Christopher Pramuk is chair of Ignatian Thought and Imagination, and associate professor of theology at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He is the author of Sophia: The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton and Hope Sings, So Beautiful: Graced Encounters across the Color Line both from Liturgical Press, and the recipient of the Catholic Theological Society of America's 2009 Catherine Mowry LaCugna Award, the International Thomas Merton Society's 2011 Thomas Merton Award (aka "The Louie"), and several best essay awards from the Catholic Press Association.
“Christopher Pramuk’s latest work, At Play in Creation, offers a
truly stunning introduction to the long-held but often forgotten
Wisdom tradition. Priming our theological imaginations with the
rich and sensuous language of poetry and with Merton’s poem Hagia
Sophia as a guide, Pramuk opens us to the divine music hidden in
each of our encounters and allows us to glimpse the unseen Reality
whom Merton calls Sophia. She is the breath of God poured out
through the world, the one who shines from the faces of those who
show courage and compassion in situations that cry for mercy.
Pramuk explores her many manifestations within the Hebrew and
Christian Scriptures and to people of various faith traditions,
inviting us to peer into the liminal spaces of our own lives, the
dark places, the places of our poverty where Sophia dwells and from
which love springs. Myriad examples evidence the power of her
presence and the depth of her love. This is a truly beautiful work,
one that encourages deep contemplation of Sophia at work in our
every encounter with Earth and with members of the human community,
and one that helps us to imagine how to speak of Christ in an age
of pluralism.”
Kathleen Duffy, SSJ
Author of Teilhard's Mysticism: Seeing the Inner Face of
Evolution
Professor of Physics, and Director of the Institute for Religion
and Science
Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA
"In the midst of this absolutely beautiful book of reflections on
Wisdom in Thomas Merton, Christopher Pramuk asks, after citing a
passage, "Can somebody say Amen?!" Well, I can and am doing so with
true delight. Pramuk brings together in his writing the poet and
the scholar, the artist and the critic, the monk and prophet Merton
was. His study of Wisdom in Merton is outstanding. This collection
of reflections is a feast; Wisdom truly has set her table for us in
them."
Michael Plekon, PhD; Professor, Sociology/Anthropology, Coordinator
of the Program in Religion & Culture; Baruch College of the City
University of New York
"In Christopher Pramuk's marvelous new book, lyrical theology and
thoughtfully grounded spirituality merge into one. His "voice"
resonates in harmony with Thomas Merton's. As a professor of
theology, Pramuk reads Merton well, but then as poet and musician,
he sings and plays with Merton's most significant themes in a
fresh, new key. . . . Pramuk is now my go-to theologian/poet for a
trustworthy rendition of Merton's legacy. I smell a "classic" about
to be born before my grateful eyes. My gut reaction is "Oh boy, oh
boy, oh boy!" which is an American translation of "Bravissimo!"
Jonathan Montaldo, Author of Bridges to Contemplative Living with
Thomas Merton
"In his hymn to Holy Wisdom, Thomas Merton wrote that all things
reveal 'a hidden wholeness,' available to the eyes of
contemplation. In his deeply lyrical reflections, Christopher
Pramuk brings such an eye to Merton's own work. In the centenary of
Merton's birth, this book is a great gift, a bell summoning us to
prayer and praise."
Robert Ellsberg, editor, The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of
Dorothy Day
"At Play in Creation is a lovely and inviting journey. The
Sophia/Wisdom tradition becomes the lens for exploring the Divine
in the midst of a humanity bent on self-destruction. I found this
oddly hope-filled and energizing. We can be the change we want to
see in the world."
Laura Swan, OSB, Author of The Benedictine Tradition and Wisdom of
the Beguines: The Forgotten Story of a Medieval Women's
Movement
"Merton was notoriously intuitive. Reading this book makes me
keenly aware that to the extent his intuition about divine Wisdom
is accurate, then we can anticipate Sophia rising."John D.
Dadosky, Theological Studies
"In order to write this clearly and purposefully the subject
matter, in this example Hagia Sophia, the Feminine Divine of Thomas
Merton, must be not only well known by the author but also beloved.
I sense in the reading of this well done presentation a gentleness,
an invitation, a welcoming. I feel blessed and called to a further
awakening."Catholic Press Association award, 2nd place
"Pramuk's style in this work is very much like Merton's own; the
writing is intuitive, spontaneous, and personal rather than formal
and analytical. The present work offers readers familiar with
Merton and biblical and theological wisdom traditions a personally
enriching and intellectually creative exploration of Sophia, the
Wisdom of God."Marc Lavallee, Horizons
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