Publisher's Synopsis
Thomas Merton first published "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander" in 1968. Later that year on December 10, 1968, Thomas Merton died in a tragic accidental electrocution.His words live on 50 years later, and along with his other writings over the years have provided his readers with much thought provoking commentary on spiritual matters and religious concerns.In the original Preface to his book Merton sets the reader's expectation, pointing out that his writing is not meant to be a Spiritual Journal or a teaching guide. It is merely a composition of his observations over the years on matters of contemporary concerns. Merton was highly regarded by Scholars of his day and his untimely death left a terrible void in a world struggling to deal with issues that were not of concern to prior generations. War and technology, and their impact on the human condition were among his greatest concerns. We struggle with these issues yet today. In fact both war and technology complicate each other today and present us with even greater challenges than in Merton's time.Merton accomplished much to advance the discussion of moral and decent solutions to real human problems. And he did so against the backdrop of pressure from his Superiors in the Religious Community. Merton was a Trappist Monk and had taken a vow of silence when he professed his vows. Those of us who have not taken such a vow are free to speak. Indeed we have an obligation to do so, for without any effort on the part of the good and decent people of our society, each generation risks the loss of its moral compass, and the world population sinks into chaos and anarchy.What is written here, and what the reader will hopefully take away, is simply a demonstration of how to align the wisdom of the ages, presented to us in the form of many authoritative sources, with the challenges of the world today. Nothing more, nothing less, it is just a guide: hopefully a guide that draws on wisdom of the past and presents future generations with a moral guide to problem solving in times to come.
