Thomas Merton OCSO (1915–1968) was an American Trappist monk. He was a successful writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist, and scholar of comparative religion.

Merton wrote more than 70 books, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain (1948) Merton was a keen proponent of interfaith understanding. He pioneered dialogue with prominent Asian spiritual figures, including the Dalai Lama, the Japanese writer D. T. Suzuki, the Thai Buddhist monk Buddhadasa, and the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, and authored books on Zen Buddhism and Taoism. In the years since his death, Merton has been the subject of several biographies.

Time: 10.30 – 12.30 p.m.

Admission: €15.00

About the Facilitator: 

Dr Thérèse Cullen holds post-graduate degrees in theology, ecumenism, contextual theology and Irish Studies.  Her MA from Catholic Theological Union, Chicago (2002-204) explored the contributions of Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton as Counter-Cultural Models for the Church, utilising Catholic social teaching and Vatican II theology.