Thomas Merton – monk, poet, spiritual writer, social essayist – was a man of many passions. He loved intensely. A lover of things spiritual and material, Merton addressed issues of the heart and mind with titanic energy, singular insight, and relentless courage. This year, we commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of his accidental death by electrocution in Thailand (December 1968) with a lecture by Dr. Michael Higgins, whose book Heretic Blood: The Spiritual Geography of Thomas Merton is scheduled for release this year. Dr. Higgins will talk about the many loves of Merton and share his experiences in producing "Heretic Blood", a three-part radio broadcast on the celebrated CBC Radio "Ideas" series scheduled for release in late November.
Michael Higgins, Ph.D.
Recently chosen as the next President of St. Jerome's University, Michael Higgins is a prolific writer and media resource person on Catholic issues. He has written several radio scripts for the CBC "Ideas" series. Besides his latest book on Merton, Heretic Blood, his works include: The Jesuit Mystique, My Father's Business: A Biography of G. Emmett Cardinal Carter and Portraits of Canadian Catholicism (both co-authored with Dr. Douglas Letson). His first book, Thomas Merton: Pilgrim in Progress, was written and edited with Donald Grayston. Higgins is currently working on a book on contemporary Catholicism with Dr. Letson for HarperCollins entitled The Rebuilding of Rome.