On Saturday, September 21, 2024, the USCCA Book Circle discussed a series of talks presented by Thomas Merton on the subject of Confucianism. These talks, presented to novice monks of the Abbey of Gethsemani in 1965, drew connections between Confucian aesthetics and morality with the Christian monastic life. We delighted in seeing and hearing how Merton, perhaps the greatest mystic of the 20th century, taught with such depth, down-to-earthness, simplicity and humor.
Lay and religious participants from multiple time zones joined us for this discussion, including friends from the Merton Society and the John C.H. Wu Institute. We discussed the legacy of John C.H. Wu, the role of contemplative spirituality in becoming a person of integrity, the ways in which the Trinity can be understood through the lens of Chinese philosophies, and parallels in Axial Age thought across the East and West.
We also discussed Merton's appreciation of Chinese landscape paintings, such as this 18th century piece by Hua Yan:
Merton detected a profound spirituality in the fullness of empty space used in paintings like this.
The next Book Circle meeting will be held on October 19, 2024 at 7 am PT / 8 am MT / 9 am CT / 10 am ET / 10 pm China Standard Time. For updates and the Zoom link, please sign up via the Book Circle interest form.
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