The Silent Life

A timeless meditation on monastic life from the perspective of a passionate insider, one of the twentieth century's most influential spiritual thinkers.

In TheSilent Life, Thomas Merton offers a profound and beautiful reflection on the monastic life, drawn from his own experience as a Trappist monk. Written a decade after he took orders, Merton describes the book as "a meditation on the monastic life by one who, without any merit of his own, is privileged to know that life on the inside . . . who seeks only to speak as the mouthpiece of a tradition centuries old."

Merton lucidly explores the nature and forms of monasticism, both communal and solitary, while passionately defending the contemplative's quest for God. With its intense beauty and radiating calm, TheSilent Life stands as a classic in its field, offering a rare glimpse into a world often hidden from view. For all who seek a deeper understanding of the monastic path and the pursuit of the divine, Merton's words provide guidance, wisdom, and inspiration.

"There is much in this beautifully and clearly written book to make one think." —Reform

"The author is aware of the highlights of the monastic life and also its shortcomings and there is a sense of balance in this work that is quite realistic." —Church Scene

"The book, which reveals so much about monasticism, has much of value on the devotional life of the Christian so that it has interest and value at once." —The Church of Ireland Gazette