Interview with Anthony T. Padovano,

Partial Transcript: And, uh, let's begin.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about how Thomas Merton's life mirrored and resonated with people of the twentieth century. He mentions specific events such as the first moon landing and Einstein's Theory of Relativity as examples of how people's ways of thinking changed rapidly. He talks about how shocking events during the twentieth century affected Merton.

Keywords: The Better Angels of Our Nature; Theory of Relativity

Subjects: Apollo 11 (Spacecraft); Catholic Church.; Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955.; Monks.; Pinker, Steven, 1954-; Relativity.; Twentieth century.; United States.

Partial Transcript: Can, can you give me a sense of your conception of 1968?

Segment Synopsis: Padovano describes the year 1968. He talks about some of the changes that occurred during the year across the world, specifically mentioning the Second Vatican Council and its impact on Catholicism moving forward. He also talks about how Thomas Merton tried to reconcile his position as a cloistered monk with the social activism happening at the time.

Keywords: Catholic Peace Movement; Cloistered monks; Governments; Religions; Second Vatican Council; Sexuality; Social activism

Subjects: Asia.; Berrigan, Daniel.; Catholic Church.; Catholics.; Church.; Civil rights; Electrocution; European Union.; Gautama Buddha.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Monks.; Pacifism.; Religions.; Sex.; Social movements.; Trappists.; United Nations.; Vatican Council (2nd : 1962-1965 : Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano)

Partial Transcript: Um, we mentioned in brief some of the horrific things of the twentieth century and, and you mentioned in your retreat book, um, the--how witnessing, for Merton, witnessing the terrible tolls that war had taken on humanity, it made him a little skeptical about technology.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about Thomas Merton's relationship with technology. He gives examples of Merton's inability to fully understand technology. He also describes some of Merton's views about technology and how it affects human and spiritual life.

Keywords: Peace studies

Subjects: Communication.; Electrocution; Hart, Patrick; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Technology.; War.

Partial Transcript: The way he, well, I won't, I-I think you know the reference I am-I am referring to from your work, you know, he was a retriever, he went back and got things that had either been set aside or forgotten, things like, well, within his own order, some of the traditions and whatnot.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about Thomas Merton's desire to look to the past in order to move forward into the future. He gives examples of how human feelings felt in the past are still felt now.

Keywords: Anarchy; Saint Augustine

Subjects: Anarchism.; Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430.; Catholic Church.; Divorce.; Homer.; Homer. Iliad.; Human beings.; Humanity.; Illiad; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Remarriage.; Rome.

Partial Transcript: Uh s-somebody that either might be critical of Merton or might not know Merton well would say, well, he-his openness, he was all over the place.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano comments on people's perception that Merton was too open or lacked stability. He talks about Merton's legacy and his impact on people. He compares Merton's instability to Jesus Christ's active life. Padovano also talks about Merton's contentious relationship with Abbot James Fox of the Gethsemane Abbey. He describes other perceptions of Merton and argues that Merton's life was more consistent than people might think.

Keywords: Anarchy; Gethsemane Abbey; James Fox; Mentors; Restlessness

Subjects: Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, Ky.); Abbeys; Abbots.; Anarchism.; Books.; College students; Confession--Catholic Church; Hart, Patrick; Jesus Christ.; John, the Baptist, Saint.; Mentoring.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Monasteries.; Role models.

Partial Transcript: Think it's just interesting, I wonder your take on it.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about Thomas Merton's departure to Asia and his statement that he is leaving "a life of fooling around." He talks about Merton's views on the Gethsemane Abbey and his religious growth that came from being there. He also talks about Merton's views on world religions in general.

Keywords: Cistercian monks

Subjects: Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, Ky.); Asia.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Monasteries.; Monks.; Religions.

Partial Transcript: Merton kept finding in his life, um, alternative experiences that validated himself.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about Merton's desire to seek out alternative religious experiences. He explains what led to Merton's decision to convert to Catholicism. He also talks about Merton's exploration of Zen Buddhism and his desire to break away from the authoritarianism in the Catholic Church. He says that Merton believed that all religions were capable of understanding and reaching God.

Keywords: Catholicism; Second Vatican Council

Subjects: Authoritarianism.; Catholic Church.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Suicide.; Vatican Council (2nd : 1962-1965 : Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano); Zen Buddhism.

Partial Transcript: I love this sentence from your book.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about Thomas Merton's fraught relationship with his mother. He says that Merton's Abbot, James Fox, theorizes that Padovano sought sexual experiences to compensate for his distant relationship with his mother. He talks about Merton's better relationship with his father. He talks about what Merton found in Eastern religion.

Keywords: East Asian culture; East Asian philosophy; East Asian religions; James Fox; Western culture; Western religions

Subjects: Abbots.; Bermuda Islands.; Fathers.; Marriage; Marriage.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Monks.; Mothers.; New York (N.Y.); Religions.

Partial Transcript: Not truth but compassion that he seeks.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about Thomas Merton's idea of truth. He talks about what Merton discovered about truth and how it differs from what Catholics think about truth. He talks about Merton's ideas about compassion and humanity and gives examples from the Bible.

Keywords: As Sent To Truth; Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (Thomas Merton); Gospel

Subjects: Apocryphal Gospels.; Buddhism.; Catholics.; Jesus Christ.; Prodigal son (Parable); Zacchaeus (Biblical figure)

Partial Transcript: Um, now there are those in the institutional hierarchy of the Catholic Church that are, um, it seems to have taken pains to cast Merton in a less favorable light than a lot of people want to.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about the Catholic Church's views on Thomas Merton. He explains that the Catholic Church has a fear of anarchism. He gives examples of other people throughout history that are accepted as conventional now but were seen as radical during their time.

Keywords: Conventionality; Theory of Relativity; Unconventionality

Subjects: Anarchism.; Asia.; Catholic Church.; Copernicus, Nicolaus; Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955.; Francis, of Assisi, Saint, 1182-1226.; Jesus Christ.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Pasteur, Louis, 1822-1895.; Radicals; Relativity.

Partial Transcript: Was Flavian Burns a pushover allowing Merton to do what he did or is what Merton was doing what several other monks had been allowed to do and it was just having gone James's sort of title removed that made it okay for Merton to do what he did?

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about Thomas Merton's surrogate father figure, Frederick Dunn, and his mentorship for Merton. He talks about Merton's feelings about other people wanting him to be an abbot. He also discusses Abbot James Fox's contentious relationship with Merton.

Keywords: Autobiographies; Cistercian monks; Flavian Burns; Frederick Dunn; James Fox

Subjects: Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, Ky.); Abbeys; Abbots.; Father figures; Mentoring in church work.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Monasteries.; Monks.

Partial Transcript: You have referred to Merton as a mystic.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about Thomas Merton being a mystic. He talks about the qualities of a mystic and the role they play in contemporary society. He tells an anecdote about a atheistic man who wanted Padovano to officiate his wedding and explains how that shows the sacredness in everyday life. He also talks about how mystics are there to help people see how everything connects.

Keywords: Cloistered monks; Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (Thomas Merton); Exile Ends in Glory; Sacredness; The Seven Storey Mountain (Thomas Merton)

Subjects: Atheists.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Monks.; Mystics.; Priests.

Partial Transcript: Um, your work through the years, you have covered many areas in great depth but you have spent a considerable amount of time writing on Merton and lecturing, teaching on Merton.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about his inspiration for being a Thomas Merton scholar. He talks about a trip he took to the Gethsemane Abbey. He also talks about the appeal of Merton's strong dedication to learning more about his faith.

Keywords: Language; The Seven Storey Mountain (Thomas Merton); Writing

Subjects: Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani (Trappist, Ky.); Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Voyages and travels.

Partial Transcript: And um you're, I admit, a very gifted writer yourself.

Segment Synopsis: Padovano talks about what he likes about Thomas Merton's writing. He praises the simplicity of the writing. He then talks about why Merton addresses God directly.

Keywords: Language; Saint Theresa

Subjects: Carmelites.; God.; Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968.; Pound, Ezra, 1885-1972.; Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582.; Writing.