The New Man
Worth buying if: You follow Thomas Merton's monastery journals and want more on his prayer practice.
Skip it if: You expect a contemporary self-help manual rather than Merton's theological essay style.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780374514440. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
In The New Man, Thomas Merton collects essays and reflections that map the Christian contemplative life, wrestling with solitude, grace, and moral responsibility across personal memoir and theology.
Why this book now
Merton's voice on contemplative practice and ethical witness remains urgent for readers navigating modern spiritual burnout and political complexity.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You follow Thomas Merton's monastery journals and want more on his prayer practice.
- You read mid-century Christian essays on solitude, vocation, and moral reflection.
- You expect a contemporary self-help manual rather than Merton's theological essay style.
- You prefer fast-paced plots over reflective meditations and monastic details.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780374514440
Worth buying if: You follow Thomas Merton's monastery journals and want more on his prayer practice.
Skip it if: You expect a contemporary self-help manual rather than Merton's theological essay style.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Light Short sit-downs
At about 256 pages, this Farrar Straus & Giroux edition asks for thoughtful, paced reading—ideal for reflection over several evenings rather than a single marathon.
What stands out here
This 1999 FSG edition collects Merton's essays in a coherent sequence emphasizing his spiritual formation and practical theology for lay and monastic readers.
Best way to approach it
Read slowly with a notebook: pause at essays, reread key paragraphs on solitude and vocation, and allow Merton's aphorisms to settle between sessions.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780374514440
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.