Thomas Merton on integrity and care in writing. I've broken his two paragraphs into six guidelines that should help quality assure hastily posted blogposts – or at least raise embarrassment levels amongst the pious but careless.
And in fairness to Merton, some of his strictures were directed at several of his own early overcooked spiritual writings.
"We who say we love God: why are we not anxious to be perfect in our art as we pretend we want to be in our service of God?
If we do not try to be perfect in what we write, perhaps it is because we are not writing for God after all….
It is depressing that those who serve God and love Him sometimes write so badly when those who do not believe in Him take pains to write so well.
I am not talking about grammar and syntax, but about having something to say and saying it in sentences that are not half dead….
The fact that your subject may be very important in itself does not necessarily mean that what you have written about it is important.
A bad book about the love of God remains a bad book…there are many who think that because they have written about God they have written good books." (From The Sign of Jonas, Harcourt Brace, 1979, pages 60-61)
Thomas Merton: Warnings for careless theological bloggers
Comments
12 responses to “Thomas Merton: Warnings for careless theological bloggers”
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The same goes for xtain musicians.
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The same goes for xtain musicians.
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Applies to preachers too … anyone else doing a mental review of their own careless verbage? Thanks Jim
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Applies to preachers too … anyone else doing a mental review of their own careless verbage? Thanks Jim
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Thank you. I follow your post daily, and enjoy the theological and poetic thought-provocation you provide.
“The fact that your subject may be very important in itself does not necessarily mean that what you have written about it is important.” This could lead to some valuable self-evaluation, always a profitable exercise as a Christian. -
Thank you. I follow your post daily, and enjoy the theological and poetic thought-provocation you provide.
“The fact that your subject may be very important in itself does not necessarily mean that what you have written about it is important.” This could lead to some valuable self-evaluation, always a profitable exercise as a Christian. -
I agree with phil – that’s what came into my mind immediately!
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I agree with phil – that’s what came into my mind immediately!
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Thanks each of you for your comments. hello Phil and Hermina. Thomas Merton would agree with all of you – lyrical banality and homiletic complacency are equally unworthy. Chris glad you are over the flu and back in business! And Craig, I’ve heard you do your thing and read your Whitley lecture – not much careless verbage there. Are any of you folk fans of Merton? I’ve been reading him for years – he is both inspiring and infuriating, he both annoys and educates me!
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Thanks each of you for your comments. hello Phil and Hermina. Thomas Merton would agree with all of you – lyrical banality and homiletic complacency are equally unworthy. Chris glad you are over the flu and back in business! And Craig, I’ve heard you do your thing and read your Whitley lecture – not much careless verbage there. Are any of you folk fans of Merton? I’ve been reading him for years – he is both inspiring and infuriating, he both annoys and educates me!
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Jim,
I wonder what Merton would have thought of our blogs? Probably not much, since he sometimes railed against the newish media of his day. But at least we can follow his advice and try to write well. Did you know that today is the 41st anniversary of his death? Karl Barth died the same day. My blog today is an appreciation of them both:
http://richardlfloyd.blogspot.com/2009/12/appreciation-thomas-merton-and-karl.html
-Rick -
Jim,
I wonder what Merton would have thought of our blogs? Probably not much, since he sometimes railed against the newish media of his day. But at least we can follow his advice and try to write well. Did you know that today is the 41st anniversary of his death? Karl Barth died the same day. My blog today is an appreciation of them both:
http://richardlfloyd.blogspot.com/2009/12/appreciation-thomas-merton-and-karl.html
-Rick
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