Ernesto Cardenal was a Nicaraguan priest, poet, and politician whose work is marked by a profound synthesis of Catholic faith, Marxist political thought, and scientific inquiry. He founded an art community in Solentiname, fostering a unique creative environment, and later served as Nicaragua's minister of culture. His poetry evolved from early explorations of life and love to later pieces grappling with revolution, liberation theology, and the dialogue between science and faith. Cardenal's distinct voice offers readers a compelling fusion of the spiritual, the political, and the intellectual.
The epic poem intricately weaves together Latin American history with the evolution of the universe, highlighting the interplay between human understanding and cosmic development. Cardenal skillfully merges elements of science, poetry, religion, and nature across 43 interconnected yet standalone cantos, creating a rich tapestry that invites reflection on both the visible and invisible aspects of existence.
The Letters of Thomas Merton and Ernesto Cardenal
The correspondence between Thomas Merton and Ernesto Cardenal reveals their deep commitment to spiritual contemplation intertwined with activism for social justice and human rights. This collection, translated into English for the first time, showcases their poetic exchanges and shared dedication to raising global awareness about pressing social issues, reflecting their courage in risking personal safety and reputation for the greater good.
"Das Buch von der Liebe" enthält Meditationen von Ernesto Cardenal aus dem Kloster Gethsemani in Kentucky und zählt zu seinen schönsten Werken. Es wurde in 18 Sprachen übersetzt und ist ein Klassiker der modernen Meditationsliteratur.
"This is quintessential Merton."― The Catholic Review . "The moment of takeoff was ecstatic...joy. We left the ground―I with Christian mantras and a great sense of destiny, of being at last on my true way after years of waiting and wondering..." With these words, dated October 15. 1968, the late Father Thomas Merton recorded the beginning of his fateful journey to the Orient. His travels led him from Bangkok, through India to Ceylon, and back again to Bangkok for his scheduled talk at a conference of Asian monastic orders. There he unequivocally reaffirmed his Christian vocation. His last journal entry was made on December 8, 1968, two days before his untimely, accidental death. Amply illustrated with photographs he himself took along the way and fully indexed, the book also contains a glossary of Asian religious terms, a preface by the Indian scholar Amiya Chakravarty, a foreword and postscript by Brother Patrick Hart of the Abbey of Gethsemani, as well as several appendices, among them the text of Merton's final address. Black-and-white photographs throughout
Ernesto Cardenal, traductor un día de Catulo y Marcial, autor de poemas de amor, de epigramas políticos y de un Cántico cósmico, ha echado mano del lenguaje de los salmos. «En estos Salmos no hay ningún pasaje en que la religión se vuelva opio del pueblo. Nada distrae hacia un más tarde, un más arriba, un más allá. Por ningún lado aparece un consuelo que vuelva a los consolados infieles a la tierra.» (Dorothee Sölle). Todo en este libro es más acá, solidaridad y universalidad.
