David Michael Thomas Christian Marriage, Sacramentality, and the Experience of Deep Play (summary) The article argues that the spirituality of marriage should be built around the importance of play. Advice on preserving a healthy marital relationship is often phrased in terms of work; one must continually work on one's relationship in order that it remain healthy. One should rather stress the element of play in maintaining a healthy marriage. Play, in fact, is more than simply relaxation. It involves taking part in God's relationship with the cosmos. When a married couple play together, they celebrate God's delightful presence in their lives and become more aware of the divine blessings that they share. The Christian tradition affirms the importance of play as a virtuous activity. Thomas Aquinas writes that it is akin to contemplation in that in play one engages in an activity for its own sake and not for some other purpose. While modern life is built around planning every activity for a greater purpose, play teaches us the importance of stepping out of the utility of life in order to celebrate life itself. It is in play that one learns the very essence of contemplation. Any activity can be approached as either work or play, depending on whether the activity is done as a means to some other end or enjoyed for its own sake. Play has been missing in the classic theology of marriage. In the past most attention was focused on the quality of love between the partners and the generative dimension of their love, which was open to the procreation of new life. As the realm of marital spirituality expanded, it included their daily lives, their efforts toward more effective communication, and their collaborative work in building the Kingdom of God. This article moves the boundaries of marital spirituality to encompass the realm of play, celebration, and enjoyment as a special setting for certain aspects of God's life to become realized in the lives of the married. Play provides humans with an appreciation of the graced or gift-dimension of love. It is a privileged experience of what eternal beatitude will be like. Marriage should be seen as a joyful set of events that gives rise to a sense of gratitude and celebration for God's wondrous gift of life.