Thomas Merton on tradition...

"...human traditions all tend towards stagnation and decay. They try to perpetuate things that cannot be perpetuated. They cling to objects and values which time destroys without mercy." (New Seeds of Contemplation . 1972:111)

Ringma develops these thoughts further:


"When traditions are no longer life-giving; no longer empower people; no longer reflect the strange values of God's upside-down kingdom; and when they are no longer relevant as an embodiment of contemporary understandings of faith and life in the light of the gospel, then traditions need to be renewed from within..."

Ringma, C. (2003). Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton.


So tradition is good ... as long as it is life-giving; empowering; reflects the Kingdom; is relevant in the light of gospel ... not a bad check list to work from.

Comments

Michael Krahn said…
Hey,

I just put up a series of posts about Thomas Merton that I think you'd enjoy at:

http://michaelkrahn.com/blog/thomas-merton/
12:47 AM
Kapten Clark said…
Yes, "renewed from within" -- not thrown out like the proverbial baby with the bathwater!

Gordon, I'm really struggling with something and I wonder if you'd be up for a bit of e-mailing about it: evelynclark@juno.com

If not, no worries!

Evelyn in Estonia
7:25 AM
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