Monograph by Gregory K Hillis
External reviews of MAN OF DIALOGUE by Gregory K Hillis
The Merton Seasonal, 2022
Some of Thomas Merton's admirers dislike the Catholic Church, and some members of that Church dis... more Some of Thomas Merton's admirers dislike the Catholic Church, and some members of that Church dislike Merton. Such fans and foes alike often try to diminish or even dismiss Merton's Catholic identity-to distance him from the Church they either accept or reject. In Man of Dialogue: Thomas Merton's Catholic Vision, Gregory K. Hillis shows in persuasive detail the erroneous nature of such a move. On the contrary, Hillis presents Merton accurately as thoroughly and irrefutably Catholic, and the evangelizing effect this has compels those who would diminish Merton's Catholic identity to rethink their vision of Merton and of his Church. In his "Introduction: Merton the Catholic?" (1-14), Hillis presents his question and reviews assessments from both Catholics and non-Catholics who find Merton's allegiance to the Church somewhat suspect. Having shown the relevance and persistence of the question, Hillis sets out to answer it by building a comprehensive portrait of this "Man of Dialogue." As a convert to Catholicism and an admirer of Merton (he even has a Merton tattoo!), Hillis avoids hagiography and presents an honest appraisal of Merton's struggles and gifts through a series of nine perspectival chapters. The first four-"Merton the Convert" (15-54), "Merton the Priest" (55-78), "Merton the Novice Master" (79-112) and "Merton the Devoted Son of Mary" (113-39)-build a case for catholicity that goes far beyond suggesting a nominal or peripheral association; rather Hillis presents the Catholic contemplative tradition as constitutive of Merton's identity, especially centering the Eucharist in the monk's life-as a spiritual resource and as a call to unity and to more just human relations. These chapters reveal Merton's deep piety, and his dedication to his vocation which encompassed religious life, priestly ministry, teaching and writing. Even readers well-versed in the Merton corpus will find Hillis' coverage of familiar territory freshly illuminating. His treatment of Merton the priest reveals Merton's love of the Eucharist, but also playfully and humorously exposes Merton's ambivalence to the liturgical reforms of Vatican II (see 74-76). His portrait of Merton the novice master pulls together interviews from Merton's former students and incorporates a broad range of material only recently made available through the publication of Merton's novitiate
Cistercian Studies Quarterly, 2022
American Benedictine Review, 2022
"I find in myself not the slightest inclination to be anything other than a Catholic." "I count m... more "I find in myself not the slightest inclination to be anything other than a Catholic." "I count myself lucky to be here [Gethsemani]. There really is no other place in the Church now where I would rather be. I see so evidently that my hermitage is my true place in the Church. And I owe this to my community. Also. let's face it, to my Abbot, of whom I am so easily critical." These statements from Thomas Merton's journals (in 1962 and 1966) are, in the view of this superb study authored by Professor Gregory K. Hillis of Bellarmine University, two of many indications that, from the beginning of his Trappist existence until (literally) the day of his death, Thomas Merton never wavered in his desire to spend the remainder of his life as a Trappist monk within the Catholic Church. This confidence in Merton's fundamental identity has over the years been challenged by critics from both right and left. Whether
Book Chapters by Gregory K Hillis
St Cyril of Alexandria: Glaphyra on the Pentateuch, Volume 1 - Fathers of the Church Series, 2018
What I Am Living For, 2018
A Pope Francis Lexicon, 2018
An exploration of Pope Francis' references to Satan during his pontificate
Peer-Reviewed Academic Articles by Gregory K Hillis
Cistercian Studies Quarterly, 2020
Cistercian Studies Quarterly, 2014
Translations of my Work by Gregory K Hillis
Contactblad Mertonvrienden, 2022
Francescamente Parlando: Un Vocabolario di Papa Francesco, 2020
Italian translation of an earlier essay I wrote
Pape François Lexique, 2018
French translation of an earlier essay I wrote for A Pope Francis Lexicon
Contactblad Mertonvrienden, 2014
Elf dagen nadat Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli als Paus Johannes XXIII verkozen werd, schreef Thomas Me... more Elf dagen nadat Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli als Paus Johannes XXIII verkozen werd, schreef Thomas Merton in zijn dagboek:
Essays for Popular Audiences (Print) by Gregory K Hillis
The Merton Journal, 2023
My vocational crisis I was eleven years old when I decided I wanted to be a teacher. There was so... more My vocational crisis I was eleven years old when I decided I wanted to be a teacher. There was something about the way my Social Studies teacher taught the material that I found mesmerizing, and I remember thinking to myself that I wanted to do what he was doing. When I was sixteen, I read Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and was so taken with the novel that I concluded that I wanted to become a scholar of Russian literature. Under the influence of a wonderful professor of church history during my undergraduate studies, I became captivated by historical theology and realized that I wanted to devote myself to this field of academic study. While my appreciation for Russian literature never abated, historical theology captivated me completely. After completing an undergraduate degree in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, I decided to pursue further studies across the country in Ontario at the University of Waterloo. Before moving to Waterloo, I got married. Kim and I met when we were both eighteen, and even though Kim knew I had many years of school remaining to become an academic, she was up for the adventure. We married in July and moved across the country in August. The move was difficult; we had very little money and we were lonely. More seriously, I didn't enjoy my studies as much as I had hoped, and I started seriously to question whether I wanted to be an academic. For the first time since I was in elementary school, I found myself in a vocational crisis, unsure of what direction my life was going to take. What made this crisis that much more painful was the fact that I had asked Kim to move away from family and across the country so I could pursue something I wasn't sure I felt called to do anymore. We travelled back to Calgary over the Christmas break after my first semester at the University of Waterloo. Looking for something to read over the break, I noticed that I had a copy of Thomas Merton's 1948 THE 58 MERTON JOURNAL
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Monograph by Gregory K Hillis
External reviews of MAN OF DIALOGUE by Gregory K Hillis
Book Chapters by Gregory K Hillis
Peer-Reviewed Academic Articles by Gregory K Hillis
Translations of my Work by Gregory K Hillis
Essays for Popular Audiences (Print) by Gregory K Hillis
My examination of Cyril’s pneumatology involves analysis of his understanding of the identity and divinity of the Holy Spirit vis-à-vis the Father and the Son, the role of the Spirit in the incarnation and life of the Son, and the particular soteriological work of the Spirit in the individual believer as well as in the formation, structure, and unity of the church. Primary attention is given to three works: De Trinitate Dialogi (Dialogues on the Trinity), written 423-25; In Joannem (Commentary on the Gospel of John), written 425-28; and In Lucam (Commentary on the Gospel of Luke), written c. 430. In addition to these writings, I draw on various other commentaries written by the archbishop, as well as on his anti-Nestorian compositions.