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About Thomas Merton on William Faulkner and Classical Literature

William Faulkner was undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers. Now, you can take Thomas Merton as your personal guide in discovering the literary and spiritual genius of Faulkner’s works. Awarded both the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, William Cuthbert Faulkner (1897–1962) was a multi-talented writer who wrote such beloved classics as The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying. In this series, you will join renowned mystic and writer Thomas Merton on an extraordinary course on Faulkner and classicism in literature. An English professor before becoming a monk, Merton continued to teach literature courses to the monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani. These lectures were originally recorded by Merton in the 1960s and are remastered to enhance your listening experience. First, you will look at the concept of the classical in literature by exploring the poetry of John Milton and T.S. Eliot before looking specifically at Faulkner’s works. Merton demonstrates that Faulkner is a mythological rather than sociological writer; he uses the particular setting of the American South to tell stories of universal significance. His works embody the great classic truths of literature: love, honor, pride, compassion, and sacrifice. Under Merton’s guidance, you will see how Faulkner was a sapiential, or visionary, writer. Merton will also guide you through the deeper spiritual undercurrent of Faulkner’s writings, which illustrate the biblical themes of redemption, the fall, and the resurrection. Join Thomas Merton today with this brilliant course on Faulkner. (Photograph of Thomas Merton by Sibylle Akers. Used with Permission of the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University.)