The Transformative Power of Silence: Thomas Merton’s Ontological Perspective on Mystical Silence and Its Nexus with the Clamorous Modern World

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and Islamic Theology, University of Isfahan

2 PhD student in Religions and Mysticism, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

10.22061/orj.2025.12287.901

Abstract

The present study employs a descriptive-analytical method with a qualitative content analysis approach to examine the ontological status of silence in the thought of Thomas Merton, the 20th-century Christian monk and writer. It analyzes its functions across three dimensions: ontological, psychological, and social. From Merton’s perspective, silence is not merely the absence of sound but rather the 'language of God' and the matrix of creation, rooted in Christian theology.

At the ontological level, silence is interpreted as a paralinguistic reality, antecedent to the 'Word' (Logos) and sovereign over existence, with its ultimate destination being union with God.

On the psychological level, silence is the condition for discovering the 'true self' and shedding the 'false self'—a process Merton terms the 'baptism of silence.'

At the social level, silence serves both as a means of authentic communication, fostering empathy and primordial human unity, and as a form of resistance against the 'violence of speed' and consumerism in the modern era. By integrating Christian tradition, Eastern mysticism, and a critique of modernity, Merton presents silence as a path to personal transformation and social reform.

In Merton’s thought, silence functions both as a conduit for mystical union with the source of being and as a strategy for confronting the identity and cultural crises of the contemporary world. The findings suggest that a re-examination of Merton’s ideas can offer an approach to spiritual living in the modern age and a framework for interreligious dialogue.

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References

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Journal of Ontological Researches
Volume 14, Issue 28
March 2026
Pages 65-101

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