Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet, theologian, and conflict mediator, who brings interests in language, violence and religion to his work. He is the Poet Laureate and Theologian in Residence for the On Being project, and hosts the Poetry Unbound podcast. He was formerly the leader of the Corrymeela Community (Ireland's oldest peace and reconciliation community), and is the author of four books, including Readings from the Book of Exile, Sorry For Your Troubles, In the Shelter: Finding a Home In the World and Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community.

This is part one of a two-part episode. Click here to listen to part two.
I think that the deepest spiritual practices are the deepest physical practices, and that the deepest practices of silence are an embodied practice. — Pádraig Ó Tuama

Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode:

Pádraig Ó Tuama, Readings from the Book of Exile
Pádraig Ó Tuama, Sorry For Your Troubles
Pádraig Ó Tuama, In the Shelter: Finding a Home In the World
Pádraig Ó Tuama, Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community
Jason Brian Santos, A Community Called Taizé: A Story of Prayer, Worship and Reconciliation
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Alison Funk, "The Prodigal's Mother Speaks to God"

Pádraig Ó Tuama with Carl McColman in Northern Ireland, Summer 2010
Silence has its own power, and silence can be a way of avoiding. I suppose the hope within any kind of practice of prayer of any tradition, is that any silence that we are holding is also being beheld. There's something or someone or some way of that mystery we call God, that beholds us in the silence that we might be beholding for ourselves. — Pádraig Ó Tuama
Episode 91: Silence, Poetry, and Conflict Resolution: A Conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama (Part One)
Hosted by: Cassidy Hall
With: Carl McColman, Kevin Johnson
Guest: Pádraig Ó Tuama
Date Recorded: February 17, 2020

Featured image: photo by Adam Markon on Unsplash.