Rating: 
Summary: a gem among the spiritual classics
Review: Merton wrote this, his last book, to offer guidance to contemplatives, particularly with their inevitable encounter with inward times of darkness and barrenness. Citing many different monks, Merton has graced us with a work of incredible profundity and beauty--and in doing so put his final touch on the mission described so poetically by Blake: "We are put on earth for a little space to learn to bear the beams of love."
Rating:
Summary: Illuminating on Many Levels
Review: This book is profound: in a mere 116 pages Merton reveals indispensable spiritual insights one after another. Contemplation is the practice of seeking clarity--a clear vision of who we are, a clear vision of our relationship to God. So, with honest, relentless precision, Merton exposes our false postures of ego, pride, attachement, fear--those unholy but seductive impulses that cloud our souls and separate us from God. It is obvious that "Contemplative Prayer" is the product of an experienced contemplative, one who has experienced and reflected upon a lifetime of struggle, enough so that he can boil down the essence of spiritual survival into a handful of simple words. But he does much more than that: after shattering each underpinning of our personal complacency, he draws back and puts his observations in their monastic and theological context, giving us a fuller, deeper understanding of the religious tradition we belong to. For example, at one point, Merton elegantly and brilliantly summarizes "Dark Night of the Soul" (St. John of the Cross) in a way that makes it fully relevant to the modern reader. As a bonus, this edition contains an introduction by the distinguished Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh (who in some respects is himself a Buddhist version of Thomas Merton). Hahn explores and compares the spiritual struggles of Buddhism and Christianity with respect to prayer, meditation, practice, and God--on those crucial levels we see that ultimately we have one nature, despite the obvious and superficial differences that tend to separate us. On a literary note, "Contemplative Prayer" will be particularly interesting to those drawn to existentialism or seeking a deeper understanding of it. At first glance, one might think no two people could be further apart than Camus' Stranger and the Christian contemplative, but they are in fact quite alike. Both have heightened awareness of their true nature. Both acknowledge the meaninglessness of the world formerly thought of as "real". Both have learned that contemplation of the real comes at a heavy price, yet one that is unavoidable to the soul honestly seeking truth. Christian, Buddhist, existentialist...in the end it seems we are all drawn to the same road.
Rating: 
Summary: A good overview of monastic prayer.
Review: This Book is useful- if you buy it for the right reason. This is not a book in which you will find the latest gimmick which "brings you closer to God." This book is more of a history lesson mixed with advice. I have problems with the introduction. It is written by a Buddhist who tries to say that there is no big difference between Christ and Buddha. I do not feel this man should be allowed to push his agenda in this place just because the man was Merton's friend. However, we can overlook this, for the rest of the book proves more intelligent and useful. In this book Merton walks through the history of monastic thought about prayer in a step by step manner. His commentary is useful in seeing how the different ideas about prayer came about. He does tend to have a bias towards his own ideas. Therefore, I recommend this book to those interested in the history of prayer in the monastic tradition. I cannot however, endorse this book in good conscience to those seeking to learn about prayer itself. For those interested in learning about prayer in and of itself, I suggest Richard Foster's book on the topic.
Rating:
Summary: A good overview of monastic prayer.
Review: This Book is useful- if you buy it for the right reason. This is not a book in which you will find the latest gimmick which "brings you closer to God." This book is more of a history lesson mixed with advice. I have problems with the introduction. It is written by a Buddhist who tries to say that there is no big difference between Christ and Buddha. I do not feel this man should be allowed to push his agenda in this place just because the man was Merton's friend. However, we can overlook this, for the rest of the book proves more intelligent and useful. In this book Merton walks through the history of monastic thought about prayer in a step by step manner. His commentary is useful in seeing how the different ideas about prayer came about. He does tend to have a bias towards his own ideas. Therefore, I recommend this book to those interested in the history of prayer in the monastic tradition. I cannot however, endorse this book in good conscience to those seeking to learn about prayer itself. For those interested in learning about prayer in and of itself, I suggest Richard Foster's book on the topic.
Rating:
Summary: Thinking about contemplation
Review: This is not a how-to book. It is a study of the history and meaning and reason for contemplative prayer, deeply thought of, deeply experienced. My little old copy is dogeared and heavily underlined, having been read so many times. And it is not my first copy - I've given others to friends.
As with much of Merton's writing, it is a tool for examining our own prayer, our own lives. He shows us many ways we may be evading the very goal of our prayer, how we may be shielding ourselves from God's light shining upon us.
Merton did not write this book in order to become popular. It is not all sweetness and gentle breezes of the Spirit. It is more like a cold wind that seeks to blow away our defenses and leave us face to face with what our souls really want - God. Whether we enjoy the process is not the point, but a book like this lets us know that we are not alone on the path, that, tough as it is, others have gone before. It gives comfort in the old English meaning of the word: strengthening. Read this if you need a good dose of spiritual tonic.review by Janet Knori, author of Awakening in God
Rating:
Summary: Thinking about contemplation
Review: This is not a how-to book. It is a study of the history and meaning and reason for contemplative prayer, deeply thought of, deeply experienced. My little old copy is dogeared and heavily underlined, having been read so many times. And it is not my first copy - I've given others to friends.
As with much of Merton's writing, it is a tool for examining our own prayer, our own lives. He shows us many ways we may be evading the very goal of our prayer, how we may be shielding ourselves from God's light shining upon us.
Merton did not write this book in order to become popular. It is not all sweetness and gentle breezes of the Spirit. It is more like a cold wind that seeks to blow away our defenses and leave us face to face with what our souls really want - God. Whether we enjoy the process is not the point, but a book like this lets us know that we are not alone on the path, that, tough as it is, others have gone before. It gives comfort in the old English meaning of the word: strengthening. Read this if you need a good dose of spiritual tonic. review by Janet Knori, author of Awakening in God
Rating:
Summary: sum of many parts
Review: Thomas Merton's final book, this slim volume in many ways concludes the spiritual journey begun in The Seven Story Mountain. It is a guide for young monks in the aspirations and discipline of contemplative prayer, but it is also a deeply felt meditation on the condition of (especially modern) mankind and its apartness from God. The general reader will find profound wisdom of a rigorous and mature intellect which compliments and sums Merton's earlier work.
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