Spring 2007/Pasadena
TC547
Johnson

TC547: DRAMA AND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. Todd E. Johnson.


DESCRIPTION: The origins of theatre are in the simple act of one person telling another person a story. Drama occurs, in part, when one tells the story by manifesting--incarnating--the story. As Christian disciples we are invited to tell the story of the gospel by our embodying the story in our daily lives. This course will serve as an introductory survey of issues found at the intersection of theology and theatre. It will cover the nature of narrative in worship and evangelism, explore the place of drama in worship, examine theatre which addresses religious and theological themes, and evaluate the place of Christians in theatre. All this will be done against the backdrop of the prevailing cultural narratives as well as a developing culture of sensationalism.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: The primary goal of this course is to develop a conversation between theology and theatre. Exploring criteria from theology and theatre (such as incarnation and performativity), we will provide criteria for both the appraisal of theatre as well as Christian rituals. To do this the students will (1) explore current themes in contemporary North American cultural narratives, (2) learn the history of the relationship between Christianity and theatre, (3) become familiar with theological models of evaluating theatre, (4) apply these historical and theological categories to both the dramatic qualities of the Christian faith as well as to theatre.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: When a person attends a performance, such as a concert or a play, there is an expectation that "something will happen." Whether this is understood through Aristotelian catharsis or sensory stimulation, one is disappointed when these expectations are not met. How does the Christian faith evaluate these cultural expectations? How ought the church respond when these criteria are placed upon the church's evangelism and worship? This class invites a two-way dialogue which evokes wisdom from the theatre arts on how to improve the communication of the gospel in a media-driven culture, while at the same time offers a Christian appraisal of the cultural expectations placed on the dramatic arts as an incarnate art form.

COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet weekly for three-and-a-half-hour sessions of lecture and discussion of readings, as well as various approaches to applying the concepts in this class to pastoral praxis and theatre. It will require students to attend an Easter Vigil outside of class and attend a play with the class. Guest lectures will be offered by Christians in the theatre arts. The course grade will be based on projects involving case studies and other exercises of applications of course material.

REQUIRED READING:

Anderson, Herbert, and Edward Foley, Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals. Jossey-Bass, 1998. 180 pages.

DeChant, Del, The Sacred Santa. Pilgrim Press, 2002. 100 pages.

Harris, Max. Theatre and Incarnation. Eerdmans, 1990. 80 pages.

Johnstone, Keith. Impro. Theatre Arts Book, 1980. 140 pages.

Lowry, Eugene. The Homiletic Plot. John Knox Press, 1980. 80 pages.

Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. Penguin, 1985. 60 pages.

Shaffer, Peter. Equus. Penguin, 1984. 100 pages.

Wilder, Thornton. Our Town. Perenial, 1998. 130 pages.

Course Reader. 100 pages.

ASSIGNMENTS: (1) Completion of assigned readings, attendance & participation in class discussions [10%]. (2) A report of a participant observation of an Easter Vigil [15%]. (3) A report of a participant observation of the performance of a play (to be seen as a class) [15%]. (4) An evaluation of the narrative qualities of a sermon [15%]. (5) A synthesis project proposed by the student and approved by the professor [45%].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Fulfills concentration requirement in the MA in Theology (Theology & the Arts format). Meets interdisciplinary requirement (IDPL) for MACL (Integrative Studies).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.