| Abbreviation | Source of Merton's Quotation and Citation |
| Honorable | Honorable Reader: Reflections on my Work. |
| Jnl 1 ('39-'41) | Run to the mountain: The Story of a Vocation. The journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 1, 1939-1941. |
| Jnl 2 ('41-'52) | Entering the Silence: Becoming a Monk and Writer. The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 2, 1941-1952. |
| Jnl 3 ('52-'60) | A Search for Solitude: Pursuing the Monk's True Life. The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 3, 1952-1960. |
| Jnl 4 ('60-'63) | Turning Toward the World: The Pivotal Years. The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 4, 1960-1963. |
| Jnl 5 ('63-'65) | Dancing in the Water of Life: Seeking Peace in the Hermitage. The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 5, 1963-1965. |
| Jnl 6 ('66-'67) | Learning to love: exploring solitude and freedom. The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 6, 1966-1967. |
| Jnl 7 ('67-'68) | The Other Side of the Mountain: The End of the Journey. The Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 7, 1967-1968. |
| Ltrs: CforT | The Courage for Truth: Letters of Thomas Merton to Writers. |
| Ltrs: Giroux | Letters of Robert Giroux and Thomas Merton. |
| Ltrs: Hammer | The Letters of Thomas Merton and Victor and Carolyn Hammer: Ad majorem Dei Gloriam. |
| Ltrs: HGL | The Hidden Ground of Love: The Letters of Thomas Merton on Religious Experience and Social Concerns. |
| Ltrs: Laughlin | Thomas Merton and James Laughlin: Selected Letters. |
| Ltrs: Leclercq | Survival or Prophecy? The Letters of Thomas Merton and Jean Leclercq. |
| Ltrs: RtoJ | The Road to Joy: Letters to New and Old Friends. |
| Ltrs: Ruether | At Home in the World: The Letters of Thomas Merton and Rosemary Radford Ruether. |
| Ltrs: SofC | The School of Charity: The Letters of Thomas Merton on Religious Renewal and Spiritual Direction. |
| Ltrs: WtoF | Witness to Freedom: The Letters of Thomas Merton in Times of Crisis. |