Bread in the Wilderness

By Thomas Merton

Book Overview

Bread in the Wilderness sets forth Merton's belief that "the Psalms acquire, for those who know how to enter into them, a surprising depth, a marvelous and inexhaustible actuality. They are bread,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814604064
• ISBN13: 9780814604069
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: Liturgical Pr
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 0.5" x 4.5"

Customer Reviews

Bread in the Wilderness, a Classic

Bread in the Wilderness, a classic by Thomas Merton so well known for bringing an enthusiasm for things of God to the Twentieth and Twenty-first century, was first published in 1953. It has been reissued by New Directions Publishing in the original large format text design with the original illustrations of a medieval crucifix at Perpignan, France. The photographs of this crucifix, taken by J. Comet, are presented in varied detail and perspective throughout the book in such a way as to complement the text. The text design, itself, is by Alvin Lustig as in the original, and presents the dropped or hanging running page information suggesting a crucifix and subtly informing the entire meaning of the book. For anyone interested in book design this volume is a valuable resource. Those who see a shocking modernity in medieval artwork and the depiction of faces high up in church and cathedral detailing will be interested as well. As for the writing itself and its importance, it is enough to say that the first chapter, based on the psalms, lays claim to its lastingness when Merton himself says, "the Psalms are one of the most valid forms of prayer ... of all time."

Be certain to purchase the excellent New Directions Classic reprint edition

New Directions was Father Merton,s first publisher and always produced art house quality books meant to last. This tradition only improves with age as this New DIrections reprint issue continues the tradition of high quality books which are a joy to handle and to hold. I find the Liturgical Press reprint of this monumental work of Psalm theology to be hard to read and easily broken, like a small trade paperback. This New Directions reprint on the other hand has a generous size and a beautiful lay out with generous margins for your own meditations. I especially appreciate the illustrations of various aspects of the ancient French Catalan Devot Christ which I have not seen in many decades, and am deeply moved to contemplate once more within these pages. Any spiritual library requires this volume of Father Mertons meditations and teachings of the Psalms, the cornerstone of any monastic prayer life, the cornerstone of the Rule and life of Our Holy Father Saint Benedict, who requires their full reading weekly and regularly. And this beautiful and merciful reprint by New Directions fills their contemplation with a great and gentle joy. This volume of Father Mertons early writings also still comes with Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat, etc., for those who require such things.

Psalms as Spiritual Bread

Who better then Thomas Merton, a poet and a monk, to share his feelings on the most significant and influential collection of religious poems ever written? In this book Merton teaches us that the Psalms not only sum up the teachings of the Old Testament, but they can serve as actual nourishment for those whose vocation is the life of prayer. This book offers inspiration on the Psalms and shows us how they can lead us become closer to God. I highly recommend this book to all. And especially to those who seek to come closer to God daily in their contemplative life. Thomas Merton was Father Louis of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance and lived daily with the Psalms.

Among Merton's Finest Books!

I commend New Directions for issuing a facsimile reprint of the original of this valuable book. Who would not say that here is a publishing company of enduring and impeccable taste? I have a copy of the original cloth bound book- it is beautiful, and easily one of my top twenty favorite books. I believe this is the book that comes most surely from Merton the poet. His consideration of the Psalms is inspired; the language in this book is as severe and ecstatic as are the Psalms themselves, and his insight into their relevance is without peer. The brevity of Merton's exposition is part of its potency. Nothing is wasted. Like the Psalms themselves, the veins of this book run deep in kingly rivers, announcing the heart of God like a morning song. Merton's interior acquisition of that song is of epic intensity, yet simple as clean water. I believe "Bread in the Wilderness" surpasses even "Seeds of Contemplation" in directness, common heart, and indeed artistic beauty. It's an indescribably beautiful book that moves, aches and rocks, and leads one, ultimately, to the inmost core of revelation, which is, after all, believability. Merton's references to the Psalms can be traced like a monk's thread throughout all of his writing, from the earliest books up through the posthumously published Journals. This book gives us a clear understanding of how constantly faithful Thomas Merton remained not only to the brilliant song of the Psalms themselves, but to the music of his own exceeding heart. And the woodcut Christ on the cover is so unfailingly Cistercian! This is a book that will live forever.

This is a book that every serious student should read.

When Thomas Merton, a Trappist Monk, wrote BREAD IN THE WILDERNESS, he had fallen in love with the Psalms of the Old Testament. As a monk, he had chanted the Psalms every day of the week. The monks still do this today. This book is certaily about the Psalms as it relates to people seeking to understand God and Christ. In only the way Thomas Merton can write, one will discover many practical truths about the Psalms. As Merton writes, "The Psalms are theolgy. That means that they place us in direct contact with God, through the assent of faith in His revelation." Even though this is a brief book, it contains large amount of material for thought and study. There are five divisions in the book, and each division highlights how God speaks through the Psalms. To the poet, there are many Psalms of importance. As Merton writes, "The Psalms are poems, and poems have a meanng, although the poet has no obligation to make his meaning immediately clear to anyone who does not want to make an effort to discover it." One of the most ineresting things about the book is how Merton sees Jesus Christ throughout the Psalms. Maybe Merton says it best whe he writes, "The Psalms are more that language. They contain within themselves the silence of high mountains and the silence of heaven. It is only when we stand at the bottom of the mountain that it is hard for us to distinguish the language of the Psalter from the tongues of the earth..." In this book, Merton makes the Psalms come alive. This is a book worth reading.