Education
BA Div: Maryvale Institute, Birmingham
MTh: Queen’s University, Belfast
PhD: University of Glasgow
Biography
Pádraig Ó Tuama is an Irish poet and theologian, with interests in conflict, language, spirituality and religion. During almost 20 years working in conflict resolution in Belfast, in the north of Ireland, he worked mostly with Corrymeela, Ireland’s oldest peace community, leading it from 2014-2019. Since 2020, he has presented On Being’s Poetry Unbound podcast, a broadcast that has had over 21 million downloads. Until 2026 he was artist in residence with the Columbia’s Cooperation and Conflict Resolution Centre in New York City, and he has held residencies in Ireland, the UK, Australia and the United States.
His Masters thesis was on narrative theology, with a particular interest in the depiction of marginalised characters in the gospel of Mark. His PhD — from which the Lambda prize shortlisted poetry volume Kitchen Hymns arose — considered, among other topics, prayer, lostness, and the usage of the ‘you’ — the lyric address — in poetry and/or prayer.
He has published widely: poetry; theological prose; books on, and of, prayer. During his years in conflict resolution, he employed a community art approach to writing of poetry with groups affected by injustice, violence, partition and trauma.
At Yale Divinity School, his classes will explore spirituality; writing and prayer; a spirituality of conflict and human interaction; and poetry.
Books
- 2012: Readings from the Book of Exile; poems (Canterbury Press)
- 2013: Sorry for your Troubles; poems (Canterbury Press)
- 2015: In the Shelter; memoir/prose (Hodder & Stoughton) USA Edition, 2022, Broadleaf Books.
- 2017: Daily Prayer from the Corrymeela Community; prayers (Canterbury Press)
- 2021: Borders and Belonging; on the Book of Ruth; theology. Co-authored with Glenn Jordan (Canongate Books)
- 2021: A Casual Kindness; poems — co-authored with the Unbound collective (Tapsalteerie)
- 2022: Poetry Unbound; 50 Poems to Open Your World; poetry anthology (Canongate Books, UK; WW Norton, USA)
- 2022: Feed the Beast; poems (Broken Sleep Books)
- 2023: Being Here; prayers (Eerdman’s)
- 2025: Kitchen Hymns; poems (CHEERIO, UK; Copper Canyon Press, USA)
- 2025: 44 Poems on Being with Each Other; poetry anthology (Canongate Books, UK; WW Norton, USA)
- 2026: Love Between Men; poems (CHEERIO, UK; Copper Canyon Press, USA)