I should begin by way of disclaimer to note that Thomas Merton is my favorite author and New Seeds of Contemplation is my favorite book by him. So, I’m not likely to be impartial at all in this review.
Merton was a monk with the soul of a poet (well, he was a poet before he became a monk), and he writes engagingly and lyrically over one of the most difficult subjects in Christianity: contemplation. This book is a series of loosely connected essays about the nature and practice of contemplation, as well as many of the pitfalls which attend this path.
This is not a book to be read quickly but to be pondered over. Let your mind chew a long time on each short chapter, and rereading is highly encouraged.
Even as Foster’s book is a great introduction to the practices of the contemplative life, Merton’s work is a great introduction to the contemplative life as a whole. In fact, his first two chapters are “What is Contemplation?” and “What Contemplation is Not.” My own definition of contemplation is greatly indebted to these chapters.
Now, I should mention that every once in a while it does become evident that Merton needs to translate his expectations for someone living outside of a monastery and for those of us outside of the Roman Catholic Church. Additionally, since it was written in the middle of the twentieth century, some of his metaphors and analogies are a bit dated. However, if these slight defects are taken into account and adjusted for, this book should be fruitful for anyone interested in the contemplative life.