Thomas Merton Center
Encyclopedia
The Thomas Merton Center is the home of the largest collection of the works of Thomas Merton
, a Trappist
monk
of the Abbey of Gethsemani
. It is located on the second floor of the W.L. Lyons Brown Library at Bellarmine University
in Louisville, Kentucky
.
While the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine is not the only facility with this name, it is the official home of the Thomas Merton Collection. The roots of the center lie in the Merton Legacy Trust, established by Merton in 1967, one year before his death. In the trust, he named the then-Bellarmine College
as the repository of his works. The Center was established in 1969 by the school. The Center is an international resource for scholarship on Merton and his beliefs, including social justice
, ecumenism
, spirituality
and peace
. The resources of the Thomas Merton Center has provided source material for numerous academic writings on these topics and Thomas Merton himself, and it regularly hosts and sponsors related events for scholars, students and the general public.
The Center works in conjunction with the International Thomas Merton Society
in the publication of the quarterly Merton Seasonal and the Merton Annual. The Center is also the central office for the Society, founded in 1987.
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
, a Trappist
TRAPPIST
TRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
of the Abbey of Gethsemani
Abbey of Gethsemani
The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani is a Trappist monastery near Bardstown, Kentucky in Nelson County—situated on more than 2,000 acres of farmland, and considered to be the "mother house" of all Trappist and Trappistine monasteries in the United States of America...
. It is located on the second floor of the W.L. Lyons Brown Library at Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
While the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine is not the only facility with this name, it is the official home of the Thomas Merton Collection. The roots of the center lie in the Merton Legacy Trust, established by Merton in 1967, one year before his death. In the trust, he named the then-Bellarmine College
Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...
as the repository of his works. The Center was established in 1969 by the school. The Center is an international resource for scholarship on Merton and his beliefs, including social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
, spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
. The resources of the Thomas Merton Center has provided source material for numerous academic writings on these topics and Thomas Merton himself, and it regularly hosts and sponsors related events for scholars, students and the general public.
The Center works in conjunction with the International Thomas Merton Society
International Thomas Merton Society
The International Thomas Merton Society, founded in 1987, is a learned society which studies the works of Thomas Merton. It sponsors conferences and co-publishes a journal, The Merton Seasonal...
in the publication of the quarterly Merton Seasonal and the Merton Annual. The Center is also the central office for the Society, founded in 1987.