Shortly after Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, her iconic book that is credited with launching the environmental movement, Catholic monk Thomas Merton responded thus:
I have been shocked at a notice of a new book, by Rachel Carson, on what is happening to birds as a result of the indiscriminate use of poisons (which do not manage to kill all the insects they intend to kill). Some will say: you worry about birds: why not worry about people? I worry about both birds and people. We are in the world and part of it and we are destroying everything because we are destroying ourselves, spiritually, morally and in every way. It is all part of the same sickness, and it all hangs together.
The immediate response to Carson’s book had been fiercely negative from many scientists, corporations, media moguls and others. Merton scholar Monica Weis wrote: Carson’s writing and scientific career seemed to be at an end. Targeted in a vicious and financially underwritten campaign to discredit her scientific integrity, Carson was vilified as a ‘hysterical female,’ a ‘pseudo-scientist,’ ‘probably a communist,’ a ‘bird and bunny lover,’ and a charlatan researcher.
In a two page letter on January 12, 1963 Merton thanks Carson for her awareness of the “interdependence” of all things and tells her that thanks to her study DDT will no longer be employed at the monastery. He elaborates on the “sickness” that he alluded to in his journal above. “I would almost dare to say that the sickness is perhaps a very real and very dreadful hatred of life.”
This resonates for me with poet Adrienne Rich’s observation that Patriarchy carries a “fatalistic self-hatred” within them—and therefore within cultural institutions.
Many mystics whom Merton knew well—Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Meister Eckhart to name a few—talk about God as “Life.” Is a dreadful hatred of life also a dreadful hatred of God? Sentimental talk about God ceases in this context.
Weiss tells us that January 12 marked a turning point in the ecological consciousness of Thomas Merton—a day of revelation and revolution, when a significant spiritual insight effected a dramatic and permanent change in his attitude and behavior.
She calls Merton’s reading of Silent Spring “an epiphanic event akin to other well-known and powerful moments of spiritual insight in his life.”*
*Monica Weis, The Environmental Vision of Thomas Merton (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2011), pp. 12,11, 16, 9f.
Adapted from Matthew Fox, A Way To God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality Journey, pp. 118-120.
To read a transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image: Reverence for Mother Earth is essential to confronting climate change. Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash.
Queries for Contemplation
Do you detect a “hatred of life” behind denial of and refusal to act on climate change? Is this necrophilia at play?
Recommended Reading
A Way to God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality Journey
In A Way to God, Fox explores Merton’s pioneering work in interfaith, his essential teachings on mixing contemplation and action, and how the vision of Meister Eckhart profoundly influenced Merton in what Fox calls his Creation Spirituality journey.
“This wise and marvelous book will profoundly inspire all those who love Merton and want to know him more deeply.” — Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism
14 thoughts on “Our Sacred Earth: Thomas Merton Meets Rachel Carson”
Matthew, You ask us today in our Queries for Contemplation: “Do you detect a ‘hatred of life’ behind denial of and refusal to act on climate change?” I see it first in the response that was given to Rachel Carlson and her book, SILENT SPRING, for Merton scholar Monica Weis wrote: “Carson’s writing and scientific career seemed to be at an end. Targeted in a vicious and financially underwritten campaign to discredit her scientific integrity, Carson was vilified as a ‘hysterical female,’ a ‘pseudo-scientist,’ ‘probably a communist,’ a ‘bird and bunny lover,’ and a charlatan researcher.” This was all blatantly wrong and self-serving for corporations who profited by their pesticides (DDT) and other toxic pollutants which they spread into the environment for their profit.
“Is this necrophilia at play?” Yes, this is love of death rather than love of life (“biophilia”)–for it is causing the death of the earth, and numerous species on the earth.
I think we must remember what Thomas Merton said when he says, “We are in the world and part of it and we are destroying everything because we are destroying ourselves, spiritually, morally and in every way. It is all part of the same sickness, and it all hangs together.”
Love the Wisdom, thank you Mathew. Yes, I see the separateness and underpinning of hatred of life. Disconnectedness equals an emptying, a blinding, a starvation, suffering, a hatred of life in our separation. Reconnecting to all relations and nature, earth, brings a recharge of love for life and with it a remembering.
Thank you Mathew, for introducing me to Rachel Carson, and the little video clip that relayed her amazing yet painful story. What a courageous and creative prophetic voice she was. Like the many truth-tellers and justice seekers in the past… it doesn’t surprise me, how the patriarchy and the acedamia world reacted to what she gave voice to… adding insult to injury with her being a woman as well, whom was revealing truths they did not want to hear… due to their own greedy and selfish hunger and thirst for personal gain, at all costs.
Beneath the hatred I sense something much deeper, that being FEAR. Fear of losing all of their personal gains, which were many. Fear of death, of having to let their selfish dreams die and the losses that would be incurred. Fear of change, especially of people being consciously awakened through knowledge and wisdom shared, and the loss of control and power over others… as well as their dominion over creation, if the truth was to be believed. Fear of truth itself… for it was going to cost them alot… therefore pretense and defensive attack was in order, to devalue and discredit not only the truth, but the truth-teller.
Hate is just one of the many distressing disguises, the masks of FEAR… and fear is the opposite of LOVE. Rachel Carson revealed to us all, the many expressions and reflections of the face of LOVE… and the beauty of this inherent goodness… fearlessly. Thanks be to God, for the blessed gifts of this courageous soul… and the many who choose to follow her lead.
Jeanette, You write today: “Hate is just one of the many distressing disguises, the masks of FEAR…” But what do the rich and powerful have to fear ??? “Fear of losing all of their personal gains, which were many. Fear of death, of having to let their selfish dreams die and the losses that would be incurred. Fear of… the loss of control and power over others… Fear of truth itself… for it was going to cost them a lot…” Thank you for your comment!
Thank you Jeanette. Indeed, hate is one of the faces of Fear.
Our faith, awareness, and responsibility of keeping the Divine Spark of Love~Light~Light alive within and around us in All Creation in the Sacrament of the Present Moment through compassionate and just actions has always been the universal message of our spiritual human heritage of the mystical traditions and Indigenous spirituality… our ongoing Loving Diverse Creative Oneness with one another, Mother Earth and All Her creatures, all spiritual multidimensions, and the Universe~Cosmos….
🔥❤️🙏
correction: “… Divine Spark of Love~Light~Life…”
Truth should be unsettling and transforming, but we must first believe and then act. }:- a.m.
In my college days I was a disciple of Rachel Carson, Ed Abbey and others, only after an encounter with the Universal Christ did I see my faith and science as one. }:- a.m.
I work producing communications/promotions materials for wildlife conservation organizations. For the longest time I felt the environmental movement, in order to be taken seriously, leaned exclusively on scientific knowledge and stayed away from the spiritual/philosophical arena. I am encouraged by the daring people who are beginning to incorporate Spirit and Love into their messaging. I see a glimpse of hope that those two arenas (science and Spirit) might start to speak with one voice after centuries of divorce. Thank you Matthew for this inspirational Daily Meditation. In it I find words and concepts that will help me in my work of advocating for a world that perceives the Divine Spark in all things.
Monica, Thank you so much for hearing Matthew’s message and seeing its importance for the organizations you support !!!
I studied “Silent Spring” as a required book in college in the early ’60’s. It was a powerful revelation on the interconnectedness of us all, at least biologically and ecologically speaking. There certainly were an array of hateful voices, although in my little liberal arts women’s college, we just focused on education and ignored those voices of patriarchy. It is tragic to me to realize that there is a vociferous negative block of organizations and individuals that would react in the same way, though maybe more subtly, today—-for instance, the accusation of being a communist has changed into being a socialist–usually by persons who have no clue what socialism is! Denial of the impact of so many pollutant today, especially by the oil industry, is a tragic example of hatred of life, I agree. It breaks my heart to hear from the Sierra Club recently that there will be a renewal of oil and gas exploration on public lands. Rampant greed will kill us all. But I take courage from Matthew and his leadership,along with so many other spiritual teachers, and from organizations like the Sierra Club that work tirelessly to honor and save our beautiful earth.
Sue, I too agree with you when you say: “I take courage from Matthew and his leadership, along with so many other spiritual teachers, and from organizations like the Sierra Club that work tirelessly to honor and save our beautiful earth.” AMEN and God bless you !!!
Perhaps this love of the earth is why I am always drawn to this prayer: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and we shall be created and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.”
Reading MAGNIFICENT REBELS by Andrea Wulf/2022. Chapter 11 references Friedrick Schelling’s belief ‘that the self and nature were identical.’ p.194. Schelling insisted ‘a “secret bond connecting our mind with nature”.’ Schelling: ‘living and non-living worlds . . . were ruled by the same underlying principles. Everything . . . was “linked together, forming one universal organism” – system of nature was also the system of our mind . . . “Mind is invisible nature, while nature is visible mind”‘ p.195. Schelling placed humans firmly WITHIN nature, at one with, part of nature.’ ‘Schelling told his students “I understand nature as well as I understand myself.” Being in nature . . . walking, etc.., was therefore always also a self-discovery.’ (Over-rationalization distances us from nature, excluding feeling and beauty p.195). Schelling ‘reunited what the scientific revolution had separated: nature and humankind . . . something emotional . . . visceral . . . perhaps inexplicable about humanity’s connection to nature . . . nature can soothe, heal, or simply fill us with joy.’ Humans want to feel rather than just observe what they see in nature. Schelling lecturing in 1799 Univ. of Jena, Prussia. My thanks again to Rev Dr Matthew Fox.