Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places reunites spirituality and theology in a cultural context where these two vital facets of Christian faith have been rent asunder. Lamenting the vacuous, often pagan nature of contemporary American spirituality, Eugene Peterson here firmly grounds spirituality once more in Trinitarian theology and offers a clear, practical statement of what it means to actually live out the Christian life. Writing in the conversational style that he is well known for, Peterson boldly sweeps out the misunderstandings that clutter conversations on spiritual theology and refurnishes the subject only with what is essential. As Peterson shows, spiritual theology, in order to be at once biblical and meaningful, must remain sensitive to ordinary life, present the Christian gospel, follow the narrative of Scripture, and be rooted in the “fear of the Lord” — in short, spiritual theology must be about God and not about us. The foundational book in a five-volume series on spiritual theology emerging from Peterson’s pen, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places provides the conceptual and directional help we all need to live the Christian gospel well and maturely in the conditions that prevail in the church and world today.
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"This is the most marked book I own. It is underlined, circled, bracketed with parentheses, exclamation marked, question marked, starred. Peterson engages me like I hadn't been engaged reading theology and I read a substantial amount of it. Compared to the writing skills of other theologians he is a poet. Not an easy read by any means, but one you may find that on the other side of it you're not quite the same. "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology" sits atop the three most influential books I've read in the last few years. Don't pick it up unless you mean it."
— Joel (5 out of 5 stars)
“Rich, generous and wise, Peterson's ‘conversation’ will help readers at every stage of faith to live their faith more deeply.”
— Publishers Weekly" I am in LOVE with this book. The only kind of theology I care much about is the kind that we live out and that makes us love Jesus more-this book talks about exactly that. So far he has dug pretty deep into the creation story and the exodus story in ways that I haven't thought about before. Not the easiest read, but not too heady either. "
— Laura, 1/30/2014" Very interesting and well written--though occasionally I find Peterson's style annoying (so many 1 word sentences and sentence fragments!), often it works quite well. The book is split into three sections where Peterson focuses on Christ's action in creation, history, and community. "
— Phil, 1/27/2014" This book is about Redemptive History and the story that God has always been telling. It's not bad, but I did not really get a whole lot out of it. "
— Wade, 1/21/2014" reading it in a small group from church "
— Elizabeth, 12/28/2013" Peterson's high water mark in saying what he has always wanted to say about the Christian life "lived." A book on spirituality worth reading and re-reading from now until . . . "
— Mark, 12/23/2013" An amazing literary and theological work from Peterson who is perhaps one of the most beautiful writers in the canon of Christian theology. But I got bogged down by too much required reading that cluttered up by spare time, so I will return someday when I have time (ha!) and finish it. "
— Jan, 12/3/2013" This is a good take on Christian spirituality for the most part. I still think Peterson swing farther conservative than I am comfortable with. I am still glad I read the book though. "
— Mike, 11/27/2013" A good introduction to Christian spirituality. An easy read, told mostly in stories. "
— Dwight, 10/23/2013" It's not very often that a gifted theologian and thinker is also a gifted writer. Eugene Peterson is both. This is a wonderful book. "
— Andi, 10/11/2013" A bit hard to track with Peterson's overall argument, but the section on Sabbath was extremely helpful. "
— Mark, 9/16/2013" Medicine for the soul. "
— Petar, 3/13/2013" Every follower of Christ should read this book. What a beautiful portrait of the body of Christ and what it means to live "the Jesus life in the Jesus way." Thank you again Eugene. "
— Stephanie, 12/19/2012" a hard book to digest. i find myself rereading pages over and over again (i admit it, i am a simple man). peterson does a great job on looking at Christ's role in creation, missions and community. "
— John, 11/16/2012" Fresh and really, really good. "
— Jay, 9/18/2012" Anything written by anyone who's translated the entire Bible should probably be read. I think this is true of Peterson. He, like Dallas Willard, is influencing the influencers. "
— John, 8/26/2012" An engaging book that weaves theology and instruction for spiritual formation together in a way that should be the norm for the enterprise of Christian theology. "
— Michael, 7/30/2012" Read this as part of a Sunday School class. It was brilliant at times and too dense at other times. But all in all a very good and insightful book. "
— Mark, 3/28/2012" One of my top ten books... "
— Mark, 12/26/2011" This book is fantastic so far, but it takes more concentration than I have right now. I'll get back to it in the fall or winter. "
— Lyndsey, 11/4/2011" Peterson, unlike so many other contemporary Christian writers, has a lifetime of experience to back up his theological conclusions. There's real wisdom here, delivered with humility and attention to detail. Very worthwhile reading. "
— Paul, 10/30/2011" Eugene Peterson is truly a wonderful writer. His writing ability well exceeds many Christian writers that are alive today. This particular book reveals the dangers of Gnosticism in Christianity and provides remedies. "
— BJ, 7/30/2011" This is a conversational book on theology and an easy read. It does not get bogged down in theological distortions and dogma's. I enjoyed it as I do all of Peterson's writings. "
— Bob, 2/23/2011" Fresh and really, really good. "
— Jay, 5/27/2009" This book is fantastic so far, but it takes more concentration than I have right now. I'll get back to it in the fall or winter. "
— Lyndsey, 4/29/2009" slow going - very intellectually driven. very thoughtful. a 'nibbling' book. "
— Rachel, 4/29/2009" reading it in a small group from church "
— Elizabeth, 2/8/2009" This is a good take on Christian spirituality for the most part. I still think Peterson swing farther conservative than I am comfortable with. I am still glad I read the book though. "
— Mike, 10/20/2008" Anything written by anyone who's translated the entire Bible should probably be read. I think this is true of Peterson. He, like Dallas Willard, is influencing the influencers. "
— John, 8/27/2008" An amazing literary and theological work from Peterson who is perhaps one of the most beautiful writers in the canon of Christian theology. But I got bogged down by too much required reading that cluttered up by spare time, so I will return someday when I have time (ha!) and finish it. "
— Jan, 2/6/2008" This book is about Redemptive History and the story that God has always been telling. It's not bad, but I did not really get a whole lot out of it. "
— Wade, 8/24/2007Eugene H. Peterson, (1932-2018) pastor, scholar, poet, and writer, was the author of more than twenty books, including The Contemplative Pastor. He founded Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland, and pastored that church for twenty-nine years. He was professor emeritus of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and lived with his wife, Jan, in Montana. They had three children and six grandchildren.
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.