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.

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Upcoming Tuesdays with Merton

Byron D. Wratee. "The Sound of the Genuine 'True Self': Thomas Merton, Howard Thurman, and Mystical Anthropology." April 14, 2026 - 7 pm EST. REGISTER
Jessica Sun. "Rain and the Rhinoceros: Advent in Palestine and Journeying with Justice." May 12, 2026 - 7 pm EST.
Marcela Raggio. Merton and Latin America. September 8, 2026 - 7 pm EST.
Eric Martin. October 13, 2026 - 7 pm EST.

BYRON D. WRATEE

"The Sound of the Genuine 'True Self':
Thomas Merton, Howard Thurman, and Mystical Anthropology"

April 14, 2026 - 7 pm EST

REGISTER

This presentation examines how Thomas Merton and Howard Thurman each offer distinct yet related perspectives on mystical anthropology. It brings Thurman’s “search for common ground” into conversation with Thomas Merton’s account of the “true self.” While Thurman asks how oppressed communities can remain spiritually alive amid racism, poverty, and political terror, Merton confronts the “false self” constructed by egoism, consumerism, nationalism, and approval addiction. Though writing from different social locations, both identify fear as the central force distorting human identity and turn to contemplation as a practice of re-humanization. By grounding the self in divine depth rather than social scripts, they offer complementary resources for resisting internalized oppression across the color line.

Byron D. Wratee was born and raised in Kingstree, South Carolina, a rural town in South Carolina’s Gullah-Geechee corridor. Dr. Wratee worked as a lawyer and political activist before becoming a theologian. His family has a long tradition of military service, so he decided to serve briefly. He deployed in 2011 to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a combat medic. Dr. Wratee discerned the call to become a theologian during his tour in Afghanistan.

A lifelong musician, Dr. Wratee served as a pastoral musician and liturgist in several churches. He also ministers as a lay preacher and has preached at churches in multiple denominations. Byron currently teaches in the theology and religious studies department at Villanova University.

JESSICA SUN

"Rain and the Rhinoceros: Advent in Palestine and Journeying with Justice"

May 12, 2026 - 7 pm EST

This past Advent, seventeen peacemakers led by Catholic Workers across the country returned from Palestine-Israel hosted by Sabeel, which is the grassroots, ecumenical Palestinian liberation theology movement rooted in the universal ethic of nonviolence. Meeting with civil society peacemakers across faiths, institutions, and identities in Palestine-Israel, the goals of the trip were to 1) be with and encourage the people who are under attack, 2) collaborate with Sabeel on ways that the unjust, complex realities of life in Palestine-Israel might be improved, and 3) expose human rights violations and prioritize human connection. The delegation was part of a wave of desperately needed international presence, answering the open invitation from Palestinian Christians, who are the direct descendants of the first Christians and the Living Stones of our faith, to come and see, and go and tell. They are seeking solidarity and a physical presence from faith communities in the United States amidst the U.S.-funded ongoing genocide in Gaza that is spreading to the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Jessica Sun (she/they) is a 2nd generation economic-settler-immigrant and Chinese U.S. American zillennial from northern Virginia. A Catholic convert after 10 years of identifying with varying philosophies as an agnostic, she finds a dear sense of belonging in spaces of zealous, Gospel-led advocacy and action for just peace and nonviolence. Christians for a Free Palestine, Pax Christi USA, and the PCUSA Young Adult Caucus are her organizing homes. A graduate of the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, she had worked as a software engineer by day, local activist by life. She is currently in the application process to the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods.

MARCELA RAGGIO

Merton and Latin America.

September 8, 2026, 7 PM. EST

Marcela Raggio is professor of American Literature at Cuyo National University in Mendoza, Argentina. At Argentina’s National Council for Research, she has specialized in comparative literature and translation studies, focusing on Thomas Merton and how his writings and contacts with Latin American writers are key to a fruitful dialogue between North and South America. She organized two biannual Argentine Thomas Merton Conferences and edited a bilingual volume on Thomas Merton. She is also author of the volume Thomas Merton, El Monje Traductor and has published in The Merton Seasonal and The Merton Annual, along with other academic journals. She is an international advisor to the ITMS Board.

ERIC MARTIN

October 13, 2026, 7 PM. EST