THOMAS MERTON, COMPANION ON THE WAY: an online retreat, Lent 2021

THOMAS MERTON, Companion on the Way

an online retreat 

February 23-April 3, 2021

Thomas Merton in the 1960s 

photo by John Lyons

The retreat

An online  retreat examining contemplation and struggle in the life, writings, and prayer of Thomas Merton, with guidance and opportunity for prayer and practice. 

We will journey through the Christian season of Lent, from the first Tuesday in Lent to Holy Saturday,* with writings by Thomas Merton (Fr. Louis), Trappist monk, poet, spiritual teacher, hermit, and social critic.

* There will be an option to continue and conclude April 5-10, for those who have church ministry responsibilities through Easter Sunday (and need rest on  Easter Monday!) and who may prefer to engage in the final retreat meditations during Easter Week rather than during  Holy Week.

Each week of Thomas Merton, Companion on the Way will feature short passages from Merton's writings on themes of prayer, war and peace, solitude, nature, community, suffering, and new life. 

The readings (they will be brief: this is a retreat, not a course) will come twice a week, usually on Monday and Thursday. Sometimes I will post bonus resources on other days.

Along with the writings by Merton will be suggestions for reflection, meditation, journal-keeping (verbal or visual), and prayer which participants can use and adapt to their daily life and to their own spiritual practice.

As in our other online retreats, this one will include, but not require, opportunities for written conversation with other participants. Those conversations take place in the comments sections of the blogposts. These posts with the resources and comment sections take place on a private blog open only to people who have registered for the retreat. Once you have registered for the retreat, you will receive instructions on getting onto the retreat blog.

An innovation for this year will be two live sessions per week (usually an hour long, sometimes a bit longer) on Zoom, with some meditative quiet time followed by an opportunity to share our responses to the readings and other resources as well as our experiences with the retreat's spiritual exercises. Participants are only required to participate in one conversation per week but I am scheduling two per week so as to accommodate people's varied schedules and locations. As things stand now, our live sessions of the Merton retreat will be Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time and Fridays at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. If one or the other of these times is problematic, we can replace it with an evening time (e.g. 9 or 10 p.m Eastern on Wednesdays).

How much time will this retreat take? What will I need?

You'll need a computer or tablet with an internet connection.

At a minimum, you will need to log onto the retreat blog to read, gaze, and/or listen twice a week for 20 minutes or so each time. (Three times a week and 30 minutes is even better, but work with your own schedule and daily life.)

You will also need to attend one of the two online one-hour sessions per week. (You are welcome to attend both if you wish.)

You will need to commit to integrating the insights and practices of the retreat into your daily life, but how, when, and how much is completely up to you. This kind of retreat is suited for both morning persons and p.m. persons! You can adapt reflection, prayer, and practice to your personal and work schedule. I'll be there for support and information if you need a consultation.

Please write me with any questions or concerns.

Registration and cost

Registration and payment take place via PayPal secure link, which takes credit and debit cards in addition to PayPal. You do not have to have your own PayPal account to use this online payment method.  

--The drop-down menu below shows the payment scale.

--Some discounts are available for those in financial hardship. Talk to me.
--At the other end of the spectrum, the benefactor rate helps offset costs and makes discounted rates and scholarship aid possible.

Payment is non-refundable and due upon registration.

retreat fees

Regular fee $165.00 USD Benefactor $265.00 USD Discount $105.00 USD Hardship $75.00 USD

 

 

I look forward to hearing from you and to spending time with  you in this holy season.

Jane

We are also offering two other Lenten retreats this year, one lasting all of Lent, like this one, and one shorter one. Click on their names for more information:

Lent for Life: Renewing Body and Spirit
Lent for Laggards: (re)Discovering the Mercy of God

Lent 2018 online retreat: Thomas Merton, Companion on the Way

Lent and Holy Week: February 14-March 31, 2018

THOMAS MERTON, 

COMPANION ON THE WAY

an online retreat

 

Please join us for an online Lenten retreat inspired by the life and writings of Thomas Merton, 20th century Trappist monk, writer, poet, spiritual teacher, artist, social critic, and pioneer in interreligious and intermonastic dialogue. In his Trappist community, he was known as Father Louis.

Though most of us are not monks, part of Merton's great appeal is that his writings speak to persons in many walks of life. Their honesty encourages our own.

Each week of the retreat will feature short passages from Merton's writings, on themes of prayer, war and peace, solitude, nature, community, suffering, and new life. These writings come in a variety of forms: poetry, prayer, journal, essay, memoir.

These readings (they will be brief: this is a retreat, not a class) will be posted three times a week, usually on Monday morning, Wednesday evening, and Saturday morning. The retreat will continue through Holy Week, until the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Along with the writings by Merton will be suggestions for reflection, meditation, journal-keeping (verbal or visual), and prayer. Participants can use and adapt these suggestions to their daily life and to their own spiritual practice.

It is up to you to make the retreat your own. You can check the retreat blog in the morning or late at night. You can take longer than the suggested minimum time and delve more deeply into the readings and spiritual exercises. You can do so while remaining anonymous and simply following the retreat on the retreat blog (which is open only to retreatants and not searchable on the internet), or you can participate in conversation with other retreatants through the comments feature of each blog post.

Note: We are also offering three other Lenten retreats this year, for those who prefer to make a shorter commitment of daily practice nine days in a row. The Merton retreat is the only one that lasts all of Lent.

Click here for information about and registration for Feb. 21-March 1 online retreat with writings by Dorothy Day.

Click here for information about and registration for March 5-13 online retreat with writings by Howard Thurman.

Click here for information about and registration for March 16-24 retreat with writings by Dorothee Soelle.

All of the retreats have a structure and a schedule, but they are flexible enough to integrate into your daily life: you are the one who decides when and where to read and pray with the materials in the retreat (day or night, at home or elsewhere) and how to apply the invitations to practice.

An online retreat? How does that work?


* Your Merton retreat offers resources --quotes, spiritual exercises, and prayers (with some images as well to nourish you visually, and a little music for your ears and your soul)-- online on a blog. More specifically, a closed blog.

* What's a closed blog? It's a blog like this, but it is not public: it is open only to those whom the blog owner-administrator (that's me) has signed in. In other words, it is not open to anybody wandering around the internet. It is not "searchable": random web surfers will not be able to view either the blog or our conversations in the comments.

* Once you register for the retreat, I will send instructions for the one-time-only sign-in mechanism. After that, the blog will always recognize you.



Registration and payment

1) If you wish to pay by credit or debit card or with a PayPal account, simply register and pay in a single transaction using the secure PayPal button below.

Note: You can use that PayPal button and its secure connection to pay with a credit or debit card even if you don't have a PayPal account. PayPal never shows me your card number, only your name and contact information.

The PayPal mechanism will record your name and e-mail address and serve as your registration. You will also receive an automated acknowledgment from PayPal and a personal e-mail acknowledgment from me.

2) If you prefer to pay by check, write me, Jane Redmont, at readwithredmont@earthlink.net and I will acknowledge your registration and send you the mailing address. I will also notify you when I receive your check.

Payment is non-refundable and due upon registration.

If you are in a situation of financial stress, please use the discount rates on the menu below or write me so that we can arrange for a payment plan, discount (see the "Seriously Broke" rate below), or scholarship.

If you wish to help make possible our scholarships and discounts, just check the "Benefactor" rate below and pay accordingly.

Retreat fees (choose one)

Regular rate $140.00 USD Benefactor rate $200.00 USD Early Bird rate $100.00 USD Seriously Broke rate $65.00 USD

Privacy and community

During the retreat, you can remain private and just read the blog and use the quotes, spiritual exercises, and prayers on your own.

or

If you wish, you can share your thoughts, experiences, and questions via the comments function on the blog and engage in conversation with other retreatants and with the retreat facilitator (me).

Peace in the Struggle: Lent with Thomas Merton *an online retreat*

Lent and Holy Week, February 10-March 27, 2016

PEACE IN THE STRUGGLE:
 Lent with Thomas Merton

an online retreat

Once again, we are offering an online Lenten retreat inspired by the life and writings of Thomas Merton, 20th century Trappist monk, writer, poet, spiritual teacher, artist, social critic, and pioneer in interreligious and intermonastic dialogue. In his Trappist community, he was known as Father Louis.

Our theme this year is "Peace in the Struggle." We will explore some of the meanings and dimensions of this theme, with attention both to our inner lives and to the lives and struggles in the world around us.

Though most of us are not monks, part of Merton's great appeal is that his writings speak to persons in many walks of life. Their honesty encourages our own. 

 
Each week of the retreat will feature short passages from Merton's writings. (Those of you who have taken an online Lenten retreat will encounter some familiar passages, but other excerpts from Merton's works will be new this year. As in the past, the writings will come in the several genres in which Merton wrote: poetry, prayer, journal, essay, memoir.



These readings (they will be brief: this is a retreat, not a course) will be posted three times a week, usually on Monday morning, Wednesday evening, and Saturday morning. The retreat will continue through Holy Week, until the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Along with the writings by Merton will be suggestions for reflection, meditation, journal-keeping (verbal or visual), and prayer which participants can use and adapt to their daily life and to their own spiritual practice.

It is up to you to make the retreat your own. You can do so while remaining anonymous and simply following the retreat on the retreat blog (which is open only to retreatants and not searchable on the internet), or you can participate in conversation with other retreatants through the comments feature of each blog post.

Note: We are also offering three other Lenten retreats this year, one long, like this one, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday (click here for more information on that retreat, which is on the themes of food and fasting), and two short, for those who prefer to make a shorter (or later) commitment of daily practice nine days in a row. (Click here for a February 22-March 1 retreat with writings by Howard Thurman; click here for a March 9-15 retreat with writings by Dorothee Soelle.)

All of the retreats have a structure and a schedule, but they are flexible enough to integrate into your daily life: you are the one who decides when and where to read and pray with the materials in the retreat (day or night, at home or elsewhere) and how to apply the invitations to practice.  

An online retreat? How does that work?

* The retreat offers resources quotes, spiritual exercises, and prayers (with some images as well to nourish you visually, and a little music for your ears and your sou) online on a blog. More specifically, a closed blog.

* What's a closed blog? It's a blog like this, but it is not public: it is open only to those whom the blog owner-administrator (that's me) has signed in. In other words, it is not open to anybody wandering around the internet. It is not "searchable": random web surfers will not be able to view either the blog or our conversations in the comments.

* Once you register for the retreat, I will send instructions for the one-time-only sign-in mechanism. After that, the blog will always recognize you.

Registration and payment

Although the retreat begins on Ash Wednesday, you may register until the second week of Lent. Ideally, it is best to begin very early in Lent, but most of us don't live ideal lives. If you want the support and opportunity this retreat provides, you are welcome.

To register, write me, Jane Redmont, at readwithredmont@earthlink.net if you plan to pay by check: I will acknowledge your registration and send you the mailing address. I will also notify you when I receive your check.

OR

If you are paying by credit or debit card or PayPal, simply register and pay by using the PayPal button below. (You can use this button and its secure connection to pay with a card even if you don't have a PayPal account.)

The PayPal payment will record your name and e-mail address and serve as your registration. You will receive an acknowledgment from me within 24 hours.

Payment is non-refundable and due upon registration.

If you are in a situation of financial stress, please write me and we can arrange for a discount or scholarship.

If you wish to help make more scholarships possible, just check and pay the "benefactor" rate below.

Retreat fees (choose one)

Regular rate $150.00 USD Benefactor rate $200.00 USD Early bird rate $120.00 USD Discounted rate $100.00 USD

Privacy and community

During the retreat, you can remain private and just read the blog and use the quotes, spiritual exercises, and prayers on your own.

or

If you wish, you can share your thoughts, experiences, and questions via the comments function on the blog and engage in conversation with other retreatants and with the retreat facilitator.

WISE BROTHER: MERTON AT 100 - Lent 2015 online retreat - registration stays open till 2d week in Lent

Lent and Holy Week, February 18-April 5, 2015

WISE BROTHER: Merton at 100

an online retreat with Jane Redmont

 Thomas Merton was born 100 years ago last month, on January 31, 1915. Communities and individuals around the world are marking the centenary of this 20th century Trappist monk, writer, poet, spiritual teacher, artist, social critic, and pioneer in interreligious and intermonastic dialogue.

We too are celebrating. As we have done before, we are offering an online Lenten retreat inspired by the life and writings of Thomas Merton. 

This year, in honor of the centenary, we invite you to a retreat that is a combination of our usual "Companion on the Way" Merton retreat and a journey through the life of Thomas Merton. 

As in the last couple of years, each week of the retreat will feature short passages from Merton's writings (many the same as the last two years) on themes of prayer, war and peace, solitude, nature, community, suffering, and new life. These writings come in a variety of forms: poetry, prayer, journal, essay, memoir.

These readings (they will be brief: this is a retreat, not a course) will be posted  twice a week, usually on Tuesday evening and Saturday morning.

In addition, there will be a "life journey" thread on this retreat. The journey through the life of Thomas Merton will take place through reflection on short passages from Merton's journals, in chronological order.

These quotes will be posted at least once a week, usually on Thursday.

This "life journey" thread of the retreat will be color-coded and titled differently so you can easily identify it during your online reading. You may choose either to skip that thread or to focus primarily on it -- or you may want to use the "life journey" thread simply as supplemental Lenten reading.

The quotes from the journals will offer you a chance to reflect on your own life journey through the lens of Merton's journey. Though most of us are not monks, part of Merton's great appeal is that his writings speak to persons in many walks of life.

Along with the writings by Merton will be suggestions for reflection, meditation, journal-keeping (verbal or visual), and prayer which participants can use and adapt to their daily life and to their own spiritual practice.

It is up to you to make the retreat your own. You can do so while remaining anonymous and simply following the retreat on the retreat blog (which is open only to retreatants and not searchable on the internet), or you can participate in conversation with other retreatants through the comments feature of each blog post.

Registration and payment

Registration is now open. Although the retreat begins on Ash Wednesday, you may register until the second week of Lent. Ideally, it is best to begin very early in Lent, but most of us don't live ideal lives. If you want the support and opportunity this retreat provides, you are welcome.

Regular rate: $150
Discounted rate: $100
Benefactor rate: $200

To register, write me, Jane Redmont, at readwithredmont@earthlink.net if you plan to pay by check: I will acknowledge your registration and send you the mailing address. I will also notify you when I receive your check.

OR

If you are paying by credit or debit card or PayPal, simply register and pay by using the PayPal button below. (You can use this button and its secure connection to pay with a card even if you don't have a PayPal account.)

The PayPal payment will record your name and e-mail address and serve as your registration. You will receive an acknowledgment from me within 24 hours.

Payment is non-refundable and due upon registration.

If you are in a situation of financial stress, please write me and we can arrange for a discount or scholarship.

If you wish to help make more scholarships possible, just check and pay the "benefactor" rate below.

Retreat fees (choose one)

Regular rate $150.00 USD Discounted rate $100.00 USD Benefactor rate $200.00 USD

Retreat creator and host

Jane Redmont is the author of When in Doubt, Sing: Prayer in Daily Life. She is a spiritual director, retreat leader, pastoral worker, writer, and theologian who has worked in  campus, urban, and parish ministries. An Episcopal Christian, she was also formed in the Catholic tradition and has Jewish and Unitarian Universalist family roots. She has been involved in work for social justice and ecumenical and interreligious relations all her life and has taught college, seminary, and graduate courses in Christian history, theology, spirituality, religious pluralism, African American studies, environmental studies, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies.

Jane has been reading Merton for four decades, has taught his work, and has used his writings as a help to prayer and meditation both for herself and for others.

Jane Redmont is also offering an online class on 

the history and spirituality of the Civil Rights Movement  

beginning February 18. 

See here for information and registration.

Thomas Merton online "Novena Retreat" begins Monday, September 8

Hoping  for some prayerful and reflective time as the new season begins?

Interested in (re-)discovering a wise guide?

Busy but willing to devote 20 minutes a day to spiritual renewal?

Join us!

Thomas Merton: An Online Novena Retreat

September 8-15, 2014

Thomas Merton (Fr. Louis) was a Trappist monk, poet, spiritual teacher, hermit, and social critic. Merton wrote about prayer and monasticism, but also about war and peace, solitude, nature, suffering and joy, and community. He is probably the best-known monk and most influential Catholic writer of the 20th century.

What, when, where

* An online nine-day spiritual retreat, September 8-15, 2014, with the help of the writings of Thomas Merton (1915-1968).

* Simple and accessible:

one quote per day
one spiritual exercise per day
one prayer per day

* At home, in your daily life: read, meditate, and pray in a way that suits your schedule.

* You'll need 20 minutes a day of focused time and a computer or tablet with internet access.

* $50 if you register (pay online or mail a check, see below) by Friday, August 29.

* $65 if you register from August 30 to September 8.

Some discounts are available for those in financial hardship. Talk to me.

* Spiritual refreshment, nurture, and challenge.

"Novena retreat" ?

A novena is a sequence of nine successive days of prayer–usually prayers of either petition or thanksgiving. It is generally a public and popular spiritual practice and is found most often in the Roman Catholic religious tradition.

I am using the word “novena,” meaning "nine days," as part of the description of this retreat to indicate that it is nine days long and involves daily meditation and prayer. It is a new twist on the traditional novena.

Our novena retreat is ecumenical: Merton was a Roman Catholic and well rooted in his Catholicism and his (Trappist) monastic tradition, but he delved into Christian sources, biblical and historical, from before the great schisms of the 11th and 16th centuries. His writings are accessible to Christians of many backgrounds, East and West. They are also beloved by many from other religious traditions. Merton was a pioneer in interreligious conversation, especially Buddhist-Christian dialogue. This retreat is open to all and in that sense it is also interreligious, though it offers an explicitly Christian perspective in the writings of the 20th century's most famous Catholic monk.

This is a retreat, not a class. It is a learning experience, but not only that. There are readings, but they are very short and meant to be pondered and used as a springboard for prayer and action.

 An online retreat? How does that work?

* The retreat offers daily resources (the quotes, spiritual exercises,** and prayers mentioned above, with some images as well to nourish you visually) online on a blog. More specifically, a closed blog.

** These are invitations to reflection, action, meditation, journal-keeping (verbal or visual), and/or prayer which participants can use and adapt to their daily life and to their own spiritual practice.

* What's a closed blog? It's a blog like this, but it is not public: it is open only to those whom the blog owner-administrator (that's me) has signed in. In other words, it is not open to anybody wandering around the internet. It is not "searchable": random web surfers will not be able to view either the blog or our conversations in the comments.

* Once you register for the retreat, I will send instructions for the one-time-only sign-in mechanism. After that, the blog will always recognize you.

Registration

To register, write me, Jane Redmont, stating your intention to take the retreat, and make your payment.

Cost and payment

* $50 if you register by Friday, August 29.

You may also take advantage of this discount (even if you register after July 25) if you are unemployed or if you are a student or retiree on limited resources. If cost is still a hardship with this discount, please write me.

* $65 if you register between August 30 and September 8, the day the retreat begins.

It's best to register before September 8, but you are still welcome if you sign up at the 11th hour!

Payment is non-refundable and due upon registration, by check or online electronic payment.

If you prefer to pay by check, I will send you the mailing address when you write me to register.

If you prefer to pay online by credit card or PayPal, please click below to pay via the Redmont Retreats secure PayPal account. (Note: you don't have to have your own PayPal account to use this online payment method.

[The PayPal button is now fixed -- sorry for the glitch!]

Retreat fee (choose one)

Aug. 30 - Sept. 8 - regular registration rate $65.00 USD through Aug. 29 - early registration rate $50.00 USD

Privacy and community

During the retreat, you can remain private and just read the blog and use the quotes, spiritual exercises, and prayers on your own.

or

If you are more extroverted and communal or in need of companions on your retreat, you can  share your thoughts, experiences, and questions via the comments function on the blog and engage in conversation with other retreatants and with the retreat facilitator.

Do you have questions or concerns after reading the retreat descriptions, here and on the linked pages? E-mail me.

* * * * * * * 

Jane Redmont is the author of When in Doubt, Sing: Prayer in Daily Life. She is a spiritual director, retreat leader, pastoral worker, writer, and theologian who has worked in  campus, urban, and parish ministries. An Episcopal Christian, she was also formed in the Catholic tradition and has Jewish and Unitarian Universalist family roots. She has been involved in work for social justice and ecumenical and interreligious relations all her life and has taught college, seminary, and graduate courses in Christian history, theology, spirituality, religious pluralism, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies.

Jane has been reading Merton for forty years, taught his work, and used his writings as a help to prayer and meditation both for herself and for others. She has led online retreats on Merton during Lent for the last two years.

Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama, 1968

Registration is open for Lent and Holy Week MERTON retreat

Lent and Holy Week, March 5 to April 20, 2014

THOMAS MERTON, Companion on the Way

an online retreat

Thomas Merton in the 1960s 

photo by John Lyons

The retreat

An online  retreat examining contemplation and struggle in the life, writings, and prayer of Thomas Merton, with guidance and opportunity for prayer and practice. 

We will journey through the Christian season of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday,* with writings by Thomas Merton (Fr. Louis), Trappist monk, poet, spiritual teacher, hermit, and social critic.

* There will be an option to continue and conclude April 21-25, for those who have church ministry responsibilities through Easter Sunday (and need rest on  Easter Monday!) and who may prefer to engage in the final retreat meditations during Easter Week rather than Holy Week.

This is the second year we have offered the online Merton retreat for Lent.  We have lowered the price of registration significantly to make the retreat more accessible.

We are also offering another Lenten retreat this year: Desert Journey, Daily Bread, on the themes of fasting and food. Have a look here if this appeals to you more than the Merton retreat.

Each week of Thomas Merton, Companion on the Way will feature short passages from Merton's writings on themes of prayer, war and peace, solitude, nature, community, suffering, and new life. 

The readings (they will be brief: this is a retreat, not a course) will come twice a week, usually on Tuesday evening and Saturday morning.

Readings will be coordinated with Lenten observance. Along with the writings by Merton will be suggestions for reflection, meditation, journal-keeping (verbal or visual), and prayer which participants can use and adapt to their daily life and to their own spiritual practice.

Like all our online retreats, this one will include, but not require, opportunities for conversation with other participants.

Registration and cost  

To register, e-mail Jane at readwithredmont@earthlink.net.

Cost: $150

Early Bird Special: $120 for those who register by Monday, February 24.

A sliding scale and a couple of scholarships are available for those in financial difficulty. Please write me and we will find a way to make this retreat affordable for you!

Payment is non-refundable and due upon registration.

You can pay by check.

For information on where to send your check, write Jane at readwithredmont@earthlink.net.

We also accept PayPal now.

This means that we can take a payment by credit card as well as from a PayPal account. Either way, this is a secure payment and we never see your card number. Use the button below if you wish to pay by credit card or PayPal:

Retreat fees (choose one)

Early Bird Discount Rate through Mon. Feb. 24 $120.00 USD Regular Rate from Tues. Feb. 25 on $150.00 USD Code 1105 through Mon. Feb. 24 $105.00 USD Code 2135 from Tues. Feb. 25 on $135.00 USD

An online retreat? How does that work?   

We offer you the retreat resources (meditations, images, guidelines for spiritual practice, insights on prayer) online on a blog. More specifically, a closed blog.

What's a closed blog? It's a blog open only to those whom the blog owner-administrator (in this case the retreat facilitator) allows in. In other words, it is not open to anybody wandering around the internet. Random web surfers will not be able to view either the blog or our conversations in the comments. Once you register for the course, I will send instructions on the one-time sign-in mechanism. After that, the retreat blog will always recognize you.

Do I have to talk to other people on the retreat? I'm a very private person.

AND/OR

Can I get some support here? I need to talk.

Jane's online retreats offer you a choice: it is up to you to find your preferred balance between the solitary and the communal, between privacy and solidarity.

Use the retreat according to your personality and your circumstances. The retreat is like a room in which you are welcome to sit in the company of others and to be either visible or invisible. 

You can and may make conversation part of the retreat experience. (Conversation on the retreat takes place via the comments on the blog posts at the retreat blog.) You can and may, however, remain private and just read the blog and use the practices and meditations on your own. Nobody will force you to speak.

Please be prepared to observe confidentiality and respect for other participants' diverse experiences and outlooks.
 

Retreat creator and host   

Jane Redmont is the author of When in Doubt, Sing: Prayer in Daily Life. She is a spiritual director, retreat leader, pastoral worker, writer, and theologian who has worked in  campus, urban, and parish ministries. An Episcopal Christian, she was also formed in the Catholic tradition and has Jewish and Unitarian Universalist family roots. She has been involved in work for social justice and ecumenical and interreligious relations all her life and has taught college, seminary, and graduate courses in Christian history, theology, spirituality, religious pluralism, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies.  

Jane has been reading Merton for forty years, taught his work, and used his writings as a help to prayer and meditation both for herself and for others.