Speaker Shares Findings of Christian Monk Thomas Merton

Kirksville resident and scholar, John Smelcer, will give a presentation Oct. 22 on the trending topic of Christian monk Thomas Merton and his unique connection to Missouri.

Merton, author of 65 books, is widely considered one of the most influential writers, Christian mystics, philosophers and social rights activists of the 20th century. His “The Seven Storey Mountain” is compared to St. Augustine’s “Confessions” as one of the most significant coming-to-faith autobiographies in history. As a friend of the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, Merton was named the most famous monk in the world after dying under mysterious circumstances in December 1968.

This past spring and summer, Smelcer came into possession of Merton’s personal belongings, safeguarded by a close friend of Merton for almost half a century. In this lecture, Smelcer will tell the incredible story of the journey and of the disposition of the artifacts.
 
Co-sponsored by the Department of Society and Environment and the Department of Philosophy and Religion, the presentation will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Magruder Hall 2001.

The topic of Merton is not only trending on Google, but was also mentioned by the Pope in his recent address to congress. The presentation is open to the public and is free of charge.