Tuesdays With Merton

A webinar series presented by the International Thomas Merton Society, and cosponsored by the Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union, on the second Tuesday of each month. Free and open to the public. Registration required.

Recordings of the webinars will be available on the Tuesdays with Merton YouTube Channel within a few days of their broadcast: Tuesdays with Merton YouTube Channel. Audio-only versions also will be available later via podcast.

If you're enjoying these free webinars why not consider supporting the work of the ITMS by becoming a member or making a donation.

Credit Cards Processed by PayPal

Upcoming Tuesdays with Merton

Marcela Raggio. A Dimension of Life and Experience: On the Poetry of Thomas Merton and His Latin American Poetic Network. September 8, 2026 - 7 pm EST. REGISTER
Eric Martin. October 13, 2026 - 7 pm EST.
D. Brendan Johnson and Calvin Gross. November 10, 2026 - 7 pm EST.
Gary P. Hall. "Thomas Merton and Advent." December 8, 2026 - 7 pm EST.
Sylvia Grevel. January 12, 2027 - 7 pm EST.
Marjorie Corbman. February 9, 2027 - 7 pm EST.
Mariann Budde. Annual Fourth and Walnut Lecture. March 16, 2027 - 7 pm EST.

MARCELA RAGGIO

A Dimension of Life and Experience:
On the Poetry of Thomas Merton
and His Latin American Poetic Network.

September 8, 2026, 7 PM. EST

REGISTER

Marcela Raggio teaches American and British Literature at Cuyo National University in Mendoza, Argentina. She is a researcher at the Argentine National Council for Research (CONICET) where she has specialized in Comparative Literature, Poetry and Literary Translation. She serves as head of the English Literature M.A. program at UNCuyo, and as international advisor to the ITMS. She has published articles and books about poetic translation, among them "Thomas Merton, the Translator Monk." Since 2018, she has organized the Argentine Thomas Merton Conference in her hometown, aiming at sharing Merton's legacy internationally. In 2023 she was the recipient of the "Louie" award for an individual who has made a significant contribution on an international level to the promotion of Merton's writings (in English or in translation) and to the presentation of his ideas.

In a letter to Margaret Randall, written in 1963, Thomas Merton stated that "in Latin America the voice of the poet has significance because it has something to do with life". He added that his own poetry was an expression of "a dimension of life and experience", just as that of his fellow Latin American writers.
Why did Merton feel so close to Latin American poets? What aspects of life and experience did he reflect upon in his own literary writing? Can we say that poetry is still today, in a context marked by division, prejudice and fear of others, a way to bridge differences through attentive, respectful dialogue? This presentation aims at pondering over these issues considering the way in which Thomas Merton himself interacted with the world through poetry.

ERIC MARTIN

October 13, 2026, 7 PM. EST

Eric Martin teaches on the Bible, social movements, and theology at Loyola Marymount University and UCLA. He is the author of The Writing on the Wall Signs of Faith against Fascism and co-editor of The Berrigan Letters: Personal Correspondence Between Daniel and Philip Berrigan and part of the Catholic Worker community.

D. BRENDAN JOHNSON AND CALVIN GROSS

November 10, 2026, 7 PM. EST

D. Brendan Johnson (MD, MTS) is a psychiatry resident at Brigham & Women's Hospital. He is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and a former Fellow in Theology, Medicine, and Culture at Duke Divinity School. Dr. Johnson co-hosts the podcast "Social Medicine On Air," where he explores topics at the intersection of social justice, healthcare, and psychiatry.

Calvin Gross is originally from Charlotte and attended Princeton University where he majored in the Classics. As a medical student, he sought to understand the deep connections we make with our patients and so completed a Master of Theological Studies degree through the Duke Divinity School, focusing on theology and ethics. Calvin has actively volunteered in caring for the vulnerable – from refugees to the elderly. He enjoys writing, and was able to publish a thought piece in Academic Medicine, reflecting on the timing of when students take the Hippocratic Oath and its impact. In recognition of his outstanding humanism and academic achievements, Calvin was inducted into both the AOA and Gold Humanism Honor Societies.

GARY P. HALL

Thomas Merton and Advent.

December 8, 2026, 7 PM. EST

Gary P. Hall is a Methodist minister and theological educator at the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham. A former editor of The Merton Journal, he has taught and presented on Merton in the UK, Germany, India, US and Canada. Gary is an international adviser to the Board of the International Thomas Merton Society. During downtime, Gary may be found in the woods or by the sea; playing the blues or playing the fool with his grandson. Or at a gig. Or in the garden shed.

ANNUAL FOURTH AND WALNUT LECTURE

March 16, 2027.

with

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde

In Person at Frazier Hall, Bellarmine University

7.00 pm ~ free and open to the public

Mariann Edgar Budde serves as spiritual leader for the congregations and Episcopal schools in the District of Columbia and four Maryland counties that comprise the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The first woman elected to this position, she also serves as the chair of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which stewards the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and Cathedral schools.

A passionate believer in the gospel of Jesus and the Episcopal Church’s particular witness, Bishop Budde is committed to the spiritual and numerical growth of congregations and developing new expressions of Christian community. She believes that Jesus calls all who follow him to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. She is proud to serve a diocese committed to spiritual maturity, mercy, and justice. She cherishes her friendship with interfaith leaders in the Washington Metro Area and their joint endeavors in service to the common good.

Bishop Budde was consecrated as the ninth bishop of Washington in November 2011. Prior to her election, she served for 18 years as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. She earned a B.A. in history at the University of Rochester, graduating magna cum laude. She earned both a Masters in Divinity (1989) and Doctor of Ministry (2008) from Virginia Theological Seminary.

Her sermons have been published in several books and journals and she is the author of Gathering Up the Fragments: Preaching as Spiritual Practice (2007), Receiving Jesus: The Way of Love (2019) and How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith (2023), which has been adapted into a young adult book, We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life’s Decisive Moments (2025), and a picture book for young children, I Can Learn to Be Brave, Illustrated by Holly Hatam (to be released in July 2026).