Introducing — Christianity and the Theatre

Over the past several months, we here at Transpositions have been working behind the scenes and in the wings to gather together a variety of perspectives from individuals who live and work at the intersection of Christianity and the Theatre; and, next week (2 July – 7 July), we invite you to sit back, relax, and take in the thoughts and reflections of a diverse cast of characters during our symposium appropriately titled: Christianity and the Theatre.

In addition to being theologians, all of our contributors have worn multiple hats as theatre practitioners—from director to actor, to writer and producer. As such they are keenly aware both of the practice of theatre and of the theological import of the theatre; and, in their posts, they seek to carefully examine the relationship between theatre and theology.  Our hope is that you, as readers, will realize that, unlike most theatrical performances where once the curtain is down you exit never to see the performers again, you are invited not only to read and reflect on the contributors’ thoughts but also to share your own.

Christianity and the Theatre Schedule (2 July – 7 July)

Monday, 2 July: Charles Gillespie, Justin Kosec, and Kate Stratton from Yale Divinity School discuss ways in which drama can be incorporated into Christian liturgy and, in the process, help worshippers see ‘the holy amidst the mundane’.

Tuesday, 3 July: Ivan Khovacs, Senior Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University, examines the ways in which tragic theatre may serve to allow us to rehearse our own end while exploring the historic and contemporary challenges this poses for Christians.

Wednesday, 4 July: Todd Johnson, Brehm Chair of Worship, Theology, and the Arts at Fuller Theological Seminary, explores ways in which theatre sheds light on what it means to be human and suggests that theatre may play a formative role in human becoming.  He also responds to author Dale Savidge’s recent post on the CITA website.

Thursday, 5 July: Josh Edelman, Research Fellow from Central School of Speech and Drama in London, asks the question, ‘What sort of truth do we expect from the theatre?’, in light of monologist Mike Daisey’s semi-fictional The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs.

Friday, 6 July: Wes Vander Lugt, PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews, traces the development of theatre as a model and metaphor for Christian theology in the first of two posts.

Saturday, 7 July: Wes Vander Lugt concludes his discussion of the ‘theatrical turn’ in Christian theology.

We are pleased with the playbill for next week and hope that you will seize the opportunity to respond to our contributors and, in the process, keep the dialogue going.

Author

  • Before making his way to St Andrews, Dave played the part of a peasant and a street sweep at a Renaissance Festival and Walt Disney World respectively. However, his interest in performance and communication were also put to use for over a decade as a corporate communications trainer in Charlotte, NC where he and his wife, Carrie, lived before moving overseas. Since then, they’ve welcomed their daughters Molly and Abigail into the world and Dave completed his M.Litt in Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at St Andrews. At the moment he’s busy researching the theological significance of embodied expression in pursuit of a PhD from St Andrews.

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