This new edition traces the evolution of Thomas Merton's social thought, particularly as it evolved toward a way of nonviolence and peacemaking grounded in contemplation and Christian love.

It identifies the social context that shaped Merton, including civil rights and racism, the Vietnam War, and a growing nuclear threat.

And it explores the religious influences and experiences that shaped Merton, including Catholic social teaching-particularly Pope John XXIII's encyclical letter Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth)-the words and actions of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., the practice of contemplation and Zen, and Merton's own life as a Trappist monk.