Torch, Spring 1997

Dramatic Elements in Scripture Three primary elements of drama– character, setting, and plot-are all found in many biblical narratives. Dark drama enfolds the Edenic cast in mankind's first encounter with evil; mystic drama is felt in the heat of the burning bush; epic drama is revealed as a nation prays in front of towering walls of water during the Exodus; and the grandeur of historic drama is heard in the trumpets marching around a seemingly impregnable Jericho. The New Testament also is rich with dramatic accounts. Metaphoric drama is found in baskets of loaves and fishes; confrontational drama is identified in the rhetoric of the rich young ruler; and redemptive drama is portrayed at Golgotha. In all of these accounts, the biblical narrative is rich with the elements of drama. Not only are elements of drama used in the writing of biblical narrative, but it appears that they were carefully planned. Consider the dramatic elements when Aaron threw his staff on the ground in front of Pharaoh (Exodus 7: 10). Read Nehemiah and focus on the careful way the vocalists and instru– mentalists were arranged and scheduled to perform at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12). In fact, drama was clearly identified as a tool of communication when God instructed Ezekiel to dramatize personally the siege of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4: 1-8). Drama in the Church History Because of fallen man 's abuse of the art form, the relationship between drama and the church has not always been a good one. In fact, Jesus is quoted by Matthew as using a word which in Greek means both actor and hypocrite. When giving alms, praying, or fasting, we are not to be like "those miserable play– actors" (Matthew 6:16, Phillips). Professor James Dixon of Grove City College suggests that this reference was due to the fact that the church was born into a period of theatrical spectacle and decadence. Much of the early Roman theatre was marked by immorality and bloodshed, standing in stark contrast to Christ's message of purity and peace. This controversy of art form as a source or reflection of evil continued for centuries . As early church writers fought the moral decay of Rome, they often identified the theatre as a source of immorality that must be avoided. It must be remembered that the writers were condemning the cultural theatre, not the use of drama or theatrical elements in worship. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the curtain was closed for almost a century but opened again in the Middle Ages. In an age of almost universal illiteracy, the church began exploring new means of communicating biblical truth with the masses. "It is one of the great ironies of theatre history that the church, which had encouraged the demise of the theatre in the Roman period, was the midwife of its rebirth in the Middle Ages," states Dixon. By the tenth century, it was recognized that a dramatized story was a powerful means of sharing a biblical account. The first recorded performance guidelines came from the pen of Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, England, in 970 A.D. His writings reveal the stage directions for four priests to pantomime the story of the three Marys and the angel at the tomb of Jesus. For the next five centuries, drama was a central component to worship, culminating in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries with the great cycles of mystery plays. These cycles became major calendar events and consisted of as many as 48 skits dramatizing biblical events from creation to the last judgement. The climax of each cycle was always the death and resurrection of Jesus . The rejection of Roman Catholic Church doctrine during the Reformation prompted fear, misunderstanding, and destruction of much religious art. Thus, the use of drama in worship came under the attack of the Reformers. The costumes and pageantry of church ceremonies were identified as being part of the Church of Rome and thus were condemned. For the next five centuries, drama was a suspect partner in worship. While dramatic elements have always been present in worship to varying degrees (e.g., choir robes , pastoral garb, dramatic lighting, and the use of the spoken word with music), it was not until the 1900s that the communication value of drama was again recognized by the church. The preaching style of Billy Sunday, the development of church music cantatas and passion plays, and the building of churches with fellowship halls and platforms have all influenced the increasing acceptance of drama in the church. However, during just this generation, evangelical Christianity has come to appreciate drama in the church as a legitimate communication tool for worship and teaching.