Summary of Thomas Merton's No Man Is an Island

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The first responsibility of a man of faith is to make his faith a part of his own life, not by rationalizing it but by living it. The meditations in this book are intended to be at the same time traditional and modern. They are not final answers to final questions, but they are at least thoughts that I have honestly thought out for myself.

#2 The salvation I speak of is not just a subjective, psychological thing; it is an objective and mystical reality. It is the finding of ourselves in Christ, in the Spirit, or in the supernatural order. We must lose ourselves in order to find ourselves.

#3 The only effective answer to the problem of salvation must be supernatural. Otherwise, we can only embrace one of the contradictory terms, and we can always be denied by the other.

#4 We must love others because we must love ourselves. We cannot love ourselves unless we love others, and we cannot love others unless we love ourselves. But a selfish love of ourselves makes us incapable of loving others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822512276

IRB Media

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Insights on Thomas Merton's No Man Is an Island

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 16

Insights from Chapter 17

Insights from Chapter 18

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The first responsibility of a man of faith is to make his faith a part of his own life, not by rationalizing it but by living it. The meditations in this book are intended to be at the same time traditional and modern. They are not final answers to final questions, but they are at least thoughts that I have honestly thought out for myself.

#2

The salvation I speak of is not just a subjective, psychological thing; it is an objective and mystical reality. It is the finding of ourselves in Christ, in the Spirit, or in the supernatural order. We must lose ourselves in order to find ourselves.

#3

The only effective answer to the problem of salvation must be supernatural. Otherwise, we can only embrace one of the contradictory terms, and we can always be denied by the other.

#4

We must love others because we must love ourselves. We cannot love ourselves unless we love others, and we cannot love others unless we love ourselves. But a selfish love of ourselves makes us incapable of loving others.

#5

When we see ourselves in our true human context, as members of a race that is intended to be one organism, we will begin to understand the positive importance not only of the successes but of the failures and accidents in our lives.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

Love not only prefers the good