Recorded in 1964 at his monastery, Thomas Merton gave these lectures to the novice Cistercians he taught. As you listen to Merton, you will join his students in the classroom.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist. (1090–1153) is one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity: a founder, reformer, and Doctor of the Church. Now, you can take Thomas Merton, renowned mystic and follower of St. Bernard, as your guide for exploring the life and theology of St. Bernard.
St. Bernard’s impact on Christianity is wide-reaching: he was the patron saint of the Knights Templar, and he influenced such figures as Hildegard of Bingen. Like St. Bernard, Thomas Merton was a Cistercian, a group of religious men and women devoted to the monastic life.
Founded in 1098 at Cîteaux, the Cistercian Order sought to restore the foundational Rule of St. Benedict. After entering the Cistercian Order, St. Bernard became the Abbot of Clairvaux, where he revived the monastic life. In these talks, Merton examines at The First L
Recorded in 1964 at his monastery, Thomas Merton gave these lectures to the novice Cistercians he taught. As you listen to Merton, you will join his students in the classroom.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist. (1090–1153) is one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity: a founder, reformer, and Doctor of the Church. Now, you can take Thomas Merton, renowned mystic and follower of St. Bernard, as your guide for exploring the life and theology of St. Bernard.
St. Bernard’s impact on Christianity is wide-reaching: he was the patron saint of the Knights Templar, and he influenced such figures as Hildegard of Bingen. Like St. Bernard, Thomas Merton was a Cistercian, a group of religious men and women devoted to the monastic life.
Founded in 1098 at Cîteaux, the Cistercian Order sought to restore the foundational Rule of St. Benedict. After entering the Cistercian Order, St. Bernard became the Abbot of Clairvaux, where he revived the monastic life. In these talks, Merton examines at The First Life of Bernard, an account of St. Bernard’s life written by his friend William of St-Thierry. He then explores St. Bernard’s conversion story, his letters, and the power of the ascetic life – both in his time and ours.
Those looking to expand their knowledge of the history of Christianity will find this course fascinating. Listen to one great Cistercian speak on another.
This set includes an afterword by Dr. James Finley, one of Merton’s former students at Gethsemani.
Note: These lectures were recorded live in the open-air classrooms of Gethsemani where Merton gave instruction. One of the recordings contains some distortion from the wind.
***“Photograph of Thomas Merton by Sibylle Akers. Used with Permission of the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University. These recordings are from the archives of the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk and bestselling author of such beloved works as The Seven Storey Mountain and New Seeds of Contemplation. One of the 20th century’s great mystics, Merton was also a masterful teacher who delivered powerful conferences to the novice monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani. In these conferences, Merton’s thinking moved from cloistered monastic life to issues of social justice and interreligious understanding. A spiritual sage and guide for countless men and women, Merton struggled with complex questions about God’s existence and the role of organized religion.
Those who knew him also experienced his gifts as a homilist and teacher. These special, remastered recordings are part of his spoken word legacy. They are actual recordings of Thomas Merton. By agreement with The Thomas Merton Legacy Trust, Now You Know Media has the sole right to record, master, re-master, duplicate, market, and disseminate copies of “The Merton Recordings,” which are a selection of the archives housed in the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.
The First Life of Bernard by William of St-Thierry (6/20/1964)
St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Conversion to the Monastic Life (6/27/1964)
Asceticism in St. Bernard’s Time and Ours (7/18/1964)
The Letters of St. Bernard (8/8/1964)
Afterward by Dr. James Finley, Ph.D.
1 review for Thomas Merton on St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Mellifluous Doctor
Rated 5 out of 5
Kim V., OR –
Summer 2018 Survey
It is amazing how Merton’s writings are still so applicable today. To hear his voice as he says these things at Gethsemane is remarkable. Dr. Finley provides an excellent introduction to these talks.
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Kim V., OR –
Summer 2018 Survey
It is amazing how Merton’s writings are still so applicable today. To hear his voice as he says these things at Gethsemane is remarkable. Dr. Finley provides an excellent introduction to these talks.