A treasury of wisdom from the influential Christian contemplative, political activist, social visionary, and literary figure.Thomas Merton (1915–1968) was spiritual parent to a generation—and his influence, through his many books, has only increased in the half-century since his death.   He was a hermit who maintained a compelling correspondence with some of the most influential thinkers of his age;  he was a social and political activist whose ideas had a seminal influence i