The Seven Storey Mountain Summary & Key Insights

Thomas Merton's autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, is not a plot-driven narrative but a spiritual journey chronicling his conversion to Catholicism. The "seven-storey mountain" symbolizes the ascent of his soul toward God, a journey marked by profound intellectual and spiritual crises. The key "character" is Merton himself, though numerous real people populate his life, shaping his experiences.

The book begins with Merton's restless and disillusioned youth. Raised in a relatively privileged, yet fractured family, he experiences a pervasive sense of alienation and emptiness. He pursues hedonistic pleasures, intellectual pursuits, and various forms of artistic expression, always searching for something beyond his grasp. His early life is characterized by rebellion against societal expectations and a relentless quest for meaning, marked by his explorations of literature, philosophy, and various romantic entanglements. He experiences a deep dissatisfaction with the superficiality and moral compromises of his surroundings.

A pivotal moment arrives during his time at Columbia University. Despite his self-professed atheism and intellectual skepticism, he grapples with profound existential questions. This period shows his intellectual engagement with various philosophical and theological ideas, preparing the ground for his later spiritual awakening. His increasingly strong sense of moral inadequacy and growing disenchantment with his life drive him towards a more profound understanding of his own self.

His conversion to Catholicism is not a sudden event but a gradual process of revelation and surrender. The process is facilitated through encounters with various individuals, though none are presented as central "characters" in a traditional sense. Instead, they represent stages in his spiritual growth. His eventual decision to become a Trappist monk signifies a deliberate turning away from worldly distractions and a commitment to a life of prayer and contemplation. He recounts his initial experiences within the monastic community, which included rigorous discipline, spiritual guidance, and the gradual development of an inner peace he’d long sought.

The overarching themes revolve around Merton's search for meaning and his eventual finding of it within the framework of the Catholic faith. The book explores the tension between faith and reason, the human desire for love and belonging, and the transformative power of grace. It’s a testament to the possibility of redemption and the path towards spiritual wholeness, highlighting the importance of humility, self-reflection, and surrender to a power greater than oneself. While the narrative is intensely personal, it resonates universally with readers grappling with their own existential questions and searching for meaning in life.