Theatre and Theology, Theodrama

The stage, text, plot, and characters of Together in God’s Theatre are rooted in (South) Africa and globally connected. As such it enculturates Practical Theology as a discipline in (South) Africa and a global network culture. We have been waiting for a Practical Theology that takes the important contribution of African Independent churches regarding faith practices seriously, whilst simultaneously not neglecting the practices of mainline churches. This book is a timely gift that will help with the understanding and appreciation of practices across denominational borders.
Cas Wepener, Professor in Homile􀆟 cs and Liturgy, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch
University.

This piece was submitted as part of a taught MA (Theology and Ministry) programme at St Johns College, Durham, in April 2016. It proposes then critiques Theodramatic Ecclesiology, building on the work of Healy and Ward, suggesting that a church's function as Theatre is to perform the Gospel as a practical and prophetic ways.

O que seria mais adequado: conceituar o termo “batismo” a partir do viés sacramental ou a partir do viés memorial (ordenança)? É o batismo um mero conceito dogmático? Ou seria o batismo a mera expressão de um ato de fé? Como conceber o batismo como dogma numa sociedade antidogmática? O propósito deste trabalho é responder essas perguntas e oferecer uma reflexão sobre o batismo, no seu contexto eclesiástico, como uma expressão viva da teologia bíblica. Entende-se que o batismo é uma resposta ao mandamento divino e, segundo Kevin J. Vanhoozer, é uma “ação comunicativa” entre o homem e Deus. Tomando como referência os trabalhos de Vanhoozer, e, sobretudo, Hans Urs von Balthasar, explicaremos os termos “sacramento”, “ordenança” e “dogma”. Além disso, apresentaremos a teoria teodramática, bem como explicitaremos como o batismo se enquadra dentro da hermenêutica teodramática.  A finalidade deste trabalho não é esgotar todas as nuances do conceito teodramático de “batismo”, mas, sim, apresentar uma pesquisa introdutória do conceito de batismo na teodramatica, bem como as suas dificuldades.

Hans Urs von Balthasar's vast corpus of theological, philosophical, literary, and pastoral writings remains one of the most impressive achievements in 20th century thought. In light of liberation theology and now the papacy of Francis, however, a theological affirmation of the option for the poor remains dangerously weak in Balthasar's corpus. Von Balthasar and the Option for the Poor offers a sympathetic reforming of Balthasar's account of the drama of salvation—what he calls "theodramatics"— in response to this weakness.

Balthasar argues that his theodramatics intends to do justice to human existence as personal, social, and political, but his regular inattention to God's concern for and solidarity with the oppressed undercuts his own intentions. Von Balthasar and the Option for the Poor strongly affirms Balthasar's most fundamental theological commitments, but then reimagines his theodramatics in light of a strong recognition of the option for the poor within divine revelation and oppression as a force within the drama of salvation.

The first half of the book offers a clear account of Balthasar's most fundamental philosophical and theological commitments as a foundation for developing a liberating theodramatics. The second half offers a creative reworking of Balthasar's Christology, anthropology, and ecclesiology in light of the work of Gustavo Gutiérrez, Oscar Romero, and Jon Sobrino as well as seldom engaged texts in Balthasar's corpus. In so doing, Von Balthasar and the Option for the Poor provides a rich and unmatched dialogical engagement between Balthasar and Latin American liberation theology—an engagement that brings greater consistency to Balthasar's thought, increased attentiveness to the shape of divine revelation, and greater responsiveness to the challenges facing the Church in the modern age. As a liberating theodramatics, Balthasar's theological vision is opened to and reformed by a robust affirmation of God's merciful partiality towards the poor and oppressed, the option for the poor as an essential dimension of the Christian life, and the recognition that oppressive structures are theodramatic realities that oppose God's gift of life.

This study uses theological and philosophical thinking along side theatre and performance studies to investigate sacred theatre and latterly sacred performance. The study looks to theatres origins in an attempt to extrapolate that which constitutes the sacred and following from René Girard’s Violence and the Sacred (1979), looks for the origin of this ‘desire for being’. Man’s nature as physical (body/mind) and metaphysical (soul/spirit) alongside the impact this has on theatre and performance is explored; with the study attempting to outline the significance of man’s two/three part nature and the manifestation of this desire for a fullness of being in theatre and performance of a sacred nature. The study focuses on the quintessential ingredient of theatre and performance: the relationship between actor or performer and audience and identifies the actor and performer as a priest, an intercessor for the audience. By acknowledging the transformative power of this relationship and assessing its importance for the sacred the study dissects and identifies sacred theatre as a means to presence a fullness of being and sacred performance as an introversion of this desire for fullness in an embodied absence. One that signals towards an emptiness or void as a means to allow the audience to explore their nature and experience the sacred. Various examples of contemporary performance are used to evidence and critique the investigation and the study concludes by assessing to what extent theatre and performance laicise the sacred; asking what is required of an audience to access the sacred without the presence of an actor or performer as priest.

*This is the pre-publication but accepted version. For citation purposes please use the official version accessible via the link

The “Mercy Seat” performs an important function within Salvation Army worship. It symbolizes the central theological tenet of the immediacy of grace to all. Historically, its function was intended for use by those intending to “receive Christ” for the first time. Over time, its use has broadened to include other intentions whilst simultaneously diminishing in the frequency of its use. This article suggests that when viewed from a theodramatic perspective, the act of praying at the Mercy Seat becomes a contemporary, and improvised, performance of Christ's Gethsemane prayer, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). The broadening of the understanding of this act to become a deliberately repeated and embodied performance of Jesus’ prayer may help to overcome the loss of use of this symbol. Drawing upon the work of Adrienne von Speyr and Kevin Vanhoozer, this article will demonstrate how the prayer of Christ in Gethsemane is embodied through contemporary, improvised performance of his prayer at the Mercy Seat by Salvationists and those new to the faith alike.

Theology is inherently theatrical, rooted in God’s performance on the world stage and oriented toward faith seeking performative understanding in the theatre of everyday life. Following Hans Urs von Balthasar’s magisterial, five-volume Theo-Drama, a growing number of theologians and pastors have been engaging more widely with theatre and drama, producing what has been recognized as a “theatrical turn” in theology. This volume includes thirteen essays from theologians and pastors who have all contributed in distinct ways to this theatrical turn and who desire to deepen interdisciplinary dialogue between theology and theatre. The result is an unprecedented collection of essays that embodies and advances theatrical theology for the purpose of enriching theological reflection and edifying the church.

A Man is a dramatic person, that is to say, taking Greek roots (Greek δράω / δραμέω), an acting being. Drama - as a specific kind of experiencing the "art of being" - is inseparably connected with every being, with every creation, and finally with every human activity. In cultural space, drama fulfills important functions: from cognitive function, educational, to creative and reflective. This extension of drama understanding allows us to capture, not so much the existence of a man in a dramatic perspective, but to direct his action to areas relevant to the development of culture, education and upbringing. Thanks to the drama, a pedagogue-animator, about important paratheatrical methods, animates reality around themselves, creates a space filled with signs, relationships or aesthetic values, reinforced by metaphysical needs. In this article, the author focuses on the theoretical and practical sourses of drama, directing considerations to the various spaces of its functioning in the workshop of the animation pedagogy of culture: from rituals, education to the theatrical expression. The author discusses the basics of Theo-drama, Ethno-drama, Social-drama and Edu-drama, arguing, that drama (and its variations) in the practice and the animation process. Dr Klimczak explains the role of a factor facilitating the social communication, a means of reducing conflicts, triggering inventiveness and the creative expression. Author puts the stress on that pedagogical spells such as the postulate of the Stress-Free Upbringing will be useless, if the pedagogy and teatchers does not confront theory with reality and instead of promoting Pupils Rights - remind them of their Duties. Otherwise, we are threatened to return to the lullabies of the tormented mothers, which Magdalena Jonca discussed on ill-raised children: "Lula, lula, old Shithead, I'll give you a corkscrew to your head. An Educator-animator of culture encouraging people to the old art of drama, playing in the theater, which also in the form of drama fulfills a cathartic function, liberates the drama participants from aggression, cleans from potential emotional defects, neutralizing fears and phobias, educating young people to choose values in the world of culture. Dr Dariusz Piotr Klimczak created the perspective of the style of communication by the drama useful in numerous social domains, beginning with psychotherapy, through education and upbringing, ending on rituals, negotiations aiming at the reduction of international and interracial conflicts.

This paper intends to make a unique contribution in our interpretation of witchcraft in Africa by providing a socio-hermeneutic that is dramatic and meaningful. African theologians have sought to understand the ontology of witchcraft and its implications, as well as witchcraft accusations and possible solutions and remedies, which are all

This paper identifies themes of Power within a management relationship between a youth worker and Clergy, and uses Vanhoozers concept of Theodrama to theologically reflect on the situation and provide suitable ministerial outcomes for the situation.

Living Theodrama is a fresh, creative introduction to theological ethics. Offering an imaginative approach through dialogue with theatrical theory and practice, Vander Lugt demonstrates a new way to integrate actor-oriented and action-oriented approach to Christian ethics within a comprehensive theodramatatic model. this model affirms that life is a drama performed in the company of God and others, providing rich metaphors for relating theology to everyday formation and performance in this drama. Different chapters explore the role of the triune God, Scripture, tradition, the church, mission, and context in the process of formation and performance, thus dealing separately with major themes in theological ethics while incorporating them within an overarching model. This book contains no only a fruitful interchange between theological ethics and theatre but also a promising method for interdisciplinary dialogue between theology and the arts that will be valuable to students and practitioners across many different fields.

This Paper develops thoughts explored in a presentation to MA contingent students, of the same title. It begins to develop the use of Theodrama within Practical theological reflection, specifically in regard to the issue of the relationship between Clergy and Youthworker in a Church setting, reflecting specifically on the relationship between God and Abraham in Genesis 18. The paper suggests that the practical theologian has a role in creating the appropriate scene for the relationship and that there is evidence theologically to promote discipleship as supervision rather than management as a concept and practice.

Blended learning is an approach to teaching which is gaining ground in the academic world. This form of learning developed partly as a result of the problem of information overload and the need for integration of theory and praxis. Recent brain research indicates that the brain changes necessary for success in the learning process are related to various factors like practical exercises, emotions and background feelings at the time of learning. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the innovative use of blended learning by first-year students from diverse African backgrounds through empirical surveys. The results of two empirical surveys indicate that students experienced this blended form of learning positively. The results are interpreted using theoretical insights from the fields of pedagogy and practical theology. Four pedagogical strategies are discussed, all of which make a unique contribution to the learning process. In the last section a number of recommendations are made regarding the use of blended learning in practical theological teaching by analysing a specific case history in a theo-dramatic approach to practical theology. The use of the film “Son of Man” is examined as an example in terms of the intended outcomes for practical theological teaching.