The Fourteenth General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society
June 4-7, 2015
at Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky

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The year 2015 marks the one hundredth anniversary of Thomas Merton’s birth. His life and writings are not merely historically important, but offer a prophetic witness to a vision that points a way into the future. As Merton wrote in an untitled poem, “All theology is a kind of birthday / Each one who is born /Comes into the world as a question / For which old answers / Are not sufficient…” (In the Dark Before Dawn: New Selected Poems of Thomas Merton). The centenary offers an opportunity to consider how we too might set aside easy answers and wrestle with the urgent questions of our day. The Fourteenth General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society will focus particularly on ways in which Merton’s life and writings challenge us to continue his legacy through ever-deepening contemplation, compassion, and unity-- a legacy in which deep prayer informs action, action on behalf of justice, and the embrace of the whole world. As Merton concludes that poem: “No one ever got born / All by himself: It takes more than one. / Every birthday / Has its own theology.”

Download the Conference Brochure as an Adobe PFD File - ITMS Conference Brochure

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Conference Highlights

Conference Timetable

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Plenary Speakers:

Christine M. Bochen	James Finley	Bryan N. Massingale	Rt. Revd. Rowan Williams

	Thomas Merton and Interfaith Dialogue Panel
Sidney Griffith	Edward K. Kaplan	Bonnie B. Thurston

Presidential Address		Closing Liturgy
David J. Belcastro		Joseph E. Kurtz Archbishop of Louisville
	Art Exhibit
	Charles MacCarthy

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Opening Sessions:

First-Timers' Session Robert Grip	Chapters Workshop Michael Brennan	Merton Scholarship David Belcastro, Patrick O'Connell, Paul Pearson and Joseph Raab	Emerging Scholars Jason Brown / Joshua Currie / Michael Jerge	Emerging Scholars Phil Garrity /Hyeokil Kwon / Anna Robertson / Lilin Wu

Guide to Opening Sessions

 

Concurrent Sessions:

Merton & Personhood Nass Cannon / Jonathan Sozek	Merton & the Environment Kathleen Deignan / Marilyn Sundermann	Merton & the Inner Journey Michael Plekon / Fiona Gardner
Merton & Dialogue with Asia Patrick F. O'Connell / Jaechan Anselmo Park	Merton & Discipleship Daniel P. Horan / Fernando Beltran	Merton & Liberation Mark C. Meade / Robert Rowen-Herzog
Merton & Poetry Deborah Kehoe / Lynn Szabo	Merton & Zen Ed Sellner / Leslie Alldritt	Merton & the Contemplative Pause Donald Grayston / Gary Hall
Merton, Politics and Prorgress David Golemboski / Gordon Oyer	Merton & Church Raymond Carr / Casey Holland	Merton as Educational Model Dominiek Lootens / Thomas Stewart
Merton & Living Contemplatively Alan Kolp / Jonathan Ciraulo	Merton, Writers and Saints John P. Collins / Paul Quenon, OCSO	Merton & Racism Paul Dekar / Michael McGregor
Merton & Interfaith Dialogue Susanne Jennings / Cristobal Serran-Pagan	Merton & Historical Rebels Michael A. Brennan / Jon Sweeney	Merton & Gender Peter Savastano / Christopher Pramuk
Merton & Peace William Apel / James Cronin	Merton & Living in the World Peter Ellis / Ryan Scruggs	Merton & Meaning David Henderson / Jeffrey Cooper
	Merton & Nonviolence John Dear

Guide to Concurrent Sessions and Workshops

 

Workshops, Guided Prayer & Special Presentations:

The Spirituality of Restlessness: Merton as a Model for 21st Century Contemplative Life Johnny Sears	Merton, Arasteh, and Final Integration: Exploring Personal Pathways to Spiritual Growth and Maturity Larry Culliford	How Does the Apple Ripen? Merton, Mepkin, and Contemplative Aging Christian McNamara and Guerric Heckel
Thomas Merton: Inviting the Edges of Awe - A Meditative Workshop Marianne Heib	Thomas Merton ... Alive at Fourth and Walnut James Nagle	SEA & SKY: A Contemplative Performance of Robert Lax's Poetic Masterpiece S.T. Georgiou and Jacqueline Chew
Learning How to Drink Tea: Studying and Teaching Thomas Merton Christine M. Bochen	Gloria Mundi Matthew Gesicki	The Memory Palace of Thomas Merton Kevin Burns
Shadow Theatre of the Grand Sneeze Reg Bradley	Praying in Gratitude for the Church of Our Friends Jonathan Montaldo	Simple Gifts: Meditating with the Legacy of Thomas Merton and the Shakers Paul M. Pearson
	The Echo of an Echo of a Voice Piercing the Silence: A Prayer Service 0f Silence, Music, and Words Inspired by Thomas Merton and Abraham Joshua Heschel Jeffrey Kiernan

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Contact the Site Coordinator for further information:
Paul M. Pearson
Thomas Merton Center
Bellarmine University
2001 Newburg Road
Louisville, KY 40205
Email: [email protected]

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Program Committee Kathleen Deignan, CND., New Rochelle, NY (Chair) Paul M. Pearson (Site Coordinator) David J. Belcastro, Columbus, OH Christine M. Bochen, Rochester, NY James Conner, OCSO., Trappist, KY Robert G. Grip, Mobile, AL Judith Hardcastle, North Vancouver, BC Joseph Madonna, Bronx, NY Mark C. Meade, Louisville, KY Jonathan Montaldo, Mantua, NJ Erlinda G. Paguio, Louisville, KY Melanie-Prejean Sullivan, Louisville, KY Monica Weis, SSJ., Rochester, NY

Louisville Site Committee Paul M. Pearson (Site Coordinator) Mark C. Meade, Louisville, KY Erlinda G. Paguio, Louisville, KY Melanie-Prejean Sullivan, Louisville, KY

 

L to R: Melanie-Prejean Sullivan, Paul M. Pearson, Mark C. Meade. (Back Row)
 Erlinda G. Paguio, Monica Weis. (Middle Row)
Judith Hardcastle, Christine M. Bochen, Kathleen Deignan, David J. Belcastro, Jonathan Montaldo. (Front Row)