The Making of a Saint

How could a man who had an emotionally deprived and traumatic childhood find the strength later in life to enter a monastery and become a spiritual master? The Making of a Saint is the true story of the American priest and Catholic writer Thomas Merton, who lived from 1915 to 1968. He wrote more than 70 books on spirituality, pacifism and social justice, and his words influenced a generation of men to enter monasteries. By late adolescence, Merton felt completely alienated and was in a state of spiritual abjection, yet he found the path to become a spiritual master. A Psychological Study of the Life of Thomas Merton gives a psychoanalytic explanation for the early gain in strength he found, but more than psychology is required to understand Merton's subsequent spiritual growth. His journals display the healing power of Christ, as well as the healing power of writing. Author Kenneth Bragan asserts that it was an arduous process for Merton, but "I suggest it was only finally completed when he became engaged in a passionate love affair. Only then could his heart be opened to the lost mother of his childhood, and only after that happened could he go out into the world and complete his mission." Merton was monk, a mystic and a poet, but above all else, he was a great writer and a great man. About the Author: Kenneth Bragan grew up in a small coal mining town near Newcastle in the north of England, and now resides in the Lakes District of the south island of New Zealand. He worked as a psychiatrist and developed a particular interest in the healing power of writing.