A study and general literary introduction to the writings of Thomas Merton, displaying his versatility in mastering various literary forms including novel, diary, essay, and poem.

In this well-written and comprehensive volume on Catholic writing in the United States, Ross Labrie focuses on works that meet three criteria: high intellectual and artistic achievement, authorship by a practicing Roman Catholic, and a focus on Catholic themes. Labrie begins with a discussion of the Catholic imagination and sensibility and considers the relationship between art and Catholic theology and philosophy. Central to Catholic belief is the...