Returning to Reality Thomas Merton's Wisdom for a Technological World

This book synthesizes the diverse reflections on technology by monk and spiritual writer Thomas Merton to develop a compelling contemplative critique of the threats and challenges of nuclear war, communication technologies, and biotechnologies that may alter what it means to be human. At the core of his critique, Merton opposes a technological mentality that favors processes of efficiency and utility at the expense of our ultimate purpose, a quest for the wisdom to guide us to the divine source of our being and reality. To counter this modern idolatry, Merton's insights offer a path of reflection, balance, and community. More specifically, Merton offers some constructive approaches and healing possibilities through a balanced approach to work, a careful and intentional managing of technology, and an accessing of the recuperative dimensions of nature. In its conclusion the book brings the insights of these chapters together for a final reflection on how to maintain our humanity and our spiritual integrity in a technological world.

Dr. Phillip M. Thompson is the Executive Director of the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University. He has a PhD in the History of Culture from the University of Chicago and an LLM in Health Law from DePaul University. His publications are in the fields of religion and science and ethics. His previous book is Between Science and Religion: The Engagement of Catholic Intellectuals with Science and Technology in the Twentieth Century