Open to the Full Dimension: Thomas Merton, Practical Theology, and Pastoral Practice
Ebook
Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is considered to be one of the most important Catholic American authors of the twentieth century. In this book one can discover Merton not only as a contemplative writer and prophet, but also as a pastoral practitioner. Dominiek Lootens is a Catholic practical theologian with more than twenty years of experience as a pastoral supervisor and educator in Belgium and Germany. Using his own professional practice as a starting point, he reflects in this book on the life and work of Thomas Merton. He shows how relevant Merton can be for pastoral practitioners who are active in today's global context. A variety of professional topics are discussed: interfaith hospital chaplaincy, migration and practical theology, pastoral supervision and spirituality, natural contemplation and Orthodox pastoral theology, racism and adult education, and the training of chaplains as social justice allies. This book offers practical theologians and pastoral practitioners an in-depth view in the life and publications of Thomas Merton and invites them to bring it into dialogue with their own professional practice.
“A master teacher of prayer and a guide in the spiritual life,
Thomas Merton is brilliantly revealed by Dominiek Lootens as more—a
remarkable pastoral theologian, a genuine source for chaplains and
others engaged in the ministry of care and presence. Lootens
masterfully opens up Merton’s gifts for practical and pastoral
theology and work. He makes Merton even more helpful a resource for
pastoral engagement.”
—Michael Plekon, The City University of New York, Baruch College,
emeritus
“Looking with fresh eyes and through interdisciplinary lenses at
the task of training pastoral practitioners, Lootens skillfully
applies the wisdom and prophetic stance of Thomas Merton to the
challenges of interfaith hospital chaplaincy and supervision,
natural contemplation and Orthodox pastoral theology, adult
education on racism, and training social justice allies.”
—Monica Weis, SSJ, Nazareth College, emerita
“One of the hazards of our times is that supervision is being
introduced by weak leaders as a management tool aimed at building
resilience in the workforce. Thank God for Lootens, who finds in
Merton grounds for reclaiming the prophetic role of pastoral
supervision within a mysticism of resistance toward everything that
diminishes the soul as it interacts with role and context.”
—Michael Paterson, Institute of Pastoral Supervision &
Reflective Practice
Dominiek Lootens is Head of the Centre for Dialogue at Campus
Riedberg in Frankfurt a. M., Germany. For twenty years he worked as
a pastoral educator and supervisor at Caritas Flanders. He is
president of SIPCC (Düsseldorf, Germany), and international advisor
of ITMS (Louisville, Kentucky). He currently lives in Schmitten im
Taunus, Germany, together with his wife Nina and their dog
Bonnie.