The famous Catholic monk and spiritual writer Thomas Merton died in Bangkok, Thailand, in December 1968 far from his home at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. What happened to lead him so far away? Why did he go?
The last decade of Merton’s life was full of plunging into texts, relationships, and spiritual practices of traditions other than his native Christianity. The truth is, Merton’s identity in those final years was fluid, as his meetings with the Dalai Lama and others in the East, and poignant journal writings, testify. In this e-course, we will look closely at these.
After his death, rumors circulated that Merton hadn’t actually died, that it was a hoax, he'd become a Buddhist monk, and was hiding in Asia. He wasn’t. He died in his room in Bangkok. But less than two months earlier, on October 15, 1968, on board the plane that took him from San Francisco to Tokyo (the first leg of the journey East), he wrote in his journal: “Joy. We left the ground—I with Christian mantras and a great sense of destiny, of being at last on my true way after years of waiting and wondering and fooling around. . . . May I not come back without having settled the great affair.”
His life and practice would have changed forever had he ever returned to Kentucky. We will never know for sure how much. But his experience can teach us.
This e-course will be the story of that “great affair,” and then the bigger question: What does it mean to have a fluid, dual, or multiple religious identity? We will look at what Merton’s experience has to teach about what’s possible, how it works, and how to avoid problems.
During this one-month e-course, you will receive:
· 30 emails each with an essay by Jon Sweeney, selections from Thomas Merton’s journals and other writings for reflection, and a practice suggestion
· A one-hour replay Zoom conversation with Jon Sweeney that was recorded when this course was first offered in May 2025.
Join us to explore religious fluidity by clicking on the Subscribe button below. (4 CEHs for chaplains available.)
Available On-Demand
(choose your own start date and frequency)
$75.00
