Merton's Relevance for Contemporary Antifascists

Eric Martin is Teaching Professor in theology at Loyola Marymount University, focusing on the dialogue between social movements & religion, the Bible, & spirituality. He is part of the Catholic Worker movement, author of The Writing on the Wall Signs of Faith against Fascism, & co-editor of The Berrigan Letters: Personal Correspondence Between Daniel and Philip Berrigan. Much of his current focus is on becoming a failed poet.

What relevance does Merton have for communities opposing the rising tide of fascism in the US & across continents today? After laying some groundwork about canonical understandings of fascism & antifascism, this talk will explore his offering to antifascists on the ground and behind computer screens. Whether in the form of a journal, poem, or jazz meditation, Merton left traces that religious activists in particular may find fruitful in an age of genocide, legalized kidnappings, and slow motion ethnic cleansing.

Marcela Raggio teaches American and British Literature at Cuyo National University in Mendoza, Argentina. She is a researcher at the Argentine National Council for Research (CONICET) where she has specialized in Comparative Literature, Poetry and Literary Translation. She serves as head of the English Literature M.A. program at UNCuyo, and as international advisor to the ITMS. She has published articles and books about poetic translation, among them "Thomas Merton, the Translator Monk." Since 2018, she has organized the Argentine Thomas Merton Conference in her hometown, aiming at sharing Merton's legacy internationally. In 2023 she was the recipient of the "Louie" award for an individual who has made a significant contribution on an international level to the promotion of Merton's writings (in English or in translation) and to the presentation of his ideas.

In a letter to Margaret Randall, written in 1963, Thomas Merton stated that "in Latin America the voice of the poet has significance because it has something to do with life". He added that his own poetry was an expression of "a dimension of life and experience", just as that of his fellow Latin American writers. Why did Merton feel so close to Latin American poets? What aspects of life and experience did he reflect upon in his own literary writing? Can we say that poetry is still today, in a context marked by division, prejudice and fear of others, a way to bridge differences through attentive, respectful dialogue? This presentation aims at pondering over these issues considering the way in which Thomas Merton himself interacted with the world through poetry.

The schedule of upcoming episodes and links to past episodes can be found at: merton.org/TWM.

This past Advent, seventeen peacemakers led by Catholic Workers across the country returned from Palestine-Israel hosted by Sabeel, which is the grassroots, ecumenical Palestinian liberation theology movement rooted in the universal ethic of nonviolence. Meeting with civil society peacemakers across faiths, institutions, and identities in Palestine-Israel, the goals of the trip were to 1) be with and encourage the people who are under attack, 2) collaborate with Sabeel on ways that the unjust, complex realities of life in Palestine-Israel might be improved, and 3) expose human rights violations and prioritize human connection. The delegation was part of a wave of desperately needed international presence, answering the open invitation from Palestinian Christians, who are the direct descendants of the first Christians and the Living Stones of our faith, to come and see, and go and tell. They are seeking solidarity and a physical presence from faith communities in the United States amidst the U.S.-funded ongoing genocide in Gaza that is spreading to the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Jessica Sun (she/they) is a 2nd generation economic-settler-immigrant and Chinese U.S. American zillennial from northern Virginia. A Catholic convert after 10 years of identifying with varying philosophies as an agnostic, she finds a dear sense of belonging in spaces of zealous, Gospel-led advocacy and action for just peace and nonviolence. Christians for a Free Palestine, Pax Christi USA, and the PCUSA Young Adult Caucus are her organizing homes. A graduate of the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, she had worked as a software engineer by day, local activist by life. She is currently in the application process to the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods.