Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology

By Eugene H. Peterson

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Release date: Jan 29, 2008
• ISBN: 9781467418423

Eugene H. Peterson

Eugene H. Peterson (1932-2018) was a pastor, theologian, professor, poet, and author of over thirty books, including his bestselling translation of the Bible, The Message, and his memoir, The Pastor. In 1963, he founded the Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland, where he served as pastor for nearly three decades before retiring in Montana with his wife, Jan.

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Reviews for Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

[wordsampersand · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a wonderful book. The final third is worth the price alone.

[trevor_f_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bright and breezy. Many rich insights.

[sojourners_hymn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Peterson's insight into living the theology we claim to hold to is wonderful, and Peterson is probably the best writer of any theologian that I have read. As poetic as he writes, his theology always remains grounded in the everyday, the practical, and this is the very purpose of the book - a theology that is lived, that changes us by its' power, from the inside out. His writing has influenced my life than most any other in the past few years.

[kylepotter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Peterson offers us a narrative and holistic theology that seeks to ground our thinking and living in the biblical story, finding the work and play of Christ in Creation, History, and Community. It really is a "must read."