Beneath the Mask of Holiness: Thomas Merton and the Forbidden Love Affair that Set Him Free

Thomas Merton is the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century, called the "most important spiritual writer of the twentieth century." To his legion of followers, he appeared to be a peaceful, contented monk advocating the contemplative life, but in 1966 he was a troubled, lonely monk—sad, demoralized, guilt-stricken, and depressed over past sins. Despite being promoted by the Catholic Church as its great teacher and philosopher, Merton struggled with his irreverent...