Water, Wood and Wonder: Contemplative Thought in Thomas Merton and Sergio Bongiovanni

This article examines points of convergence between Thomas Merton's contemplative thought and Sergio Bongiovanni's Lo que cuentan los ríos (2013), focusing on how both authors frame the human-nature relationship. In both Merton's writings and Bongiovanni's portrayals of the lands...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Guadalupe Zorrilla, María (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: The Merton annual
Year: 2025, Volume: 38, Pages: 200-213
Further subjects:B Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
B Anthropocentrism
B Environmental Responsibility
B Interdependence theory
B Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968
B Mendoza (Argentina)
B Alienation (Philosophy)
B Authors
B Anthropogenic effects on nature
B Introspection
B Independent writers and authors
Description
Summary:This article examines points of convergence between Thomas Merton's contemplative thought and Sergio Bongiovanni's Lo que cuentan los ríos (2013), focusing on how both authors frame the human-nature relationship. In both Merton's writings and Bongiovanni's portrayals of the landscapes and communities of Mendoza, Argentina, nature is not treated as background or motif; it functions as an active context that informs perception, conduct and responsibility. The paper situates both authors within broader critiques of anthropocentrism and linguistic alienation from the natural world, ultimately arguing that Bongiovanni and Merton converge in portraying nature as a contemplative space where the human self is reawakened to its interdependence, fostering ecological responsibility and deeper self-understanding.
ISSN:0894-4857
Contains:Enthalten in: The Merton annual