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Individual Series View, Merton's Correspondence with:

Censors Reports


Series 18, Ascent to Truth


Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1948-1968
Volume: 449 item(s); 565 pg(s)

Scope and Content

This file includes documents allowing or banning publication of Merton's essays, books, and introductions to others' books. The standard procedure was to have him submit these works to two censors (who were to remain anonymous). If they saw nothing of d

Biography

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.

Related Information and Links

Series List

Series NumberSeries NameTotal Records
1 A Dream at Arles on the Night of the Mistral 1
2 A Messenger from the Horizon 1
3 A Picture of Lee Ying 1
4 A Practical Program for Monks 1
5 Absurdity in Sacred Decoration 3
6 Active and Contemplative Orders 2
7 Advent Mystery 1
8 Advice to a Young Prophet 1
9 Alone with God 1
10 An Elegy for Ernest Hemingway 1
11 An Elegy for Five Old Ladies 5
12 And So Goodbye to Cities 1
13 And the Children of Birmingham 1
14 Apologies to an Unbeliever 2
15 Approach to Creativity 1
16 Art and Worship 19
17 Artist Soul - Roger Durey [book by Dom André Malet; translated from the French by Mother Mary St. Thomas (of Tyburn)] 1
18 Ascent to Truth 23
19 Ash Wednesday 3
20 Atlas Watches Every Evening 2
21 Attente dans le silence: le père Marie-Joseph Cassant, O. Cist. S. O., by Marie-Étienne Chenevière with preface by Merton 1
22 Balanced Life of Prayer 4
23 Baptism in the Forest [introduction to anthology, "Mansions of the Spirit: Essays in Religion and Literature"] 1
24 Baroque Gravure 2
25 Barth's Dream [included in book "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander"] 1
26 Basic Principles of Monastic Spirituality 2
27 Behavior of Titans 1
28 Black Revolution and Cold War [unpublished book in this form, see also "Seeds of Destruction"] 6
29 Black Revolution: Letters to a White Liberal [included in book "Seeds of Destruction"] 2
30 Blessed Are the Meek: the Roots of Christian Nonviolence 1
31 Bread in the Wilderness 4
32 Carmelite Sanctity 2
33 Chant to Be Used in Processions around a Site with Furnaces 2
34 Christian Action in World Crisis [part of unpublished "Black Revolution and Cold War"] 4
35 Christian Ethics and Nuclear War [part of unpublished "Black Revolution and Cold War"] 19
36 Christian in World Crisis [book, published as "Redeeming the Time"] 1
37 Christian Life of Prayer [early draft section of "Contemplative Prayer"] 3
38 Christian Perfection [article for "The Catholic Encyclopedia for School and Home"] 3
39 Christianity and Mass Movements 1
40 Christmas Devotion 2
41 Cistercian Contemplatives 3
42 City of God by St. Augustine, preface for the Modern Library Edition by Thomas Merton 1
43 Classic Chinese Thought 1
44 Clement of Alexandria: Selections from the Protreptikos 1
45 Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander 2
46 Contemplation 1
47 Contemplation and the Priesthood 1
48 Contemplation in a Rocking Chair 1
49 Death of a Trappist 2
50 Disputed Questions 5
51 Early Legend 1
52 Easter: The New Life 5
53 Edifying Cables or Familiar Liturgies of Misunderstanding [book, published as "Cables to the Ace or Familiar Liturgies of Misunderstanding"] 2
54 Elegy for James Thurber 1
55 English Mystics 4
56 Exile Ends in Glory 1
57 Faith and Violence 2
58 Few Questions - Fewer Answers 1
59 First and Last Thoughts [preface to "A Thomas Merton Reader"] 1
60 Gethsemani: The Life of Praise 1
61 Gloss of the Sin of Ixion 2
62 Good Samaritan 2
63 Grace's House 1
64 Hagia Sophia 1
65 Herakleitos the Obscure 1
66 Hermit Life 1
67 Homily on Mary 1
68 Human Way Out, The [preface to book, "Breakthrough to Peace"] 2
69 Humanity of Christ in Monastic Prayer 1
70 In Search of a Yogi, by Denys Rutledge [preface] 2
71 Integrity 1
72 Is Mysticism Normal? 1
73 Jesuits in China 2
74 Jorge Carrera Andrade 1
75 Last of the Fathers 5
76 Laudate Dominum [sound recording] 2
77 Let the Poor Man Speak 1
78 Letter to Pablo Antonio Cuadra Concerning Giants 4
79 Letters in Time of Crisis 1
80 Life and Holiness 2
81 Light in Darkness 1
82 Liturgy and Spiritual Personalism 3
83 Living Bread 1
84 Loretto and Gethsemani 1
85 Love Winter When the Plant Says Nothing 2
86 Macarius the Younger and Macarius and the Pony 1
87 Machine Gun in the Fallout Shelter 2
88 Miscellaneous Correspondence Concerning Censorship 14
89 Monastic Peace 5
90 Monk in the Diaspora 1
91 Morte d'Urban, by J.F. Powers [book review] 1
92 Mount Athos 1
93 Mystery of the Church in St. Ignatius of Antioch (Church and Bishop in St. Ignatius of Antioch) 3
94 Mystics and Zen Masters 4
95 Name of the Lord 1
96 Nativity Kerygma 2
97 New Man 5
98 New Seeds of Contemplation 11
99 Night Flowering Cactus 1
100 No Man Is an Island 4
101 Notes for a Philosophy of Solitude 5
102 Notes on Art and Worship 3
103 Notes on Sacred Art 3
104 Notes on the Lord's Prayer [book foreword] 1
105 O Sweet Irrational Worship 1
106 On Remembering Monsieur Delmas 1
107 Original Child Bomb 2
108 Pasternak, Boris (The Pasternak Affair in Perspective, and Boris Pasternak and the People with Watch Chains) 6
109 Peace in the Post-Christian Era 5
110 Peace: Christian Duties and Perspectives 5
111 Portait of Peter Damian 1
112 Postulant's Guide 1
113 Prayer for Peace 1
114 Présence a Dieu et a soi meme, by Fr. François de Sainte-Marie, O.C.D. 1
115 Primacy of Contemplation 1
116 Primative Carmelite Ideal 3
117 Prometheus 5
118 Prophetic Ambiguities: Milton and Camus 1
119 Rain and the Rhinoceros 1
120 Reflections on the Character and Genius of Fenelon 1
121 Russian Mystics, by Sergius Bolshakoff with a preface by Thomas Merton 1
122 Sacred Art and the Spiritual Life (Sacred Art and Religion) 2
123 Saint John of the Ladder 2
124 Saints for Now, by Clare Boothe Luce with an essay by Merton regarding St. John of the Cross 8
125 Seasons of Celebration 2
126 Secular Journal 16
127 Seeds of Contemplation 2
128 Seeking God 1
129 Selections from Gandhi, selected and with an introduction by Thomas Merton 3
130 Seven Archaic Images 2
131 Sign of Jonas 18
132 Signed Confession of Crimes against the State 1
133 Some Poems of Raissa Maritain 2
134 Song for Nobody 1
135 Song for the Death of Averroes 2
136 Song: If You Seek 1
137 Soul of the Apostolate 3
138 Spirit of simplicity 3
139 Spiritual Direction [article for the New Catholic Encyclopedia] 1
140 Spiritual Direction 1
141 Spiritual Father in the Desert Tradition 2
142 Spiritual Life 1
143 Target Equals City 5
144 Tears of the Blind Lions 2
145 The Fall 1
146 The Moment of Truth 1
147 The Moslems' Angel of Death: Algeria 1961 1
148 The Ox Mountain Parable 1
149 There Has to Be a Jail for Ladies 1
150 Third Spiritual Alphabet, by Francisco de Osuna [book review by Merton] 1
151 Thoughts in Solitude 8
152 To Alphonso Cortes 1
153 Tower of Babel 4
154 Trappist Cistercian Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen) [meditation on the text] 1
155 Trappists Go to Utah 1
156 Tribute to Greatness 4
157 Two Chinese Classics 5
158 Universe as Epiphany 2
159 Virginity and Humanism in the Fathers 1
160 Vocation to Solitude 4
161 Waters of Siloe 1
162 Way of Chuang Tzu 1
163 Way of Perfection 1
164 What Are These Wounds? 1
165 What Is Contemplation? 1
166 What Is Meditation? 1
167 Why Some Look Up to Planets and Heroes 1
168 Wisdom in Emptiness: A Dialogue between Daisetz T. Suzuki and Thomas Merton 1
169 Wisdom of the Desert 6

Container List

Series#DateFrom/ToFirst LinesPub ✓Notes
 y/m/dMerton Scan ✉ 
Series 18 #1.
«All Series«		 1951/09/16 TLS by Bourne, Paul Enclosed you will find the document you requested for the edification or something of your friend "Ascent to Truth" [book] documents from Fr. Paul Bourne, O.C.S.O. - possibly sending "Reader's Report" also in this file, see "1951/no-month/no-day?" in "Ascent to Truth" «detailed view»
Series 18 #2.
«All Series«		 1951/09/17 TLS by Bourne, Paul An advance copy or your excellent new book, Ascent to Truth, reached us a few days ago and we are "Ascent to Truth" [book] censor Fr. Paul Bourne, O.C.S.O. notes that indicated corrections were not made in the published copy of book «detailed view»
Series 18 #3.
«All Series«		 1951/10/07 HLS by Sortais, Gabriel Pendant la vacance "Ascent to Truth" [book] and "A Balanced Life of Prayer" [essay] - Nihil obstat granted by Abbot General Gabriel Sortais «detailed view»
Series 18 #4.
«All Series«		 1951/10/31 TLS by Sortais, Gabriel Soyez sans souci pour votre "Ascent to Truth" et son "Imprimi poetst" [sic] laissez le nom de dom "Ascent to Truth" [book] - from Abbot General Gabriel Sortais, O.C.S.O. «detailed view»
Series 18 #5.
«All Series«		 1951/no/no (#01) other   Reader's Report Title: The Ascent to Truth Author: Thomas Merton Publisher: Harcourt, Brace "Ascent to Truth" [book] - Reader's report with handwritten notes (by Merton?) in red pencil «detailed view»
Series 18 #6.
«All Series«		 1951/no/no (#02) other   Reader's Report Title: The Ascent to Truth Author: Thomas Merton Publisher: Harcourt, Brace "Ascent to Truth" [book] - Reader's report, uncorrected «detailed view»
Series 18 #7.
«All Series«		 1951/no/no (#03) other   Reader's Report Title: The Ascent to Truth Author: Thomas Merton Publisher: Harcourt, Brace "Ascent to Truth" [book] - Reader's report with handwritten notes (by Merton?) in black pencil «detailed view»
Series 18 #8.
«All Series«		 1953/12/04 (#01) TLS by Sortais, Gabriel Voici les remarqes des Censeurs sur la traduction française de votre livre "Ascent to Truth". "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] - censors' comments enclosed with this letter (see item #2 of the same date) «detailed view»
Series 18 #9.
«All Series«		 1953/12/04 (#02) other by Censor (anonymous) Copie des Remarques du Premier Censeur. "Au point de vue de la foi et des meurs: Nihil Obstat. "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] - remarks of the first censor «detailed view»
Series 18 #10.
«All Series«		 1953/12/04 (#02) other by Censor (anonymous) LA MONTEE VERS LA LUMIERE. traduit de l'américain par Marie Tadié. Ce nouvel ouvrage de Thomas "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] - censors' comments, dated 1953/November/09, enclosed with letter of 1953/December/04 «detailed view»
Series 18 #11.
«All Series«		 1953/12/04 (#03) other by Censor (anonymous) Extrait de la lettre envoyée par le second Censeur. Je croyais que les Américains étaient des gens "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] - remarks of the second censor «detailed view»
Series 18 #12.
«All Series«		 1953/12/29? (#01) TLS by Sortais, Gabriel Voici lettre du 9 m'est arrivée avec pas mal de retard, étant donné mes déplacements "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] «detailed view»
Series 18 #13.
«All Series«		 1954/01/24 TLS by Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. J'ai reçu le II Janvier votre lettre du 7, et hier le manuscrit en parfait état. Merci de votre "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / from Fr. Bernard of the Abbey of Cîteaux «detailed view»
Series 18 #14.
«All Series«		 1954/02/17 TACS by Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. Enfin une semaine tranquille: je peux me mettre sérieusement au travail pour vous. "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / contains censor's notes and Merton's marginal comments and reactions to these notes in pen / from Fr. Bernard of the Abbey of Cîteaux «detailed view»
Series 18 #15.
«All Series«		 1954/03/08 TALS by Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. Je pense que vous avez bien reçu la lettre où je vous posais quelques questions au sujet "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / contains censor's notes and Merton's marginal comments and reactions to these notes in pen / from Fr. Bernard of the Abbey of Cîteaux «detailed view»
Series 18 #16.
«All Series«		 1954/03/18 TL[c] to Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. It will be quicker for me to write to you in English. The reason for my delay in replying was that "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / contains responses to censor's notes / to Fr. Bernard of the Abbey of Cîteaux «detailed view»
Series 18 #17.
«All Series«		 1954/03/29 (#01) TALS by Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. J'ai bien reçu votre lettre du 18, ainsi que la feuille renvoyée le lendemain. Albin Michel m'avait "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / contains censor's notes and Merton's marginal comments and reactions to these notes in pen / from Fr. Bernard of the Abbey of Cîteaux «detailed view»
Series 18 #18.
«All Series«		 1954/03/29 (#01) other[c]   Preface-- ... si elles le sont vraiment. Le lecteur ne doit pas se presser en parcourant ces pages. "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / enclosed with letter of 1954/March/29 «detailed view»
Series 18 #19.
«All Series«		 1954/05/19 TLS by André, Fr., O.C.S.O. Je vous recevoie aujourd'hui, par le même courier, le 3a "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / from Fr. André of the Abbey of Tamié «detailed view»
Series 18 #20.
«All Series«		 1954/05/30 TLS by de Bourbon, Clément Encore une lettre su "La Montée vers la Lumière". Vous allez dire que je vous .... rase. "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / from Fr. Clément de Bourbon, O.C.S.O., secretary to Abbot General Gabriel Sortais «detailed view»
Series 18 #21.
«All Series«		 1954/06/12 TLS by Bernard, Fr., O.C.S.O. Je m'étonnais de ne pas recevoir de réponse à ma dernière demande de reseignements en vue "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière") [book] / from Fr. Bernard of the Abbey of Cîteaux «detailed view»
Series 18 #22.
«All Series«		 1954/06/27 TLS by de Bourbon, Clément Veuillez m'excuser de répondre en retard à votre lettre du 8, je pensais attendre la réponse "Ascent to Truth," translated into French ("La montée vers la lumière"); and "The Sign of Jonas," translated into French ("Le signe de Jonas") [books] / from Fr. Clément de Bourbon, O.C.S.O., secretary to Abbot General Gabriel Sortais «detailed view»
Series 18 #23.
«All Series«		 1956/08/24 TLS[x]  from Sortais, Gabriel / to James Fox En vous envoyant le 17 de ce mois mon IMPRIMI POTEST pour "Thirty-seven Meditations", je vous "The Ascent to Truth" [book] and "Thoughts in Solitude" [book, under draft title, "Thirty Seven Meditations"] / [for original letter, see "Fox, James" file, Series 5] «detailed view»

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