Merton & Indigenous Wisdom

The previous six volumes in our series—Merton and Sufism, Merton and Buddhism, Merton and Judaism, Merton and Taoism, Merton and the Protestant Tradition, Merton and Hesychasm—feature essays by international scholars that assess the value of Merton’s contributions to inter-religious dialogue. This seventh volume in our series gathers reflections that expose Merton’s appreciation for the spiritual and religious genius of American and Canadian indigenous peoples. A new translation of his “Preface for Latin American Readers” is a significant manifesto of Merton’s universality and “catholic” approach to the phenomenon of seeking God and the Sacred in all the world’s cultures. The essays included are replete with passages from Merton’s writings and transcriptions from his recovered weekly talks to the novices at the monastery of Gethsemani, where he lived until his untimely death in 1968.

Peter Savastano is an Episcopal Priest. He holds a BA in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Montclair State University and an M.Phil and PhD. in Religion and Society from Drew University. His areas of expertise are: the Anthropology of Religion with a focus on Christian (Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox) mysticism, vernacular devotional practices, and issues of sexuality and gender in relation to Anglicanism, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy; Islamic Mysticism (Sufism) and Western Esotericism; the Anthropology of Consciousness with a focus on trance, and other psi phenomena such as spontaneous healing, visionary experiences, NDEs and premonitional dreams; World Indigenous sacred ritual and healing traditions, most especially American Indian traditions and African Diasporic traditions. He has been studying the works of Thomas Merton since early adolescence and teaches a course entitled "Thomas Merton, Religion and Culture". Peter Savastano is Associate Professor of the Anthropology and Religious Studies at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey.