“Henry David Thoreau, by no means the most conventional man of his time, lamented on his death bed, “What demon possessed me that I behaved so well.” He would have taken comfort in Holy Fools. They remind us of a deeper sanity that is sometimes hidden beneath apparent lunacy: the treasure of a God-centered life.”
– Jim Forest (Praying with Icons)
Jim Forest is the author of numerous books, including The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton’s Advice to Peacemakers. He serves as International Secretary of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship. In this episode, Jim shares tales about his friendships with Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Daniel Berrigan and Thich Nhat Hahn. The gentle straightforward nature of this conversation rallies around a pilgrim way of living in pursuit of embodying love and justice. Jim offers reflective wisdom on marriage, works of mercy, and guidance for those in the earlier stages of life. You can learn more about Jim’s work at jimandnancyforest.com.
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EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Resources by Jim Forest
- At Play in the Lion’s Den: A Biography and Memoir of Daniel Berrgian (available in Fall 2017 through Orbis Books)
- The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton’s Advice to Peacemakers
- Loving Our Enemies: Reflections on the Hardest Commandment
- Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins
- All is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day
- Living With Wisdom: A Biography of Thomas Merton
- Saint George and the Dragon
- Praying With Icons
- The Road to Emmaus: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life
- The Ladder of the Beatitudes
Resources Mentioned
- A Nun’s Story (Film)
- The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day
- The Catholic Worker
- Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
- No Man is an Island by Thomas Merton
- New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
- Pilgrim to the Russian Church by Jim Forest
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Blessed Among All Women by Robert Ellsberg
- Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton
- The Root of War is Fear by Thomas Merton (Essay)
- Walden by Henry David Thoreau
- The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton’s Advice to Peacemakers by Jim Forest
People & Places
- Thomas Merton
- Dorothy Day
- Thich Nhat Hahn
- Nancy Forest
- Bob Kay
- Henry David Thoreau
- Daniel Berrigan
Drinks Pairings
Orange Juice
Highlights
2m When you hear the word “contemplative”, how does that moniker relate to you?
2m40s If you were going to teach a class on the formation of Jim Forest, what would be the mandatory readings or works for your syllabus?
5m30s Your journey, from the American West as a child with to your current residence in Holland, could be the basis of entire episode here. But I want to jump to a certain era of your life. Can you share the story of what happened to you when you saw the film ‘A Nun’s Story’?
10m40s While in graduate school, I lived at the Omaha Catholic Worker which made a huge impact on my life. I’m curious about your formation there, what drew you to the the Catholic Worker with Dorothy Day in New York City?
13m30s You know the life and work of Dorothy Day so well, if you had to guess, what do you imagine she would be saying about the state of America today?
16m10s How did you first get interested in a work of Thomas Merton?
18m45s Can you share a bit about your first visit to meet Merton in 1962?
23m43s Were the seeds being planted in you at this time for interest in the Russian Orthodox Church?
27m40s Your life embodies pilgrimage. My hunch is that viewing life as pilgrimage and creating opportunities for formal pilgrimages will open doors for younger folks in ways our outdated models won’t. What’s your take on that?
29m45s Learning to wash the dishes from Thich Nhat Hahn
32m20s How has your marriage with Nancy impacted your spirituality?
36m06 As you have grown into the role of an elder, what word or as the Desert Fathers would say, what world of salvation can you offer to those in the midst of children and careers?
40m22s What’s become less important to you as you’ve grown on this wisdom path?
42m What theme of your life do you hope your grandchildren will embody (not that they already don’t)?
48m30s What drink would you pair with this conversation?
Photo credit: Death To Stock Photo
great guest…Utah…NJ…Hollywood High…navy, Weather Corps…Dorothy Day…now Russian Orthodox…what a life is right…extraordinary stuff – especially the washing dishes attitude/mind shift tip…wonderful contemplative model…keep it coming!