On the 40th anniversary of Thomas Merton’s death, Catholic writer Jim Martin examines the extraordinary appeal of this paradoxical monk.

Money quote: “Merton enjoyed paradoxes, and spoke of himself, like Jonah in the whale, as living in the `belly of a paradox.’ The author of `The Seven Storey Mountain,’ an autobiography that became an instant bestseller upon its publication in 1948, was a humble man who enjoyed fame, a Catholic priest fascinated by Zen Buddhism, a solitary mystic who craved company, and a cloistered monk who died far from home.

Paradoxes characterize Merton’s legacy as well. Why is this devout Catholic writer, whose autobiography proclaims a triumphal view of Catholicism and faintly mocks other religions, so beloved by seekers, doubters and agnostics? Conversely, why is this Catholic priest rejected in so many contemporary Catholic quarters?”

The young man to Merton’s right in this photo is the Dalai Lama.