Dialogues with Silence: Prayers & Drawings

This intensely personal book from Thomas Merton shows a little-known side of the great spiritual writer, through his prayers and rarely-seen drawings. Whether the reader is new to Merton's work, or has read and loved many of his books, Dialogues with Silence is a fascinating introduction to the artistic and purely contemplative side of the man.

Dialogues with Silence contains a selection of prayers from throughout Merton's life, chosen from his journals, letters, poetry, and books, accompanied by all 100 of Merton's rarely seen, delightful, Zen-like pen-and-ink drawings. The prayers and drawings in this collection have never before been gathered together in one place; there is no other Merton devotional like this.

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is widely regarded as one of the most influential spiritual writers of modern times. He was a Trappist monk, writer, and peace and civil rights activist. His bestselling books include The Seven-Storey Mountain, New Seeds of Contemplation, and Mystics and Zen Masters.

Jonathan Montaldo is the director of the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky. He previously edited one of the Merton Journals and The Intimate Merton.

"This is Thomas Merton at his most profound: a book to linger over and savor."

- Lawrence S. Cunningham, editor of Thomas Merton: Spiritual Master

--Rosemary Radford Ruether, author of GAIA & GOD