Assignment | Reflective Questions - Thomas Merton

What resonates with me most about Thomas Merton is the way he understood contemplation. It was not about withdrawing from the world, but about learning to see it more clearly so he could engage it more honestly. That stood out to me. The idea that solitude could lead to a deeper connection with others, not distance from them, helped me think differently about what inner work actually does. It is not separate from action. It is what shapes how we show up when action is required.

I see a tension in Merton’s life between stepping away and stepping into the world, and I recognize that same tension in my own life. There have been moments where I had to act quickly, whether it was stepping in when someone was being mistreated or responding to situations where I was responsible for the safety of others. In those moments, I did not pause. I acted. What Merton challenges me to think about now is how I prepare for those moments before they happen. I would not choose to act less, but I would want to act from a more grounded place, not just from emotion, but from clarity and compassion.

I also find myself wrestling with the idea of contemplation when it is misunderstood as stepping too far away from the urgency of real life. In my experience, there are situations where something has to be done immediately. There is no time to step back and reflect in that moment. So I hold a tension between the need for inner stillness and the reality of urgent response. I do not disagree with Merton, but I do question how contemplation is practiced in environments where harm is happening in real time.

What this raises for me is a deeper question about balance. How do we hold both contemplation and action without one getting in the way of the other? This course has helped me see that leadership is not just about what I do in those moments, but how I am being formed leading up to them. Merton’s life challenges me to stay committed to that inner work so that when those moments come, I am prepared to respond in a way that reflects who I am becoming as a leader.

Citations

Transformative Leadership Course Materials, Week 4, Thomas Merton; emphasis on contemplation leading to compassion and social engagement.

How do you see the paradox of contemplation as Merton’s source of social engagement?

How and why was Merton able to live in a secluded monastery and yet be so involved with social struggles?

I don’t see a paradox. If there is one, it is “optics” as it is popularly labeled. His deep commitment to contemplation grounded and intensified his relationship with the outside world and the issues he cared about: justice, racism, and peace. For Merton, contemplation was not an escape. It was seeing reality more lucidly. He used silence and solitude to strip away illusion, ego, and other distractions that dissipate clarity and precision. What emerged in Merton, amid his solitude, was a profound awareness of the unity of all people.

It seems that the deeper Merton entered silence, the more attuned he became to the suffering of a loud world. In the calm center of the cloister, he saw and understood the violence, materialism, and racism of modern society with unusual clarity. He was able to discern its underlying patterns more sharply. He was of it but not in it.

Merton’s ability to remain socially engaged while living in seclusion, derives from how he understood engagement itself. He was physically removed, yet he was intellectually and spiritually present in the world. His pulpit was writing—essays, books, and correspondence. He wrote about nuclear proliferation, civil rights, and nonviolence. His words traveled far beyond the monastery walls, influencing global conversations. His words were how he showed up.

His monastic life gave him a unique kind of freedom. Unbound by political or economic allegiances, he critiqued systems of power and oppression without having to modulate his voice to stay in power or favor. His detachment was a source of independence and moral clarity. Grounded in a deep Christian spiritual tradition and a rich dialogue with other faiths, Merton’s work and presence embodied humility, compassion, and a commitment to peace.

Merton was involved in the world in the way that worked for him. He disengaged so that he could, in fact, powerfully engage. It wasn’t proximity. It was contemplation. Out of silence he spoke so powerfully that the whole world listened.  

M. Cross

Transformative Leadership

Dr. McMahon

Lesson4, Assgn1 Reflection

1.  How do you see the paradox of contemplation as Merton’s source of social engagement?

Hm, contemplation, separation, versus or sparking social engagement? Contemplation involves quiet, intentional awareness to perceive truth, while participation represents active involvement in the world or a community.

Our typical way of acting and living is to get in there and get it done. Whatever it is. Merton’s approach to withdraw seems antithetical to inciting change in the masses and many felt he was escaping reality. But I feel more encouraged then ever to add serenity and solitude to my life on a regular basis in order to see.

Out of Merton’s contemplative position his vision was cleared. It is pretty much impossible to see anything realistically and objectively from the inside. Merton had the revelation and wisdom to realize he wasn’t seeing clearly or correctly so he stepped back and away. As a result of Merton’s contemplation he gained compassion and he saw the world differently. And because of that change of viewpoint, he felt obligated to speak out.

2. How and why was Merton able to live in a secluded monastery and yet be so involved with social struggles ?

I thoroughly enjoyed studying Thomas Merton. I think he achieved what many of us don’t take time to do - check in with ourselves. This really stood out to me. I think it is impossible to truly be effective in any cause concerning others with out taking time to know who you are yourself.

From Albert J. Raboteau’s, American Prophets (page 129):

“…Merton insisted, to move beyond our absorption in the false self to an awareness of the true self.” “To have an identity is to be awake and aware,” he wrote. “

Awareness of self helps us see others through an open and clear lens without comparison. 

Many criticized and rebuked his living a monastic life thinking he was avoiding the struggle, because he was separated. In his solitude, Merton stepped back, and away, looked inward, then viewed the struggle objectively without inserting himself.

The paradox is, the deeper Merton went into silence, the louder the world became. It was in the stillness, turning inward, that allowed him to see past the illusions and distortions through which we filter reality.

We move through the world constantly filtering noise. We either eliminate or overconsume that which does or doesn't appeal to our individual agendas that help navigate day-to-day existence. To constantly move between islands of rage or islands of calm is exhausting, so we regulate. However, in the regulation, we often turn away from those who are most in need or most harmed. We protect ourselves by doing our best to remain neutral and not take in others' pain or hurt.

By immersing himself in deep silence, Merton could not turn away from the least of us. By stripping the filters, he felt and saw the discomfort. Finding God in silence, he found God’s people.

What I found interesting about Merton is that the monastery did not separate him from the world instead, it clarified it. He went in seeking God and found that you can’t seek and remain indifferent to the injustices against God’s people. I think about this in my own contemplative practice. It is not a retreat from the work, it is what keeps the work honest. All the courses in this program have an element of self-reflection. Me, others, the world, and God. I have to know my internal workings to be of benefit externally. A clearing of the deck internally, which is what Merton did. He gave up “normal” things, so there was nothing to protect in being truthful and critical; what was it costing him?

This is what kenosis looks like in practice, not a theological concept but a posture.

What Merton teaches is that the contemplative life and the prophetic life are not in tension but the same from different postures. The walls of separation and silence made it possible for Merton to go deeper into silence, realizing that the less you can tolerate the lies of the world, the more you are compelled to name it, not out of love but out of anger. It’s a tension, that I think, many prophets live with.

This connects to my own understanding of faith as something active rather than passive. Faith, in this passage, is not just agreement or acceptance, but engagement in the face of limitation.

The woman's voice matters in the unfolding of the moment, showing that transformation can emerge through persistence and presence, even when initial responses suggest exclusion.

Amanda Weaver

What I find most interesting about the “paradox” of contemplation as a source of social action is that, for Merton, contemplation was less about stepping back and more about seeing clearly. The popular view of monastic contemplation is of a complete removal from the world, and Merton pointed out that is not realistic saying, “the monastic community is deeply implicated for better of worse, in the economic, political, and social structures of the contemporary world,” (Raboteau, p. 121). This is particularly true if you take the history of the Catholic Church into consideration (a much larger topic than can be addressed here). We cannot truly remove ourselves from the world; instead it is important that we open our eyes and see clearly what the power structures are and how they impact both us and others. Being able to take a step back, push aside discomfort, and really see people and systems for who and what they are is how contemplation turns into social action.

This is a skill that is often lacking in society. Those in power are comfortable remaining with their blinders on; it costs them nothing to continue as usual, and the price may be high for attempting to force change. The whole system of society has been set up to reinforce this attitude, what Merton refers to as the “lotus eating economy” that “commodifi[es] human relationships and trivialize[s] freedom of choice, so that individuals become alienated not only from others but also from themselves,” (Raboteau, p. 127). We, as a society, have been lulled into numbness by the constant barrage of things to buy, listen to, watch, and experience. We are able to interact and confront while hiding behind screens with little if any real risk to ourselves. If we have any hope of changing, we must break the pattern of thoughts and prayers solidarity posting rather than taking action.

My first thought reading the chapter was that Merton’s position of contemplation was a privileged one, and one that he seemed to critique without acknowledging his part in it (although that may be more Raboteau’s presentation than Merton’s actual position). After a second reading and the class discussion, I’m not sure that I’m completely wrong, but it’s more nuanced than at first glance. Merton existed within a structure that allows him to step back, outside of everyday life; he is not as reliant on the day-to-day functioning of the world in the same way that most of us are. At the same time, the structure he lived in granted him a certain level of authority; there was an audience for his writings that either may not have existed or may not have been accessible if he was not a Catholic monk. While Merton’s privilege removed barriers, what matters more is that he used that position to reach people who would otherwise have been able to ignore what was happening in the world around them.

Transformative Leadership - Week 4 - Reflective Questions - Ogundipe

1. How do you see the paradox of contemplation as Merton’s source of social engagement?
2. How and why was Merton able to live in a secluded monastery and yet be so involved with social struggles?

1

To me there is no contradiction in contemplation as Merton’s source of social engagement. Much likeThurman’s “inner work”, Merton’s contemplation is a critical aspect of spiritual life. How can one see clearly enough to engage in spiritually influenced social engagement. Social engagement. Social engagement devoid of a deep spiritual basis is not necessarily as helpful as it may seem. Deeply spiritual action seeks transformation, and for there to be transformation, there must be space for solitude and contemplation.

2

Merton actually had time to reflect on the struggles: time to listen, time to read, time to process various perspectives. He also did not have the responsibility of having the pressure to respond instantly. In his seclusion he was able to look deeply, process deeply, and still not be involved deeply.