MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Heschel, Abraham Joshua, Rabbi, 1907-1972
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1960-1966, 1973, 1983-1985
Volume: 25 item(s); 34 pg(s)
Scope and Content
This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Heschel, Abraham Joshua, Rabbi".
Biography
Rabbi Abraham Heschel was born in Warsaw and later moved to Germany for his studies and to launch his teaching career, serving as successor to Martin Buber in Frankfort for a time. He was forced out of Germany in 1938 by the Nazis. After teaching at London and Cincinnati, he went to Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where he spent the rest of his career save a few stints as visiting chair at other universities. Heschel shared with Merton a way to both speak of God's majesty while remaining prophetic. Heschel wrote of many justice issues of the day in solidarity with Martin Luther King, Jr., and with those opposing the Vietnam War. Merton initiates correspondence with Heschel in 1960. They discussed the Second Vatican Council's statement against war, Schema 13, part of which became Gaudium et Spes, the "Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World". Merton was also lending support to the Council's statement on interfaith dialog, which became Nostra Aetate, the "Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions". When a compromise version of the statement came out that watered down the Jewish-Catholic dialog and had a condescending tone, Merton expressed his disappointment to Heschel and desire for greater unity, "This much I will say: my latent ambitions to be a true Jew under my Catholic skin will surely be realized if I continue to go through experiences like this, being spiritually slapped in the face by these blind and complacent people of whom I am nevertheless a 'collaborator'" (1964/09/09 letter from Merton to Heschel). (Source: The Hidden Ground of Love, p. 430 .)
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Related Information and Links
See also published letters from Merton to Heschel in The Hidden Ground of Love, pp. 430-436; and see also additional published letters by Heschel and an essay on Merton and Heschel in Merton and Judaism: Holiness in Words - Recognition, Repentance, and Renewal.
Other Finding Aids
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
Series List
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Container List
| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1960/09/30 | TL[c] | from Merton | Ann Perkins says she spoke on the phone to you about the possibility of my writing you a letter. | |
| praise for collection of Heschel work under the title <i>Between God and Man</i> / sending <i>Disputed Questions</i> |
| | 1960/10/23 | HLS | to Merton | Your kind letter came as a precious affirmation of what I have known for a long time: of how much | Yes |
| |
| | 1960/12/17 | TLS[x] | from Merton | It was a real pleasure for me to get your good letter of October 23rd and the package of books, | Yes |
| |
| | 1963/01/26 | TAL[c] | from Merton | It is a great pleasure to have received your fine book on the PROPHETS. I have been anticipating | Yes |
| |
| | 1964/07/27 (#01) | TAL[c] | from Merton | Shortly after your visit, that warm and memorable occasion, which was a real and providential gift, | Yes |
| |
| | 1964/07/27 (#02) | TL[x] | from Merton to Cardinal Bea | Yesterday I had the very great pleasure of speaking at some length with Rabbi Abraham Heschel who | Yes |
| [see "Bea, Augustine" file, copied to Heschel - sent to Bea on 1964/07/14] Jewish Chapter of the Second Vatican Council / healing between Christians and Jews to serve both faiths / the fear of alienation with Moslems vs. the unity of all "people of the Book" in the Koran / promises to Abraham / Protestant ecumenism |
| | 1964/07/31 | TL[c] | to Merton | Our meeting remains a source of delight for me. I think about you frequently and do hope that we | |
| |
| | 1964/09/03 | other | | Chapter Four of the schema on Ecumenicism printed and distributed in November, 1963, to the Council | Yes |
| [circulated statement by Heschel on his views on part of Schema 13 from the Second Vatican Council (later <i>Nostra Aetate</i>)] |
| | 1964/09/09 | TAL[c] | from Merton | Your mimeographed bulletin referring to the revised Jewish chapter has just reached me. | Yes |
| |
| | 1964/09/18 | HLS | to Merton | My profound gratitude for your letter of Sep. 9. It moved me deeply. It was comfort at a very | Yes |
| |
| | 1964/10/28 (#01) | telegram | to Merton | We desire to make a public protest against the way in which "morality" is being used as a weapon in | |
| distortion of the term "morality" in presidential campaign / personal flaws verses larger issues of public morality - civil rights, poverty, nuclear war / [Walter W.] Jenkins episode |
| | 1964/10/28 (#02) | telegram | from Merton | Gladly join you in interfaith statement and protest against hypocritical distortion of morality in | Yes |
| [to Rabbi Abraham Heschel and Dr. John C. Bennett] agreement with statement by Heschel and Bennett |
| | 1964/10/30 | TALS | to Merton | Doctor Bennett and I were delighted to receive your telegram which was read at the news conference | Yes |
| |
| | 1965/12/06 (#01) | TL[c] | from Merton | This matter of business gives me opportunity to say "hello" and to hope you are well. Also to say | Yes |
| |
| | 1965/12/06 (#02) | TAL[x] | from Merton to Orent, Joel | You write me that you are thinking of taking up your dissertation once again, and you remind me | |
| [letter to Orent copied to Heschel on the same date] |
| | 1966/12/12 | TL[c] | from Merton | Father Abbot spoke to me of your phone call, something about an article on the Bible for <u>Life</u> | Yes |
| [incorrectly listed as 1966/12/06 in <i>Merton and Judaism</i>] |
| | 1966/12/15 (#01) | TLS | to Merton | I had certainly hoped when I called to have the pleasure of hearing your voice. You are so often | Yes |
| |
| | 1966/12/15 (#02) | other | | The Moral Outrage of Vietnam by ABRAHAM J. HESCHEL [-] It is weird to wake up one morning and find | |
| [two page article by Heschel - from <u>Fellowship</u>, September 1966 (of the Fellowship of Reconciliation) - reprinted by the International Committee of Conscience for Vietnam in Nyack, New York] |
| | 1973/12/04 | TLS[x] | from Center to Heschel, Abraham | Mr. Edward Kaplan, a teacher at Amherst College, has requested permission to look at your | |
| |
| | 1973/12/10 | TAL[x] | from Center to Heschel, Abraham | After reviewing your correspondence with Father Merton, I have another request to make. Would you | |
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| | 1983/12/09 | TLS[x] | from Shannon, William / to Sylvia Heschel | It was very pleasant talking with you on the phone this morning. You will recall that I contacted | |
| |
| | 1984/07/08 | TLS[x] | from Shannon, William / to Sylvia Heschel | I am afraid I have been remiss in writing you to thank you for sending the letters to me (the letter | |
| |
| | 1985/06/11 | TLS | from Heschel, Sylvia / to William Shannon | Finally I can mail these letters! Please excuse me for this added delay. There were the Holidays | |
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| | undated/no/no | other | | ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL (1907-1972) [-] Born in Warsaw, Poland in 1907, a descendant of | |
| [draft of William Shannon's introduction and layout of the Abraham Heschel correspondence for the book <i>The Hidden Ground of Love</i>] |
| | undated/no/no | other | | HESCHEL, Abraham Joshua 1907- [-] PERSONAL: Born 1907, in Warsaw, Poland; son of Moshe | |
| [Heschel's biography photocopied from <i>Contemporary Authors</i>] |
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