• The Prophet's Freedom

  • By: Thomas Merton
  • Narrated by: Thomas Merton
  • Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (19 ratings)

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The Prophet's Freedom  By  cover art

The Prophet's Freedom

By: Thomas Merton
Narrated by: Thomas Merton
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Publisher's summary

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.

As Merton critiques the culture of his day, he speaks frankly about the way it creates alienated individuals who chase after superficial goals. He points to the contemplative life as a way to refute such a worldview. He guides us to seek out our deepest vocation. For him, the most mundane task done to glorify God is a prayer, and we can attain union with God through our daily work.

Among the interreligious topics Merton covers, his commentary on the relationship of Buddhism to Christianity is especially noteworthy, given that the Dalai Lama himself praised Merton as having a more profound understanding of Buddhism than any other Christian he had ever known.

This course is truly remarkable. These talks will deliver you to the depth of Merton's great mind.

This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

Photograph of Thomas Merton by Sibylle Akers. Used with permission of the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University.

©2012 Now You Know Media Inc. (P)2012 Now You Know Media Inc.

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What listeners say about The Prophet's Freedom

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Love Merton; Just wished…

1) sound was better quality. & 2) the talks were more focused. Merton, who is always insightful and brilliant, has an tendency to ramble and lose focus in these talks.

Still worth the time. Also: the final chapter is worth the price of admission alone! Great summary and context of these talks in the final track.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing

How could the performance have been better?

I purchased this recording on the basis of Thomas Merton's excellent reputation and popularity in his own time.
Given that he was a Trappist monk after coming from a background well informed by modern Western culture, I was hoping to learn something of the prophet's role in modern society.
Instead, Merton offered a thinly veiled, neo-Marxist diatribe, informed by the hippy trends of his day and re-communicated using religious language.
For me, his discussion seemed quite unreflective of the underlying ideas, and offered nothing new or insightful.
I was so disappointed in the shallow repetition of Marxist ideology using a religious cloak that I can't see myself purchasing anything else by Merton.
I guess that I will continue to look elsewhere.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I did like the fact that this was a live lecture to an interested audience of nuns. The production lent a sense of authenticity to the recording.

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1 person found this helpful