Publisher Description

In No Man Is an Island, religious scholar and theologian Thomas Merton offers "a stimulating series of spiritual reflections which will prove helpful for all struggling to find the meaning of human existence and to live the richest, fullest and noblest life" (Chicago Tribune).

"Without a life of the spirit, our whole existence becomes unsubstantial and illusory. The life of the spirit, by integrating us in the real order established by God, puts us in the fullest possible contact with reality -- not as we imagine it, but as it really is."

A recapitulation of Merton's earlier work Seeds of Contemplation, this collection of sixteen essays plumbs aspects of human spirituality. He addresses those in search of enduring values, fulfillment, and salvation in prose that is, as always, inspiring and compassionate.

Back Cover

"Without a life of the spirit," Thomas Merton maintains, "our whole existence becomes unsubstantial and illusory. The life of the spirit, by integrating us in the real order established by God, puts us in the fullest possible contact with reality-not as we imagine it, but as it really is." No Man Is an Island is a collection of sixteen essays in which Merton plumbs aspects of human spirituality. He addresses those in search of enduring values, fulfillment, and salvation in prose that is inspiring and compassionate.

Author Biography

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was born in France and came to live in the United States at the age of 24. He received several awards recognizing his contribution to religious study and contemplation, including the Pax Medal in 1963, and remained a devoted spiritualist and a tireless advocate for social justice until his death in 1968.

Review Quote

"Merton wrote of ageless spiritual life and religious devotion with the knowledge of a modern."

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