Sophia: The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton, by Christopher Pramuk
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Sophia: The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton, by Christopher Pramuk
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While numerous studies have celebrated Thomas Merton's witness as an interfaith pioneer, poet, and peacemaker, there have been few systematic treatments of his Christology as such, and no sustained exploration to date of his relationship to the Russian Sophia" tradition. This book looks to Thomas Merton as a "classic" theologian of the Christian tradition from East to West, and offers an interpretation of his mature Christology, with special attention to his remarkable prose poem of 1962, Hagia Sophia. Bringing Merton's mystical-prophetic Vision fully into dialogue with contemporary Christology, Russian sophiology, and Zen, as well as figures such as John Henry Newman and Abraham Joshua Heschel, the author carefully but boldly builds the case that Sophia, the same theological eros that animated Merton's religious imagination in a period of tremendous fragmentation and violence, might infuse new vitality into our own.
A study of uncommon depth and scope, inspired throughout by Merton's extraordinary catholicity.
Sophia: The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton, by Christopher Pramuk- Amazon Sales Rank: #571480 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-30
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x .50" w x 6.00" l, 1.06 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 352 pages
Review Pramuk’s study goes as far as any in outlining the Christology developed in Merton’s copious writings. And by placing Merton in conversation with an eclectic group of theologians, past and present, the book succeeds in underscoring Merton’s Christology and his understanding of the wisdom tradition. A new generation of Merton enthusiasts will appreciate both the effort and the result.CommonwealChristopher Pramuk masterfully guides the reader into how Merton’s life was transformed by his dialogue with both the Russian and Eastern mystics. Just when one thinks that enough has been written about Merton, that there is little more to be said, then here comes another gem that deserves serious attention. Bishop Robert F. Morneau, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay I love this book. Pramuk’s writing is at once deeply insightful and beautifully poetic. . . . It marks a fresh new insight into the depth of Merton’s theological vision.Catholic StudiesPramuk’s Sophia stands out as an exemplar of the best of what scholars of Merton can offer. . . .The book is a reflection on the nature of theology and a call to the renewal of the practice of theology through the sophiological approach. As such, it should be of interest not only to those interested in the retrieval of Merton’s ideas and in the reconstruction of his monastic, theological, and personal identity, but also to those who remain convinced that theology still has something important to say in response to the most pressing questions that we face today.American Benedictine ReviewThis book will appeal to those who give it slow study and reflection. It is prayerful and mystical as well as being a finely documented academic study. The language is beautiful and engaging; one emerges from even a few pages feeling inspired and energized. ‘Ah—so that’s what we believe and why we are Catholic!’ one might conclude with pride and hope.LeavenPramuk has written an audacious, radical and ultimately inspiring book. Audaciously, he takes on the complex and controversial task of translating Merton’s richly literary and poetic writings into theology. In doing so, he calls Christians, and especially Christian theologians, radically to deepen or repossess the mystical sources for their life and work. The result is an inspiring invitation to find new and deeper meaning in both doctrine and practice.Theological StudiesPramuk has jumped to the head of the pack and become one of our premiere theologians. . . . This book traces the emergence of Sophia in Merton’s life and writings as a love and a presence that breaks through into the world—a living symbol and name through which he encountered the living God and with which he chose, at his poetic and prophetic best, to structure theological discourse.National Catholic ReporterChristopher Pramuk’s Sophia: The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton, is nothing less than a gift to Merton scholars, serious theologians, and contemplatively-minded Christians alike. . . . [It] represents a new starting point in Merton studies. There is no doubt that Pramuk’s book deserves and will receive significant attention.The Merton Seasonal
About the Author Christopher Pramuk is associate professor of theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the author of Sophia: The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton and Hope Sings, So Beautiful: Graced Encounters across the Color Line both from Liturgical Press. The recipient of the Catholic Theological Society of America's 2009 Catherine Mowry LaCugna Award, he has also received the International Thomas Merton Society's 2011 Thomas Merton Award, and several best essay awards from the Catholic Press Association. A lifelong musician and student of African American spirituality, he has led numerous workshops on the healing of race relations in society and the church as well as retreats on the life and writings of Thomas Merton.
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77 of 77 people found the following review helpful. Astounding. Merton for the 21st century and beyond By D. Kovacs After reading Merton's biography, I was especially intrigued with his prose poem "Hagia Sophia" and was sad to find that there was not much further information available regarding this "secret" work, as Merton characterized it. With the publication of this astonishingly good book, that is no longer the case. The author Christopher Pramuk delves into the heart of Merton's mystical approach to theology, places it within the context of the Church's tradition, and shows us why it merits sustained consideration in the Church today. While thorough scholarship is evident throughout, it is definitely not a dry read as it imaginatively takes us through lessons from Newman and Heschel as well as the Russian theologians Soloviev and Bulgakov. This book powerfully conveys to the reader the reality of the "sacramental imagination" as experienced by Merton and reminds us that the forms which guided him on the journey (scripture, liturgy, iconography, sacred music, poetry, theology) are there to guide us too. For help along the way, you couldn't ask for better companions than Merton's writings and this book. It is an astounding gift to those who truly wish to live hidden in Christ.
58 of 58 people found the following review helpful. Christ, Russia, and a strange poem by Merton By John C. Marshell Jr. There are many fine books available about Thomas Merton: The "official" biography by Michael Mott entitledThe Seven Mountains of Thomas Merton, William Shannon's Silent Lamp: The Thomas Merton Story, and Basil Pennington's more personable reflection in Thomas Merton: MY BROTHER. All these titles have their merits and insights into one of the most interesting spiritual writers of the 20th century. But like most biographies, their overriding concern is chronology and narrative; they dwell briefly or only sketch Merton's intellectual life and theological interests. Finding books that discuss Merton in depth is harder to do. If you seek a more analytical and critical investigation into Merton's thinking, I would recommend Christopher Pramuk's fine effort to investigate Merton's Christology.One of the great myths of Merton's life concerns his interests in Buddhism and Taoism. You can still meet people who think Merton was going to renounce Christianity and become Buddhist, and that his travels to Asian countries indicates a break in his life with Christianity and his monastic community. Pramuk's book clearly illustrates that Merton had from the middle 1950's until his death firmly grounded his spiritual life in patristics and the Russian theological tradition, and that Christ, not Siddartha Gautama, was the focus of his spiritual interests. His deep interest in the Sophiological tradition and his readings in Bulgakov, Evdokimov, Soloviev, as well as his relationship with Boris Pasternak are reviewed and examined in some detail by Pramuk and reveal a monk immersed in his Christian theology, not simply an intellectual understanding, but a well integrated and dynamic interaction with Wisdom found in the Trinity and reflected in the world. This theological growth coincided with Merton's growth as a poet and produced the prose poem "Hagia Sophia." Until I read Pramuk's book, I did not fully understand the significance of this somewhat odd piece in the Merton corpus, but his skillful investigation makes clear that it reveals much of Merton's thinking and should not escape the attention of those wishing to understand Merton's Christianity and inner life. Though there are theological issues with the Sophiological tradition (How orthodox is it?), Pramuk explores these concerns and finds Merton was pretty good at maintaining a sound theological footing despite the pitfalls.My criticism of the book? Pramuk's writing style is a little "heavy" and geared for the educated reader, not the sort of writing a casual Christian can warm to. If you are not well versed in Merton, don't buy this book until you have become more familiar with him. Sometimes Merton gets "hidden" in Pramuk's efforts to analyze him. Pramuk can cite and quote theologians as diverse as David Tracy, Cardinal Newman, and Abraham Heschel in the course of a few pages. There is also an incompleteness to Pramuk's analysis, and despite the many theological references, Pramuk appears to have little concern for genuine influences in Merton's evolution that mirror the Sophiological tradition. Notably, Pramuk neglects English Romantic poets and the Franciscan spiritual tradition, both of which Merton was well versed. A good book to reference in this regard is Ross Labrie'sThomas Merton and the Inclusive Imagination. Though it is an academic work as well, Labrie, I think, does a much better job for the general reader in revealing Merton's intellectual influences. Also, Merton's interpretation of Evagrius' theoria physike could have been a little clearer, and I think the Pennington book cited above may provide a better explanation of Merton's understanding of this concept. Pramuk also delves into Merton's "robust doctrine of the 'true self,'" but I felt that the uninitiated reader may not fully understand its importance. There is a book (I think now out of print) by Thomas King,Merton: Mystic at the Center of America (Way of the Christian Mystics), that disusses Merton's concepts of the self and could really be helpful in this regard.Pramuk's study is as much a literary analysis as it is a theological investigation, and you will find some interesting insights into Biblical interpretation, hermeneutics, and symbolism. Overall, a good book if you are ready for it.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A masterpiece of the soul By Robert Miller Over the course of almost thirty years-teaching, within my home parish, about the adult christian faith journey-I have read many books by and about Thomas Merton-some I have read twice. Recently, I finished 'Sophia' for the fourth time and know there is so much more I have yet to grasp within the pages of this masterpiece of the soul. Once again, as Merton and Pramuk have stated, I am reminded that one must 'live one's theology' if you seek to understand it. 'Sophia' sends you into the depths of the world, and in doing so, discover the gentle embrace of the humble Christ all around you, hidden in plain sight.
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