Move over, Oprah. St. Thomas University has a book club of its own.
The Merton Book Club has been running at STU since 2007. The club aims to bring readers of a variety of faiths together to discuss and analyze literary selections.
Organized by STU’s alumni affairs office, the club meets every six weeks. The members include some alumni and occasionally some students.
The club is named for American Catholic author Thomas Merton.
Merton, a scholar of English literature, converted to Roman Catholicism in his early adulthood and entered an abbey as a monk.
Later, he became interested in Zen Buddhism and promoted a sharing of ideas between Eastern and Western religious traditions.
“He’s a man of great courage, spiritually. A great thinker,” said Ella Allen, STU English professor and club facilitator. “We’d love to capture his spirit in this book club.”
When it comes to selecting books, all suggestions come from the group.
The club has covered many books that represent different faiths. In the past, the group has read Karen Armstrong’s Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life and Chaim Potok’s Davita’s Harp.
Their most recent pick was John W. Kiser’s The Monks of Tibhirine. It is the story of seven Tappist monks who were murdered in Algeria as a result of Middle Eastern conflict. The book later inspired the 2010 film Of Gods and Men.
Their next selection is closer to home; the club will read Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul by David Adams Richards, who was selected to be STU’s first artist in residence last January.
Richards’ book is the story of Markus Paul, a First Nations RCMP officer reflecting on events in his youth that resulted in a death. It deals with the consequences that arose from the incident.
The next Merton Book Club meeting is at 7 p.m. on Feb. 29 in the rotunda at Brian Mulroney Hall. All are welcome.
“There’s such a range of people among us. There’s no one theology or one anything and it’s not about judgments. It’s about reading and responding,” said Allen.
