Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was spiritual parent to a generation-and his influence, through his many books, has only increased in the half-century since his death. He was a hermit who maintained a compelling correspondence with some of the most influential thinkers of his age; he was a social and political activist whose ideas had a seminal influence in the world beyond his monastic cloister; and he was a Christian who saw through the boundaries of religious identity in a way that was truly ahead of his time. This collection of short excerpts from his voluminous writings covers all of the famous Trappist monk?s main themes, thus serving as a perfect short introduction to his work in his own words.