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by Thomas Merton (Author), Kathleen Deignan (Editor), Thomas Berry (Foreword by)
First published in 2003 and now available in paperback to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Thomas Merton's birth, When the Trees Say Nothing has sold more than 60,000 copies and continually inspires readers with its unique collection of Merton's luminous writings on nature, arranged for reflection and meditation.
Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk, author, poet, social commentator, and perhaps the most influential and widely published spiritual writer of the twentieth century. In When the Trees Say Nothing, editor Kathleen Deignan sheds new light on Merton by focusing on a neglected theme of his writing: the natural world as a manifestation of the divine. Drawing from Merton's voluminous writing on nature, Deignan has thematically assembled a collection of lucid, poetic reflections. Chapters on the four elements, the seasons, the Earth and its creatures, and the sun, moon, and stars provide brief passages from his diverse works that reveal the presence of God in creation.Author Biography
Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential spiritual masters of the twentieth century. A monk, poet, spiritual writer, and social activist, he is perhaps best known for his spiritual autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain. While his writing demonstrated a love for the natural world, When the Trees Say Nothing brings his words on nature together in one place for the first time.
Kathleen Deignan, C.N.D., a sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame and GreenFaith Fellow, is a teaching theologian, psalmist, and composer of more than 200 songs for liturgy and prayer published by Schola Ministries. She is a professor of religious studies at Iona College, where she founded and directs the Iona Spirituality Institute, animates the Merton Contemplative Initiative, and is cofounder of the Thomas Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue. Internationally known artist John Giuliani is an American spiritual and cultural treasure. His widely acclaimed works, which typically blend Native American images with traditional Christian iconography, are displayed in churches across the United States. Giuliani oversees The Benedictine Grange, a spiritual center in West Redding, Connecticut, which he founded in 1977. Thomas Berry (1914-2009) was a priest, an environmentalist, and the author of many books, including The Dream of the Earth.
