Geography of Holiness: The Photography of Thomas Merton

Dust jacket notes: "Thomas Merton - theologian, philosopher, social critic, and humanist - was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary vision. A prolific writer, Merton communicated his remarkable insights through poetry, essays, journals, and books. Merton was also a skilled and gifted photographer. Although his serious involvement with photography began late in his life and spanned only a few years, Merton's photographs express great sensitivity and precision. Geography of Holiness presents a selection of one hundered of Merton's photographs taken in such disparate locales as New Mexico, Alaska, India, Thailand, and Kentucky. In his photography, as in his writings, Merton conveys a profound understanding of being. The subjects of his photographs are as diverse as all of life. He captures the smooth, innocent faces of youth, the wise, expressive faces of the aged, the pristine simplicity of an adobe wall, and the peaceful majesty of the sea. Never intrusive or contrived, Merton's photographs evoke the spirit of the people he met and the places he visited. They give us a rare sense of the holiness of all created things. Selections from Merton's writings accompany the photographs to underscore the mood and feeling of the images. A descriptive list of plates and a chronology of Merton's life are included."