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A review by lora_h
When the Trees Say Nothing: Writings on Nature by Thomas Merton, Kathleen Deignan, John Giuliani
2.0
Most Catholics of my generation have heard of the Trappist theologian, Thomas Merton, even if they've not read him. The editor of this volume, Kathleen Deignan compiled these writings to bring notice to the 'subtheme' of nature in his spiritual writings, which many Merton authorities overlook.
Merton is a gifted descriptive writer. The son of 2 landscape artists, he has their eye for detail. His nature writings - however well they describe what he sees - always revert his focus back to himself. Like the capitalists he criticises for wanting to sell us the rain, his perception of nature commodifies it as spiritual currency he uses to increase his 'stock' with God.
Merton sees this failing in himself, writing about not looking for Spring '. . . for fear of taking out title deeds to it, and making it my real estate, as I have everything else. For fear of devouring it like a feast, making it my party, - and so losing it.'
He commits this mistake repeatedly in this volume, so it's unknown from this selection of writings alone, whether Merton ever changed this very Western interaction with nature. There are many spiritual writers who don't separate nature from themselves, that Merton's writings on the subject hardly seem worth printing in even this small volume.
Merton is a gifted descriptive writer. The son of 2 landscape artists, he has their eye for detail. His nature writings - however well they describe what he sees - always revert his focus back to himself. Like the capitalists he criticises for wanting to sell us the rain, his perception of nature commodifies it as spiritual currency he uses to increase his 'stock' with God.
Merton sees this failing in himself, writing about not looking for Spring '. . . for fear of taking out title deeds to it, and making it my real estate, as I have everything else. For fear of devouring it like a feast, making it my party, - and so losing it.'
He commits this mistake repeatedly in this volume, so it's unknown from this selection of writings alone, whether Merton ever changed this very Western interaction with nature. There are many spiritual writers who don't separate nature from themselves, that Merton's writings on the subject hardly seem worth printing in even this small volume.