In 1942, Thomas Merton relinquished a promising academic career to join the Abbey of Gethsemani. Instead of running away from the world, however, he actually developed his most profound wisdom about it.
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Bearing False Witness
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- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
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As we all know, and as many of our well-established textbooks have argued for decades, the Inquisition was one of the most frightening and bloody chapters in Western history, Pope Pius XII was anti-Semitic and rightfully called "Hitler's Pope", the Dark Ages were a stunting of the progress of knowledge to be redeemed only by the secular spirit of the Enlightenment, and the religious Crusades were an early example of the rapacious Western thirst for riches and power. But what if these long-held beliefs were all wrong?
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Explains the vicious lies directed at Catholicism
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Solitude and Togetherness
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- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
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You are invited to take a spiritual journey with Thomas Merton. Originally presented to a group of nuns on a four-day retreat, these moving talks will touch your heart while revealing new pathways for your spiritual growth.
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New Seeds of Contemplation
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Jonathan Montaldo, Sharon Cross
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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New Seeds of Comtemplation is one of Thomas Merton's most widely read and best loved books. Christians and non-Christians alike have joined in praising it as a notable successor in the meditative tradition of St. John of the Cross, the Cloud of Unknowing, and the medieval mystics, while others have compared Merton's reflections to those of Thoreau.
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Lots to think about...
- By Andy Seys on 20-04-15
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Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom
- Indestructible Joy and the Path of Letting Go
- By: James Finley
- Narrated by: James Finley
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
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Story
The 13th-century mystic Meister Eckhart was the most brilliant Christian scholar of his day, but he was also legendary for the way that he opened listeners to the direct experience of God during his public talks. Today, his written wisdom remains alive as ever, ready to illuminate us. With Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom, James Finley, one of today's best-known teachers of the Christian contemplative tradition, invites us into Eckhart's insights in the same way that this luminary teacher delighted in sharing them.
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demanding of total attention!
- By richard2 on 13-12-17
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Prophet of the Modern World
- Reflections from Thomas Merton’s Last Year
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Story
These are some of the most fascinating Thomas Merton lectures ever recorded. Recorded in the last year of his life, these talks capture Merton as he ponders profound questions in an accessible, down-to-earth way. You will glean insight from Merton on a wide range of subjects, all held together by his conviction in our call to live in freeing obedience to the Holy Spirit.
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relaxed late Merton audio quality a little hard at
- By Amazon Customer on 14-08-19
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St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- The Mellifluous Doctor
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
- Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist. (1090-1153), is one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity: a founder, reformer, and doctor of the church. Now, you can take Thomas Merton, renowned mystic and follower of St. Bernard, as your guide in exploring the life and theology of St. Bernard. St. Bernard's impact on Christianity is wide-reaching: He was the patron saint of the Knights Templar, and he deeply influenced such figures as Hildegard of Bingen.
Summary
Travel into the desert with Thomas Merton as your guide.
In the third century, men and women journeyed into the deserts of Syria and Egypt. Turning away from the world, they sought to find salvation in solitude. By doing so, they developed new forms of monasticism and spirituality.
Now known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers, their wisdom remains as inspirational today as ever. In this set of lectures released to the public for the first time ever, you will learn about these spiritual ancestors with Thomas Merton as your personal teacher. Under Merton's guidance, you'll enter the Abbey of Gethsemani to journey through centuries of spiritual history.
These eight talks, originally recorded in the 1960s and remastered for your enjoyment, center on the eremitic mystics in modern-day Syria. You'll meet such inspirational figures as St. Symeon the Stylite, St. Julian Sabas the Elder, and St. Aphraates. As you will learn from Merton, these complex monks were far ahead of their time.
As Merton says, these hermits were "humble, quiet, sensible people, with a deep knowledge of human nature" (The Wisdom of the Desert). By journeying into the desert, they found a transcendent closeness with Jesus Christ. Centuries later, we still have much to glean from their works.
When you listen to Thomas Merton in his own voice, you will open your mind and spirit to the timeless wisdom of the desert.
Photograph of Thomas Merton by Sibylle Akers. Used with permission of the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University.
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