International Thomas Merton Society

Eleventh Conference and General Meeting

The Eleventh Conference and General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society

June 11-14, 2009

Nazareth College, Rochester, New York

Thomas Merton’s Christian faith and monastic commitment led him to explore the wisdom of other religious traditions and to develop mutually enriching relationships with people of other faiths throughout the world.  As he wrote in a letter to his Pakistani Muslim friend Abdul Aziz in 1960, “I speak to you from my heart of our obligation to study the truth in deep prayer and meditation, and bear witness to the light that comes from the All-Holy God into this world of darkness where He is not known and not remembered.  The world we live in has become an awful void, a desecrated sanctuary, reflecting outwardly the emptiness and blindness of the hearts of men who have gone crazy with their love for money and power and with pride in their technology.”  It is the common duty of all people of faith, Merton concludes, to open the eyes of others to the light of Truth (Hidden Ground of Love). The Eleventh General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society will focus particularly on the ways in which Merton serves as a model of creative interreligious dialogue and witnesses to its importance in building a world in which the dignity of every person is respected and nurtured.

Download the Conference Brochure as an Adobe PDF File - ITMS Conference Brochure
 

Conference Highlights

Registration Information

Conference Timetable

Student Scholarships

Plenary Speakers:

Rachel Fell McDermott

Herbert Mason

James Conner, OCSO

Judith Simmer-Brown

Opening Sessions:

First-Timers' Session Robert Grip	Chapters Workshop Michael Brennan	Merton & Photography Tony Bannon
Tribute to John Eudes Bamberger Morgan Atkinson	Merton & Young People Matthew Herbst / Daniel Horan, OFM / Jeff Kiernan	Interreligous Dialogue: The Rochester Experience

Concurrent Sessions:

Merton and Hinduism David Belcastro	Merton and the Beat Poets Mary Chinery / Scott Grapin	Merton, Wholeness & Healing Jessica Funk / Timothy Shaffer
Emerging Merton Scholars Kimberly Morey / Rob Peach	Merton & Sufi Wisdom Patrick F. O’Connell / Erlinda G. Paguio	Merton & Spiritual Integration Fiona Gardner / Nass Cannon
Merton & Friends J. S. Porter / Ian MacNiven	Merton & Zen Buddhism Mark Murray/Matthew John Cressler	Merton & Thich Nhat Hanh William Apel / Robert King
Merton & the New Atheism Christine M. Bochen / Walt Chura	Merton’s Rain & the Rhinoceros Dave Odorisio / Chip Long	Merton: Interfaith Dialog Joseph Raab / Ryan Scruggs
Merton: Beyond Silence Roger Lipsey / Lynn Szabo	Merton’s Ecology Deborah Kehoe / Christopher Pramuk	Merton & Social Justice Mark C. Meade / Cristóbal Serrán-Pagán y Fuentes
Merton and Monasticism Paul Dekar / Andrea Neuhoff	Merton and Buddhism Tyson Anderson / James Beckman	Merton & German Thinkers John P. Collins / David Golemboski
	Merton: Fragmentation & Dialogue Gray Matthews / Vaughn Fayle

Workshops & Special Presentations:

Merton and the ‘I am spiritual but not religious’ generation Ted Bergh	‘Desecrated Sanctuary’ Thomas Merton and Thomas Berry in Dialogue on Healing the Natural World Kathleen Deignan	Studying the Truth in Prayer and Meditation: Echo-Meditation with a Text of Thomas Merton Detlev Cuntz
Exploring the Heart of Merton and Nature Monica Weis	Telling Our Stories With Uncle Louie Mark Filut, OCSO	Awakening Sacred Heart: An Experimental Method in Christian-Buddhist Contemplation Toni Sorgi
A Zen Camera: Meditating with the Photographs of Thomas Merton Paul M. Pearson		‘Lightheartedness in Bearing Light’ Merton’s Humor in Interreligious Dialogue Sylvia Maddox

Registration Fees:
(including conference registration and meals)

ITMS Member - $200.00

Non-Member - $250.00 (Join the ITMS)

Late Registration Fees (between May 15 and June 1):
(including conference registration and meals)

ITMS Member - $250.00

Non-Member - $300.00 (Join the ITMS)

Accommodation:

$150.00 (Three Nights)
 

Print out and send the conference Registration Form

Additional Lodging Fee:
 

Participants arriving on campus Wednesday, June 10, may stay for $50.00 no meals included; participants may also stay on campus Sunday, June 14, for the same additional cost. This fee must be enclosed with registration to secure a room. Note: All rooms have private bedrooms with shared baths (dorm-suite arrangement). 
 

Travel Directions to Nazareth College

ITMS Daggy Scholarships

Daggy Youth/Student Scholarships enable young people (ages 14-29) to participate in an International Thomas Merton Society Conference by covering the costs of registration, meals and accommodation. For further information about Daggy Scholarships and an application form go to the Daggy Scholarship Web Page.
 

For INFORMATION on REGISTRATION & ACCOMMODATIONS contact the Site Coordinator:
Christine M. Bochen
Nazareth College
4245 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618-3790
Email: cbochen4@naz.edu

Program Committee Paul M Pearson, Louisville, KY (Chair) Christine M. Bochen, Rochester, NY (Site Coordinator) Jamie Fazio, Rochester, NY Donald Grayston, Vancouver, BC. Canada Gray Matthews, Memphis, TN Patrick O'Connell, Erie, PA Bonnie B. Thurston, Wheeling, WV Monica Weis, Rochester, NY

Rochester Site Committee   Christine M. Bochen (Site Coordinator) Jamie Fazio Susan Nowak, SSJ. Meghan Robinson Muhammed Shafiq Monica Weis, SSJ.

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