The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton Summary
Overview of The Seven Storey Mountain
Thomas Merton's spiritual masterpiece sold 600,000 copies in 1948 alone, yet mysteriously never appeared on The New York Times bestseller list. Championed by Evelyn Waugh, this atomic-age antidote to Cold War anxiety continues offering what one critic called "a countercultural option" to modern living.
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Key takeaways
A Spiritual Odyssey Through the Ruins of Modernity
The world was burning when Thomas Merton entered it in 1915. Born near the French-Spanish border during World War I, he arrived in what he would later describe as "a place resembling Hell." His early years were marked by constant movement-France, England, America-as his artist father sought inspiration and his mother succumbed to cancer when Thomas was just six. By fifteen, he was an orphan, untethered and adrift. This rootlessness would define his youth but also prepare him for his remarkable transformation. What makes Merton's journey so compelling is not just where he ended-behind monastery walls-but how thoroughly he had embraced the world he would eventually renounce. Before becoming a monk, he had tasted everything modern life offered: intellectual ambition at Cambridge and Columbia, political radicalism, artistic pursuits, and sensual indulgence. His was not a sheltered soul who fled to religion out of fear, but one who had drunk deeply from modernity's well and found it desperately wanting.
The Descent into Worldly Excess
The First Stirrings of Faith
The Moment of Conversion
Finding His Vocation
The Embrace of Monastic Life
The Paradox of Solitude
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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