Details

You will certainly explore Thomas Merton’s remarkable life and works. But this course offers much more. You will have the opportunity to actively develop a relationship with Merton. For some, Merton has become a lifelong mentor and spiritual guide. Regardless of whether that happens to you, Merton will challenge you and bring you to new places with the questions he raises and the experiences he shares.

Your professor, Fr. Anthony Ciorra, is one of those very rare and very special professors who will delight and inspire you. Given the pontifical honor Pro Eccelsia et Pontifice by Pope John Paul II, awarded the Caritas Centennial Award in 2000, and author of Everyday Mysticism, Fr. Ciorra is a remarkable teacher.

Thomas Merton struggled with questions regarding God’s existence, moral values and the place of organized religion. His path to conversion was complex and bumpy. His experiences of prayer brought him from a monastic structure to a contemplative openness to issues of social justice. Born and raised in the West, his heart was opened to the East. Whoever you are, and wherever you come from, Thomas Merton will have something to say to you.

There are many tools that Merton used to aid his spiritual growth, such as journaling, poetry, letter writing, photography and art. As you study Merton in this course, you will be invited to use some of these same tools to enter more deeply into your own experience with the mystery of God. The free study guide included with this course will help you through this experience.

As you get to know Merton in this course, you will be challenged, inspired and offered the opportunity to grow and change. His experience and writings as presented in this course will help you on your spiritual journey. You will not be disappointed.

Photograph of Thomas Merton by John Howard Griffin. Used with Permission of the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University.

Learn about downloadable programs.

With this order you will receive, free of charge, a detailed Electronic Study Guide. With your confirmation email, you will receive a link that will take you to this Electronic Study Guide, which includes outlines for each topic, review questions and suggested readings for further study. The link to access this Electronic Study Guide will also be included on the case of your CDs or DVDs. You are allowed to print up to 7 copies of your guide. Simply click on the link, or type it into your browser, to access the file.

About Your Presenter

Fr. Anthony Ciorra is a leading expert on Catholic spirituality. He is the author of Everyday Mysticism (Crossroad 1995) and co-author of Moral Formation in the Parish (Alba House 1999). In recognition of his ministry in the Church, Pope John Paul II gave him the pontifical honor Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice in 1999. He was awarded the Caritas Centennial Award in 2000 for his work in lay ministry and the Spirit of Renew Award for his work in interreligious dialogue and ecumenism.

Fr. Ciorra has graduate degrees in psychology, spirituality, and pastoral theology, a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Fordham University, and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction. He is assistant vice president for Mission and Catholic Identity at Sacred Heart University. Previously he was dean of the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University, director of the Center for Theological and Spiritual Development at the College of St. Elizabeth, and director of the Center for Spiritual Development for the Archdiocese of New York.

His experience has included parish life, teaching, administration, retreat work, preaching, and formation ministries. He gives workshops and retreats throughout the world and is active in creating programs for inter-religious dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Topic Titles

• Module 1: Thomas Merton: Who Is He and Why Is He Important for Today’s World?, Part 1
• Module 1: Thomas Merton: Who Is He and Why Is He Important for Today’s World?, Part 2
• Module 2: Thomas Merton: A Prophet and Spiritual Guide for Today’s Seekers, Part 1
• Module 2: Thomas Merton: A Prophet and Spiritual Guide for Today’s Seekers, Part 2
• Module 3: What was Merton’s Spirituality and How Does He Help Us to Find Ours?, Part 1
• Module 3: What was Merton’s Spirituality and How Does He Help Us to Find Ours?, Part 2
• Module 4: Thomas Merton and the Struggle for Solitude, Part 1
• Module 4: Thomas Merton and the Struggle for Solitude, Part 2
• Module 4: Thomas Merton and the Struggle for Solitude, Part 3
• Module 5: Thomas Merton and Social Justice, Part 1
• Module 5: Thomas Merton and Social Justice, Part 2
• Module 6: Thomas Merton: A Guide for Interreligious Dialogue