Merton: A Film Biography (1984)

Plot Summary

In his lifetime, Thomas Merton was hailed as a prophet and censured for his outspoken social criticism. For nearly 27 years he was a monk of the austere Trappist order, where he became an eloquent spiritual writer and mystic as well as an anti-war advocate and witness to peace. Merton: A Film Biography provides the first comprehensive look at this remarkable 20th century religious philosopher who wrote, in addition to his immensely popular autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, over 60 books on some of the most pressing social issues of our time, some of which are excerpted here. Merton offers an engaging profile of a man whose presence in the world touched millions of people and whose words and thoughts continue to have a profound impact and relevance today.

Full Cast & Characters

Alexander Scourby

Narrator (voice)

Gregory Abels

Thomas Merton (voice)

John Barber

Self

Jim Forest

Self - Int. Fellowship of Reconciliation

Robert Lax

Self

John Eudes Bamberger

Self - Scholastic under Merton

Flavian Burns

Self - Scholastic under Merton

Robert Giroux

Self - Publisher

Naomi Burton Stone

Self

James Laughlin

Self - Publisher, New Directions

Jean Jadot

Self - Vatican Secretariat for Non-Christians

Ernesto Cardenal

Self - Nicaraguan Minister of Culture; Novice under Merton

Director & Crew

Where to Watch Merton: A Film Biography Online

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