Thomas Merton books in order
Priest and author
- Lived
- 1915–1968
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 81
Thomas Merton published 6 novels, 1 novella, 47 non-fiction books, 7 poetry collections and 20 other books, beginning with The Seven Storey Mountain (1948).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Thomas Merton
Start here
The Seven Storey Mountain
Thomas Merton's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (1965)
Seasons of Celebration (1965)
Entering the Silence (1995)
Dancing in the Water of Life (1997)
The Intimate Merton (1999)
Dialogues with Silence (2001)
Novellas in order
Contemplative Prayer (1969)
Non-fiction in order
Exile Ends In Glory (1948)
The Spirit of Simplicity (1948)
Transforming Union in St Bernard and St John of the Cross (1948)
What Are These Wounds? (1948)
The Seven Storey Mountain (Oct 1948)
The Waters of Siloe (1949)
The Ascent to Truth (1951)
The Sign of Jonas (1953)
The Last of the Fathers (1954)
No Man Is an Island (1955)
Praying the Psalms (1956)
The Living Bread (1956)
Basic Principles of Monastic Spirituality (1957)
The Silent Life (1957)
Thoughts in Solitude (1958)
Cold War Letters (1960)
Disputed Questions (1960)
The Wisdom of the Desert (1960)
The Climate of Monastic Prayer (1961)
A Thomas Merton Reader (1962)
New Seeds of Contemplation (1962)
Raids on the Unspeakable (1964)
Seeds of Destruction (1964)
Mystics and Zen Masters (1967)
Faith and Violence (1968)
The Way of Chuang Tzu (1968)
Zen and the Birds of Appetite (1968)
The True Solitude (1969)
Opening the Bible (1970)
Contemplation in a World of Action (1971)
Thomas Merton on Peace (1971)
Cistercian Life (1974)
Thomas Merton on the Psalms (1977)
Woods, Shore, Desert (1982)
The Hidden Ground of Love (1985)
Thomas Merton (1989)
Thomas Merton in Alaska (1989)
The School of Charity (1990)
The Springs of Contemplation (1992)
Thomas Merton, Spiritual Master (1992)
Ways of the Christian Mystics (1994)
Journals of Thomas Merton (1995)
Passion for Peace (1995)
A Search for Solitude (1996)
Advent and Christmas With Thomas Merton (2002)
The Inner Experience (2003)
When the Trees Say Nothing (2003)
Poetry in order
Figures for an Apocalypse (1947)
The Strange Islands (1957)
The Behavior of Titans (1961)
Emblems of a Season of Fury (1963)
Selected Poems of Thomas Merton (New Directions Paperbooks) (1967)
He Is Risen (1975)
The Collected Poems of Thomas Merton (1977)
Other books in order
The Soul of the Apostolate (1946)
What Is Contemplation? (1948)
Elected Silence (1949)
Seeds of Contemplation (1949)
The Waters of Silence (1950)
The Secular Journal of Thomas Merton (1959)
Spiritual Direction and Meditation (1960)
The New Man (1961)
Life and Holiness (1963)
Albert Camus' the Plague (1968)
Ishi Means Man (1976)
Thomas Merton on Saint Bernard (1980)
Blaze of Recognition (1983)
The Courage for Truth (1993)
Prayer and Self-Growth (1994)
Striving Towards (1996)
Mornings with Thomas Merton (1998)
Seeking Paradise (2003)
A Year with Thomas Merton (2004)
A Book of Hours (2007)
About Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton, religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, theologian, mystic, poet, and social activist. He was a professed member of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, living there from 1941 to his death.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Thomas Merton FAQ
- How many books has Thomas Merton written?
- Thomas Merton published 6 novels, 1 novella, 47 non-fiction books, 7 poetry collections and 20 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Thomas Merton's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Seven Storey Mountain.
- What is Thomas Merton's last book?
- Opening the Bible (1970).
- What is Thomas Merton's most famous book?
- The Seven Storey Mountain (1948) is Thomas Merton's most widely read book.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.