Doomsday or Deterrence?
Holsworth, Robert D.
It is important to look at these poems plement to Mott's in examining how of contemplation; in the misuse and not so much within the body of Merton's Merton worked out in his...
...The authors maintain In brief others in their spiritual quest through his that the activists' use of fear has fostered account of his own - partly through "a a "Sarajevo mentality" when there is THOMAS MERTON, by VictorA Kramer...
...A good beginning would may converge to produce a catastrophic of our spirit's amalgam is very accurate...
...and in other poems - for the insights they pro- testing ground, his understanding of con- the contribution of language - and writvide into the man are far more important templation and his responsibility to the ing' - to his own intellectual and than how they measure up as good or bad sick world beyond the cloister - and spiritual growth...
...In a lonely and troubled their best not to welcome him back for Mott's is not...
...If the wider church - tolerable status quo...
...Rather, Kramer charts was beloved by his community...
...be to ask-Bishop Vega to condemn the result...
...However, few of director is responsible for coordinating rethem said anything at the grassroots ligious services and organizations on the level...
...The story of a has played in the development of the enemies like you the contras do not need Dachau martyr's resistance to the Nazis...
...Resume and three letters of This assurance that we had been richly The history of Central America tells us reference should be sent to Box 3, Vassar blessed emboldened us to go out on the the Catholic hierarchy, with a few nota- College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y...
...Snide com- Messiness, Veritas" editorial and Edment to the effect that churches are more ward Sheehan's article [May 9] undoub- Booklet interested in life than freedom replaces tedly caused the people of Nicaragua...
...Classified payable incumbent upon the peace movement to Church/World Watch article [August with order...
...in the misuse and not so much within the body of Merton's Merton worked out in his writing, his abuse of language all around us...
...ment's contribution to these goals has Bangkok) he had resolved the question of The pages given Seven Storey Moun- been mixed...
...Into this gap came the young nurse Merton continued developing as a poet to the perspective of a democratic socialist M. the end, becoming more experimental, politics dedicated to the maintenance of Before he left for the Far East in 1968, and how his prose mellows, recognizes life and the enhancement of freedom...
...This is precisely what is happenresponsible trouble-makers upsetting a might bring their own contributions...
...12601...
...Kramer's briefer study, unnoticed in the reassured that the monastery is not Further, the movement has given little wake of Mott's, assesses Merton's other another world altogether...
...We see how analyze the antinuclear movement from pain...
...storytelling talent, his gradual unfolding But the vast bulk of the argument foof his life, the continuing air of anticipa- cuses on the flaws of the European wing tion, and his success in encouraging of the movement...
...Vocation cerreputations who have lent their prestige $100 million aid for the contras, yet he tain...
...Thomas Merton best through his writ- mass society, his effort to go it alone, When he did go to the monastery for ing," he explains, so that "here we have fearfully guarding hiding places from meals or to say Mass, other monks did an interior biography," as he finds God and himself...
...He had wanted to Thomas Merton does not attempt a mystery of an encounter with God at the be a hermit and they wanted to afford him thorough analysis of 40-odd volumes and center of one's being...
...Commonweal: 606...
...Thompson has said about the To the Editors: If the Catholic church is relationship between preventing extinc- as influential on Central American policy RATES: 750 a word, one time...
...tone of near amazement that everything "absolutely no reason to feel and behave G.K...
...Hehir also fails to mention Bishop Position Highlighting the more disturbing fea- Vega's ignoring the contra terrorist kiltures evident in the wave of activism that ling of thirty-two Nicaraguan peasants in Director of Religious Activities and Chaplaincy Services...
...movement...
...This was not numerous essays or an analysis of Mer- WILLIAM H. SLAVICK done out of spite or jealousy, for Merton ton's spirituality...
...Reopening its search, swept Europe in the early 1980's almost his diocese just prior to his expulsion...
...There is little attention to Baton Rouge, La...
...world, one can find meaning only in the even those few hours...
...Abbott Flavian Burns, Merton's one- root problem for Merton is modern man's In 1966, he had spent a year as a her- time student then abbot, has observed, malaise - his absorption in economic mit, relishing the freedom it afforded, "is the Merton I knew...
...ON THE plainly missed some aspects of commu- to book, identifying new interests and ANTINUCLEAR ISSUE, by Ferenc Feher nity life, the support, friendship, and ap- directions and qualities of style, leaving and Agnes Heller...
...We did not give much oligarchies and/or a conservative mili- employer...
...Here in southern Louisiana, pre- campus, for working with students with dominantly Catholic, not a single Catho- diverse religious interests, for providing Correspondence lic bishop has spoken out on this issue...
...the prose can Feher and Heller's objective is to entering Gethsemani...
...poetry - but in the context of what was their essential relationship...
...But what is so irritating about Dooms- DOROTHY GOLDEN CLINGMAN RAY E. INGRAM day or Deterrence...
...Victor A. dotal, ironic, and amusing: the reader is sufficiently realistic about Soviet aims...
...Call 1-800-633-2252...
...In the present generation...
...he tain are indicative of Kramer's method...
...Merton the as if we were on the brink of a global In focusing on Merton's life and his writer has passed into the cloister, and his nuclear war...
...640, six times...
...Here," From book to book, Kramer notes, the otherwise occurring in his life...
...serious analysis of the role that religion You claim to be anti-contra, but with Free booklet: TITUS BRANDSMA: FRIAR AGAINST FASCISM...
...Feher and Heller simply Vega's lobbying action for the contra do not discuss the Catholic bishops, the terrorists...
...monthly in advance for more than three times...
...Father Nigro to the cause, or the proliferation of local confused the administration to the point Gonzaga University, Spokane 99258...
...Classified what E.P...
...Hall, $17.95, 181 pp...
...highways and byways with our invitation ble exceptions, has always sided with the Closing date November 10, 1986 EO /AA to the banquet...
...order...
...Occasional teaching (Continued from page 578) possible...
...pursued steadily during his twenty-seven county), Carolyn Gordon, James Agee, Feher and Heller believe that all these years as a monk, including fourteen as and Walker Percy anticipate his particu- tendencies reflect a pervasive defeatism master of students or of novices...
...namely, the "self-Vichyization of Cardinal Gibbons would have been a July 3 massacre and the activities of the Europe...
...They acknowledge that the M. He would not leave the Trappists...
...Bishop Vega claims he had no Priesthood American scientists with international intention of helping ram through the DESIRE PRIESTHOOD...
...lar attention to Merton's interest in the that works to the advantage of the Soviet Kramer's book is the necessary com- limits of language, especially in writing Union...
...The ROBERT D. HOLSWORTH against contra aid...
...They also think that its critique of chronicle of those golden days in the au- ceipt of grace - in unforeseen ways...
...Further capitulation blind spot is probably what makes our the Holy See, in Western Europe, and the is likely in the future, especially on the enterprise seem "pretty weird" to the United States - wants to see peace in issue of German reunification...
...causes even more explicit...
...Merton's course as he moves from book DOOMSDAY OR DETERRENCE...
...An advanced degree in an apwhen compared to the wonderful things Louisiana congressman and senator has propriate field and relevant experience we had received from it...
...You can know individualism and the materialism of but also tasting profound loneliness...
...The poetry gets 154 pp...
...68¢, three tion and promoting freedom and why it is as claimed by J. Bryan Hehir, then his times...
...position of Director of Religious Activities generate the kind of self-examination and It is true that the American bishops and Chaplaincy Services beginning either dialogue that parts of it should...
...help...
...activity calling for a change in the na- that Reagan publicly thanked him for his tion's global posture...
...They represent a tribute book's singular fame among twentieth- tant contribution to a politics that limits to a young woman he loved desperately century religious autobiographies the possibility of nuclear war and permits and add still another cubit to his continu- Kramer sees as deriving from Merton's democratic control of technology...
...movement has raised legitimate critiknew his true calling...
...is that it conveniently ignores evidence that would lead to a Aiding the contras richer, more complex description of the movement...
...evidence of knowing how the transition vocation - as a writer, the calling he had Kramer's studies of Elizabeth Madox from the present Cold War to its vision of confidently answered as a layman and Roberts (from the adjacent Kentucky perpetual peace would be managed...
...Three-year extendable apcongresswomen, Boggs and Long, every pointment...
...This ing in Nicaragua...
...through the NCCB lobbied generally in the spring or fall semester, 1987...
...every chance to be one...
...This has already been seen, they Commonweal: 604 suggest, in the European movement's thought to the possibility that it could tary against the indigenous and peasant shameless depiction of Solidarity as ir- become a pot-luck to which the guests peoples...
...on what would be his last journey (to die the complexity of things, deepens in They believe that the antinuclear moveof an accidental electrocution in compassion...
...The industrial civilization could be an importumn of his life...
...ally growing stature...
...Central America they must recognize this final analysis, the authors contend that Debra Campbell's discernment of The fact and subject it to a strong, unified Soviet aims and movement philosophy Faith of Our Fathers as an essential part condemnation...
...He felt more alone than he had since relatively more attention...
...United States...
...voted consistently for contra aid...
...These poems, with Merton locates himself in Dante's Pur- cisms of President Reagan's irresponsino apology to his order, his enormous gatorio, carefully organizing his earlier ble management of Soviet-American republic or his searching soul, serve as a life in the frame of the need for and re- lations...
...is finally working out...
...They contend that Euromyriad connections, Monica Furlong careful account ranges from the formal pean antinuclearists have been excesand Michael Mott treat his books as language of contemplation to the anec- sively critical of American policy and not milestones on the way...
...the books to be read...
...canonized saints...
...COMMONWEAL, 15 "make the indivisibility of these two 15] is adding insult to the injury your "In Dutch St., NYC 10038...
...expected...
...M. E. Sharpe, $12.95, probation of his fellow monks...
...he was in constant more readily speak for itself...
...Finally, the volume almost many friends...
...On all these points, the authors good patron for the guild (if we could contra terrorists in general, and then ask present arguments that ought to be taken have chosen one from outside the roll of the Sandinistas to rescind their expulsion very seriously...
...Write: Brandsma Office, PO Box 65, Datotally neglects antinuclear activity in the Hehir makes no mention of Bishop rien, IL 60559-5341...
...spiritual counseling and for facilitating With the exception of the two Louisiana community service...
...He Vassar College invites applications for the guarantees that their critique will not has yet to denounce this act...
Vol. 113 • November 1986 • No. 19
