The Franciscan Professor Who’s Coming to South Africa

The popular Winter Living Theology series of lectures will be presented this year by an expert on the 20th-century mystic Fr Thomas Merton. Coming to centres in South Africa, Eswatini and Botswana, the lectures will be delivered by Fr Dan Horan OFM, who was interviewed by Fr Russell Pollitt SJ.

The annual Winter Living Theology (WLT) has not taken place in-person since the advent of the Covid pandemic in 2020, but this year the Jesuit Institute South Africa will again host the popular series of lectures in various centres in South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini in July and August.

The theme of this year’s series is “Searching for Meaning: The Wisdom of Thomas Merton for Our Times”. Award-winning US author and theologian Fr Daniel Horan OFM will be in Southern Africa to present the series. The 38-year-old Franciscan is currently the director of the Center for Spirituality and professor of philosophy, religious studies and theology at St Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Trappist Father Thomas Merton (1915-68) was one of the most influential Christian writers of the last century. In many ways he revived monastic life with the publication of his autobiography Seven Storey Mountain, which sold like wildfire. But, more importantly, Merton’s commentaries on politics,  racism, nonviolence, the nuclear threat, the Church and contemplative life read as if it was written for our context today.

Q: Who is Fr Horan? Tell us a little about yourself, where you come from and what you are currently doing?

I’m a Franciscan friar originally from New York state, but I live now in the state of Indiana. I am the oldest of four siblings, all of whom still live in New York with their families. In addition to teaching, research and writing, and sacramental ministry, I am an avid long-distance runner and sports photographer. In fact, before I joined the Franciscans, my primary work was as a photojournalist, so it’s nice to be able to do some photography as a hobby at this point in my life rather than as a career.

What led you to becoming a Franciscan?

I first met the Franciscans when I was at university. I attended St Bonaventure University, a Franciscan college in New York state, where I studied theology and journalism. There I came to know about the Franciscan intellectual and spiritual tradition dating back to the 13th century. I also learnt about Franciscan life in the 21st century.

By the time I was ready to graduate from university, I felt a desire to explore Franciscan life. I wasn’t sure if that was the track God was intending me to pursue, but I took discernment one year and one day at a time, and that was almost two decades ago! When I entered the Franciscan Order I had no desire or intention of becoming a scholar and professor, but I fell in love with theology and philosophy, and the order encouraged me to do more postgraduate work and embrace a teaching vocation.

Have you ever been to Southern Africa before?

This will be my first visit to Southern Africa. I have long appreciated the rich and complex history of South Africa specifically, and southern Africa more broadly, but I have not had the opportunity to visit in person. I look forward to being there this winter and getting to know first-hand the lands, peoples, cultures, and communities of faith in South Africa, Eswatini and Botswana.

You are coming to speak about Thomas Merton, what sparked your interest in this Trappist monk?

I like to say that my interest in Thomas Merton and his work was “a hobby that grew out of control”. What I mean is that I started reading Merton as a young friar for spiritual inspiration and reflection. When I was a university student I didn’t really appreciate that Merton had taught for almost two years at my own alma mater, St Bonaventure University.

It wasn’t until I became a Franciscan that I really became captivated by Merton’s own journey and work. Therefore, I feel like my first encounter with Merton’s writings was like a hobby, but soon I was asked to give talks about Merton and to lead retreats on some of his key insights.

Then I began doing and presenting original research in Merton studies at conferences in the US and UK, and once I became a university professor, I began teaching courses on Merton. Over time I was elected to leadership roles in the International Thomas Merton Society, and now I find myself as the site coordinator for the society’s 2023 conference, scheduled to take place here at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame in June next year.

Can Merton still teach us something today?

Recently I was guest-lecturing in a course, having been invited to talk about Merton’s relevance for today. One of the things the students noted right away was how timely Merton’s reflections and social criticism were. On topics like nonviolence, nuclear war, racism, and other matters of peace and justice, it is as if Merton were alive and writing about today’s world.

On the one hand, that is deeply disturbing — it might signal that not much has changed in the almost 60 years since he died. Yet, on the other hand, it means that Merton’s vision and insights are still relevant for today.

In addition to his timeless contributions to Christian spirituality and contemplation, his social justice writings — especially on nonviolence and racism — are resources that are still underappreciated and may serve us well today.

What will you be covering at Winter Living Theology, and what do you hope the benefit will be for people in Southern Africa?

The overarching focus of this year’s WLT theme is to engage Merton’s life, thought and legacy, with an eye towards how he might assist us in addressing the pressing issues of our time in Church and society. Among these key issues are nonviolence and peacemaking, interreligious and ecumenical dialogue, environmental justice, and systemic racism.

I hope that those already familiar with some of Merton’s writings will grow deeper in their appreciation of his relevance and insight, while also being introduced to some of his lesser-known texts and commentary. For those who know little about him or are entirely new to Merton, I hope they will find a new spiritual companion and source of inspiration that helps all spiritual seekers bridge a contemplation with action, prayer and practice, and justice and peace.

The WLT lecture series will take place in Cape Town from July 19-22, in Durban from July 26-28, in Eswatini on July 30, in Johannesburg from August 2-4, and in Botswana on August 10.

In addition, Fr Horan will preach a retreat at the Origins Retreat Centre in the Cradle of Humankind from Friday evening on August 5 to Sunday lunch on the 7th. On August 13, Fr Horan will be a guest speaker at Mosaiek Church’s “Conversations” programme in Johannesburg.

To register or for information, contact the Jesuit Institute at or call 011 482-4237

This interview was published in the June 2022 issue of The Southern Cross magazine