MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Watkin, E. I. (Edward Ingram), 1888-1981
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Descriptive Summary
Record Group: Section A - Correspondence
Dates of materials: 1962-1963, 1983-1984
Volume: 33 item(s); 63 pg(s)
Scope and Content
Etta Gullick suggested that Merton send Watkin a copy of his unpublished (and Merton stated to Watkin, "upublishable") manuscript for "Peace in the Post-Christian Era". Watkin like the manuscript and many of the other books Merton sent, and Merton was likewise a fan of Watkin. They discuss changes occurring in the Catholic Church, the role of Church authority, war, the Holocaust and Pius XII, and influences of Eastern mystical and religious traditions and philosophies, such as Buddhism and Zen.
Biography
E. I. Watkin was an Oxford-educated scholar, philosopher, prolific writer, linguist and translator who was proficient in French, Italian, Spanish and German. He was born a Protestant, moved to the Anglo-Catholics in his teenage years, and became Roman Catholic in 1908. He was concerned about the rise of secularism, but believed in taking Catholicism beyond its surface teachings to profound philosophical and mystical ends. He sometimes ran into trouble with church authority in his approach.
Usage Guidelines and Restrictions
Related Information and Links
See also published letters from Merton to Watkin in The Hidden Ground of Love, pp. 577-585; and see also the "Gullick, Etta" file.
Other Finding Aids
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
Series List
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Container List
| Series | Date | Type | To/From | First Lines | Pub | Full Text | Notes |
| | 1962/08/01 | TLS | from Merton | Mrs Gullick, in Oxford, led me to believe that you would not mind my sending you an unpublishable | Yes |
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| | 1962/08/08 | HLS | to Merton | Thank you so much for sending me a copy of your manuscript on nuclear war | |
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| | 1962/08/15 | HLS | to Merton | Your book arrived by this mornings post and I've spent most of the day reading it. My first | |
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| | 1962/08/23 | HLS | to Merton | Many many thanks for your most kind and most treasured present of your revised Seeds | |
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| | 1962/09/11 | TLS | from Merton | Your three good letters are awaiting an answer. I wish I could tell you how glad I was to get them. | Yes |
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| | 1962/09/17 | HLS | to Merton | I was delighted to get your letter this morning. I was so afraid I might have written | |
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| | 1962/10/08 | HLS | to Merton | Almost together I've received A Breakthrough to Peace and your correspondence with Suzuki. | |
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| | 1962/11/15 (#01) | TLS | from Merton | I owe you three letters: and I do at least want to say how much I appreciate your warm and generous | Yes |
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| | 1962/11/15 (#02) | TL[c] | from Merton | I owe you three letters: and I do at least want to say how much I appreciate your warm and generous | Yes |
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| | 1962/11/28 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your letter and a copy of your (Passivity and Abuse of Authority.) How I wish it | |
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| | 1963/01/11 | TL[c] | from Merton | Thanks for your last letter, dated in November. Christmas has intervened, and the New Year | Yes |
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| | 1963/01/28 (#01) | HLS | to Merton | I can't copy out extracts from Baker. For I can't type and although the enclosed typescripts of two | |
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| | 1963/01/28 (#02) | other | | <u>Suggested Excerpts from Fr. Baker</u> [-] Many of the passages I've suggested would require | |
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| | 1963/04/11 (#01) | TLS | from Merton | For a long time I have been meaning to get to your letter and the suggestions about excerpts | |
| [dated "Holy Thursday"] |
| | 1963/04/11 (#02) | TL[c] | from Merton | For a long time I have been meaning to get to your letter and the suggestions about excerpts | |
| [dated "Holy Thursday"] |
| | 1963/04/22 | HLS | to Merton | I feel very complimented that you should suggest that I select and edit passages from Baker. | |
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| | 1963/05/07 (#01) | TALS | from Merton | Thanks for your good letter. No one could agree more heartily than I. I have not seen | Yes |
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| | 1963/05/07 (#02) | TL[c] | from Merton | Thanks for your good letter. No one could agree more heartily than I. I have not seen | Yes |
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| | 1963/05/12 | HLS | to Merton | The books you have so kindly send me on Zen and the Cistercian order I found waiting for me | |
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| | 1963/05/24 | HLS | to Merton | The day after I posted my last letter to you. I received your most kind present of your notes | |
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| | 1963/11/20 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for your great kindness in sending me those three papers. I most particularly like | |
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| | 1963/12/03 | HLS | to Merton | Many thanks for Ramparts. I was very pleased to have your photograph. Your article need not say | |
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| | 1963/12/12 (#01) | TLS | from Merton | I now have two letters for which to thank you, and as ever I appreciate hearing from you. | Yes |
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| | 1963/12/12 (#02) | TAL[c] | from Merton | I now have two letters for which to thank you, and as ever I appreciate hearing from you. | Yes |
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| | 1964/01/02 | HLS | to Merton | This is to send you all best wishes for the New Year and to thank you for your letter. | |
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| | 1978/09/23 | other[x] | | E. I. Watkin at ninety [-] <i>Illtyd Trethowan</i> [-] Last week in Notebook we gave a profile | |
| [article from <u>The Tablet</u> on Watkin] |
| | 1983/04/13 | HLS | from Goffin, Magdalen / to Etta Gullick | I enclose photocopies of the Merton letters. I hope they will be useful. It is kind of you to take | |
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| | 1983/08/20 | TLS[x] | from Shannon, William / to Magdalen Goffin | It has been most ungracious of me not to have acknowledged sooner your kindness in sending | |
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| | 1983/08/30 | HLS | from Goffin, Magdalen / to William Shannon | Thank you very much for your letter of August 20th. I was only too glad to help about Merton. | |
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| | 1984/01/10 | HLS | from Goffin, Magdalen / to William Shannon | Please forgive the delay in answering your card. We were away for Christmas. I will write a short | |
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| | 1984/01/21 (#01) | HLS | from Goffin, Magdalen / to William Shannon | I enclose a brief biography of my father which I hope will be of use to you. If I had | |
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| | 1984/01/21 (#02) | other | | <u>E.I. WATKIN</u> [-] Edward Ingram Watkin was born in September 1888 and died in March 1981, | |
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| | 1984/03/02 | HLS | from Goffin, Magdalen / to William Shannon | Thank you so much for the set of Merton's letters to my father. I am very glad to have the complete | |
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