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This spirituality stands as a model for perceiving and moving into the desert, whether it be desolate cities or places of “death, loneliness, alienation, lack of love, starvation, war, pollution, heresies . . . [that] try to dominate human life.”98 Desert spirituality is a Christian resource for moving into (or staying in) broken society instead of feeing it and for challenging aspects that are antithetical to life.

In the narrations of the Israelites, Jesus, and the Desert Ascetics, the powerful infuences hostile to human fourishing are personifed as idols or demons. While this language may seem antiquated or mythological to modern ears, it has been adapted and applied to contemporary society by those like Walter Wink and Jacques Ellul.

Ellul uses the language of “new demons” to describe the features of today’s “desacralized” societies, such as wealth, power, commercial growth, science, technology, and sexuality. They merit this religious terminology because, according to Ellul, they receive human allegiance. They are demonic in as much as they have destructive efects on humanity. These harms may be manifest in alienation (i.e., from others, from nature, from self), exclusion (i.e., of the enemies of political ideologies),99 commodifying people (i.e., exploitation of labor),100 or polluting the environment (i.e., production and consumerism).101 These forces are often “veiled, hidden, and secret gods, who besiege and seduce all the more efectively because they do not openly declare themselves as gods.”102 A task of desert spirituality is to name these “new demons,” unmask their seductive disguises, and engage them.103

The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion (New York: Harper One, 2012), 106–119.

98 Papathanasiou, Future, the Background of History, 85.

99 Jacques Ellul, The New Demons (New York: Seabury Press, 1975), 200–201.

100 Ibid., 197.

101 Ibid., 204.

102 Ibid., 227.

While not ascribing any intentionality to these powers, Wink does not view them as evil. Rather, they are created by God as good; they are fallen; and they must be redeemed.104 Similar to Ellul, Wink sees that the powers represent “political, economic, and cultural institutions.”105 When they betray their divine vocation to serve God’s creation in pursuit of its own goals, forming a network of powers organized around idolatrous values, Wink calls them a “domination system.”106

Following Ellul and Wink, we can follow the steps of naming, unmasking, and engaging powers that infuence emigration in negative ways. A demonic power may be the market itself, which promises increased income but, in the name of maximizing proft, serves to exploit migrant workers. What presents itself as a good for humanity may in efect be part of the “domination system.”

Another demon is materialism. This is seen in The Way of the Danube flm, as emigrant parents mail western goods and toys home to their son but fail to meet his longing to be with them. While material gain is a primary reason why Romanians emigrate, and while it may momentarily satisfy, it does not meet deeper relational needs of communion and may in fact impede relationship. Moreover, responding to material needs with material goods is inadequate. Because most of the proposals of the NSD are materialistic, materialism must be named and unmasked as insufcient for human needs and potentially destructive.

103 This follows the language of Wink’s trilogy: Walter Wink, Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984); Walter Wink, Unmasking the Powers (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984); Walter Wink, Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination, The Powers v. 3 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1992).

104 Wink, Engaging the Powers, 10.

105 Ibid., 6.

106 Ibid., 72.

Another demon to be named and unmasked is corruption—itself a primary reason for Romanian emigration. Corruption must be addressed through legislative and judicial systems, bringing those who exploit others to account. While corruption may be easy to identify when politicians embezzle public funds or bosses solicit bribes, it may be less evident when we look at ourselves. Mathewes comments on the common reading of corruption as a sense of victimization by political realities. However, he points out that this superfcial perspective may mask the exposure of one’s own ideals as self-interested.107 Mathewes’ critique does not skirt the need to confront political and social corruption, but naming and unmasking corruption in society is an occasion in which we also evaluate our own “selfsh proclivities towards instrumentalizing” others.108 This may take the form of “small” acts of thievery or lying to neighbors or workplace colleagues—often “justifed” by their unjust treatment of us. It can also take the form of actions, such as emigration itself, that may beneft the individual but bring negative efects on the local community, even if not immediately perceivable. Corruption is identifed not simply as an evil out in society but one with which each person is likely complicit and one that must be faced whether one stays or departs.

Deciding to move into the deserted places rather than feeing from them also involves participating in changing society for the better. While Christian Scriptures provide visions for a world transformed (i.e., Is. 65, Rev. 21, 1 Cor. 15), it is God who brings this transformation. In the interim, humans may not bring radical change, but they can identify places where society is broken, the “non-society,” and take modest steps to make society. Haddon Willmer identifes the “non-society” where society ceases to function healthily, where “the form of society is not truly there for others [and] for those in need.”109 “Non-society occurs within societies,” not just on their margins but running through them.110

107 Mathewes, A Theology of Public Life, 304.

108 Ibid. This does not mean that there is an equivalence of all corrupt behaviors and desires; rather, we recognize that corruption is not only a problem “out there” but is also within each person.

Christians follow the example of Jesus who makes society in desolate places “where there is non-society.”

111 Jesus does not simply heal the leper or forgive the sinner but also deals with the efects of their social exclusion. By touching the marginalized and dining with the outsider, Jesus creates society. He also addresses the systems that cause marginalization, exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the corruption of the temple, and the weakness of Rome. The culmination of Jesus’ act of unmasking claims to society as “non-society” is the cross. There he also observes the “non-society” of his grieving mother and summons disciples to care for her, thus creating community in the face of loss.

Willmer’s proposal for making society is grounded not only in hope for a better future but in love, which is the active care for others.112 The love taught be Jesus is not merely love for one’s own people “(i.e., reciprocated love or love under the commonly accepted discipline of the duty of reciprocation) but love of the stranger-neighbor and love of enemy (societymaking love).”113 This is an ascetic action for the sake of others. Christians are called to pay attention to these “points where society gives out” and, in ascetic fashion, be willing to bear the costs of imperfection, inconvenience, and loss but work so that society functions for those in need.114 It is a space of compromise with those of opposing views and surrendering ideals of utopia. There is no expectation of utopia but of modest actions of care for those afected by broken society. While imperfect, human planning and action for society is “a calling on God,” a prayer for God to bring life to the desolate places.115

109 Haddon Willmer, “Transforming Society – or Merely Making It: A Theological Discussion with the Bible in One Hand and a Very Particular Newspaper in the Other,” Society for the Study of Theology (March 1995): 6.

110 Ibid.

111 Ibid., 13.

112 Ibid., 6.

While resisting idealistic notions of transformed society, those who move into the deserted places must be sustained by joy. Living in desolate places is hard and ascetic practices are challenging. Yet it is in these places where joy can be discovered. This may be through momentary victories over the demons, imperfect gestures of sharing and caring for others. Even when the hoped-for society is not in sight, ascetics must fnd joy in the current moment.116 Joy provides energy for the long work of making society where it is not.

By assuming the need for development, the NSD implicitly identifes locations in Romania where there is “non-society.” Its response is to construct a society modeled after Western countries, particularly in the EU, that addresses causes of emigration, like corruption and the undeveloped economy. Questioning the viability of this idealistic proposal, I take desert spirituality as an alternative. While the intuitive response to desolate places may be emigrating from them, desert spirituality inhabits them, knowing that “non-society” is where Jesus makes society. In the Christian tradition, the ascetics in the desert are depicted as wrestling with demons for their own personal formation. But naming, unmasking, and engaging the demons facing oneself and society can lead to it becoming a fruitful place for others. For the potential emigrant, this means that staying may be enormously challenging, but it also may result in exceptional benefts to others.

113 Ibid., 13.

114 Ibid., 6.

115 Ibid., 12.

116 Ibid., 9.

I have taken the National Strategy for Development as an example of Romanian public policy that addresses, inter alia, emigration issues. The NSD can be compared to the emigrant parents who left their child in Romania in The Way of the Danube. Just as they send their son gifts, the NSD ofers material proposals. But just as the gifts do not satisfy the deeper longings of their child, so the NSD ofers little to address the deepest human needs and desires. Because of this, the NSD’s actions show no real sign of addressing problems related to emigration—a trend that has many negative efects on the Romanian population.

While there are positive reasons for emigrating, in this paper, I have suggested that ascetic practices rooted in the Christian tradition can address materialist motivations for emigration by altering desires, perceived resources, and perceived poverty. Let me recapitulate the argument. I identifed important lessons to be drawn from Nietzsche. Proper ascetic practices help to avoid herd mentality and serve to afrm (and not deny) life through the struggle, but they must be freely chosen and not oppressively imposed. From Weber, I noted how ascetic practices are connected to the market. Unlike Weber, I pointed to the potential for religious beliefs and practices to shape behavior that can resist the push and pull forces of capitalist power on migration. Contrary to Nietzsche, Weber, and its use in much of contemporary discourse, I asserted that ascetic practices be understood as actions from God’s abundant provision (and not self-abnegation or masochism). Ascetic practices help a community to see abundance and to cultivate desires that resist materialist motivations.

Along with ascetic practices that help resist impulses to emigrate, I have also drawn on the desert spirituality of the Christian tradition as a model for moving into desolate places and making society. This involves learning to name, unmask, and engage demons, such as exploitive markets, materialism, and corruption. Although the engagement with society is fraught with challenges, this interaction can positively shape a person, and making society where there is “non-society” can bring benefts to others.

A proposal based on Christian asceticism may be criticized as being a possibility available only to Christians. In Romania, over eighty-fve percent of the population selfidentify as Christian.117 Additionally, the Romanian Orthodox Church has a rich history of asceticism both in its monasticism and it regular practices of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, inter alia. Sadly, there is no reported diference between emigration trends of Christians or non-Christians.118 Therefore, a proposal of Christian practices for Romania is not irrelevant. Furthermore, as Christians choose ascetic practices, increasingly see the abundance in their homeland, cultivate desires that are critical of materialism, name and engage the “new demons,” and make society where those are sufering from non-society, this can attract those who do not identify as Christians to discover diferent values, practices, and perspectives that inspire them to resist emigration trends as well.

117 “Christianity-Fullreport-Web.Pdf,” n.d., https://assets.pewresearch.org/wpcontent/uploads/sites/11/2011/12/Christianity-fullreport-web.pdf. This Pew study rates Orthodox Christians in Romania at 87.3% and, together with Christians from all traditions, the total reaches 99.5%.

118 Suite 800 Pew Research Center, “Christian Migrants,” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, March 8, 2012, https://www.pewforum.org/2012/03/08/ religious-migration-christian-migrants/.

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Faith Alexander

For many Christians, the world of theater is seen as the antithesis of Christianity and the Bible as a whole. To be fair, this is the historical view, and the church and theater have shared a tenuous relationship for centuries. This may have to do with the fact that, according to Kevin J. Vanhoozer, the only time that theater is explicitly mentioned in the New Testament is in Acts 19:31, where Paul’s friends urged him to not become involved with the theater in Ephesus. Of course, the reason his friends urged Paul against the local theater is because that is where riots against Paul’s missionary activities were being held.1 Even though there have been tumultuous times between the church and theater, philosopher Paul Woodruf observes that theater and religion are intertwined with one another.

Faith Alexander is a current student at Asbury Theological Seminary, pursuing a Master of Arts in Theological Studies with an emphasis in social ethics. Before attending Asbury Seminary, Faith spent many years studying and working in various aspects of theater, receiving a Bachelor’s of Arts in theater from Brevard College in 2018. After graduation, she worked in the theater industry until the COVID-19 pandemic. Since starting seminary in 2021, Faith is excited to be following the current call God has placed on her life to combine her of love of theater and ministry.

1 Kevin J. Vanhoozer, The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005), 17.

Theatre is everywhere in human culture, as widely practiced as religion. This should be no surprise: most expressions of religion belong to theatre. Like religion, theatre seems sometimes to be on the way out, but keeps coming back in unexpected disguises–some horrible, some wonderful.2

This is why theater is a fantastic avenue for public theology if utilized properly. Good theater allows for refection and introspection because for a small period, life has slowed down. Not only can theater inspire change in oneself, but it is also able to form close knit communities. Theology and theater can be intimately intertwined, and theater can be used as an efective tool by Christians to spread the Gospel as well as to help bring awareness to issues that, as Christians, we cannot ignore.

At frst glance, it might be hard to imagine how theater and the Bible could correlate together, and that is exactly why author Kevin J. Vanhoozer wrote The Drama of Doctrine. Vanhoozer explains in Chapter One how drama is a doing and that it “represents a course of action in the context of a theater, that is, a place in which an audience observes what happens.”3 Following this, Vanhoozer brings forth the idea that God and humanity are the actor and audience respectively. He then argues that the Bible actually follows a typical script layout: “There is a cosmic stage and a conventional plot; there is confict; there is a climax; there is resolution.”4

2 Paul Woodruf, The Necessity of Theater: The Art of Watching and Being Watched (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 165-166.

3 Vanhoozer, Drama of Doctrine, 37.

4 Ibid.

John Kendall, in his article discussing how and if theater and the church correlate with one another, dives into diferent areas of the Bible to show how scripture is inherently dramatic.5 For example, the book of Job shares a striking amount of similarities with the elements of a Greek tragedy, including a prologue that features a divine speaker, multiple events of messengers bringing news of tragedies that occurred of stage, a key moment where the hero debates with his opponents, a God that brings divine intervention, and fnally, an epilogue to showcase the ending for the hero. Some say that the book of Job is like the tragedies of Euripedes. The diference between Job and Greek tragedies, however, is that Job was not a titan, and he gained wisdom and wealth through submission to God, quite the opposite of how Greek heroes gained their power.6

Kendall goes on to describe how the story of Christ is full of “rhythmic foreshadowing and fulfllment,” which creates an intense suspense.7 Unfortunately, he goes on to say it seems that many pastors tend to “take the beauty of the divine story and make it plain” so that it will ft in their “doctrinal box.” There is wonderful foreshadowing that can be seen with the sanctuary of the old covenant with every action containing “daily and yearly patterns of salvation.”8 Though the old covenant is now obsolete (Hebrews 8:13), any good playwright knows that everything mentioned in the script must serve a purpose. Kendall mentions playwright Checkov’s famous gun principle, in that if there is a gun that is placed on a table in the frst act, someone has to pick up the gun and pull the trigger before the end of the show. He ties this in with the sanctuary of the old

5 John Kendall, “Is There a Place for Christian Drama?,” Ministry Magazine, Feb. 1995, https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1995/02/is-there-a-place-forchristian-drama.

6 Kendall, “Is There a Place.”

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

308 | Faith Alexander covenant by stating that “God laid down a lamb in the opening scene. Someone ultimately picked up a cross.”9

Through Kendall’s parallels, it can be seen how the Bible could be theatrical, which is why I believe that theater can be used by Christians to reach those that live in the margins by showcasing their struggles to the broader world. Theater has traditionally been an avenue to explore difcult topics, both in secular realms and, to a lesser degree in recent years, religious ones too. There was a time when theater and the church were actually on good terms with each other, as most notably seen in the Golden Age of Spain. Auto sacramentales, one-act religious plays usually celebrating Eucharist, were extremely popular among the Spanish public at the time and were considered the prime form of entertainment.10 Now seen as one of the greatest playwrights of all time, Spanish priest Pedro Calderón de la Barca penned an auto in 1649 titled The Great Theater of the World. It is highly allegorical, with the beginning identifying God as the author, similar to how Vanhoozer identifes God. What follows is a drama about life with various characters such as Wisdom and Beauty making appearances along with roles like the king, a peasant, and a beggar. The purpose of the play, also known as the dramatic premise, is for the viewers to see their life as “part of a great cosmic drama, under the directorial control of the Creator.”11

Over the centuries, the church has continued to use theater in the same way as Pedro Calderón de la Barca, creating plays that show extreme virtue and righteousness. Unfortunately they have not had the same impact as the autos. I have viewed my fair share of faith-based plays, whether it is a musical adaptation of a Bible story with cheesy lyrics or a oneman play with droll monologues lamenting the fall of mankind. I have to agree wholeheartedly with Harold Ehrensperger: “A good play for the church is indeed rare.”12 That is not to say that there are no plays from the church that are considered good theater but in my experience, and Ehrensperger’s as well, they are few and far between. I believe that the reason why the church lacks profound theater productions is because the church has been afraid to name and show the issues that plague our reality. Ehrensperger mentions this as well, and considering that his book was published in 1947, his critiques of the church being too timid to address hard issues head-on still ring true today.

9 Ibid.

10 Todd Eric Johnson and Dale Savidge, Performing the Sacred: Theology and Theatre in Dialogue. (Grand Rapids:Baker Academic, 2009), 19.

11 Johnson and Savidge, 20.

To discuss conficts that arise from the evils connected with these life situations calls for honest, straightforward attitudes. The attempt to treat them in any kind of watered down, parlor talk fashion makes them unreal; it accentuates the very thing that the person opposed to this subject wishes to avoid.13

I fnd it odd that the Western evangelical church still seems to have trouble with publicly discussing certain issues through the theater even though secular theater has been doing this for decades.

Henrik Ibsen, who lived between 1828 and 1906, is considered one of the greatest playwrights of all time.14 He is particularly known as one of the founding fathers of realism, a genre of theater whose purpose has been described as holding a mirror up to the audience so that they can see that what is being portrayed on stage is just like the events that are happening in their own lives.15 Realism in plays was not a genre that was popular or even existed before Ibsen premiered his frst production of A Doll’s House in 1879, which dealt with inequality and hardships the women of Norway were facing at that time. A Doll’s House received diverse reviews from around the world when it frst premiered, causing many to redefne what marriage and gender roles actually meant to them.16 Henrick Ibsen gained a rather infamous notoriety in his time because he was not afraid to bring sensitive subjects in his writings and refect to the audience what he viewed as their own hypocrisy in their lives.

12 Harold A. Ehrensperger, Conscience on Stage. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1947), 77.

13 Ibid.

14 Carissa Villagomez, “The Father of Realism,” Court Theatre, February 19, 2020, https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/the-father-of-modern-realism/.

This can particularly be seen in one of his early writings. Ghosts, released in 1881, is a play about a wealthy widow trying to hide the shocking truth about her deceased husband from her son Oswald and the community in nineteenth century Norway.17 Although seen as a man of honor to those around them, Mr. Alving had led a hidden promiscuous life which resulted in many love afairs and ended with him dying of syphilis. Mrs. Alving believes that the only way for her son Oswald to not follow in his father’s footsteps is to keep up the illusion that Mr. Alving was a wonderful husband, father, and member of society. Though the play never mentions the illness by name, syphilis was considered a huge taboo and was never spoken about publicly. By writing a play about the issue, Ibsen was able to slowly open up dialogue on the subject and reminded the audience that if they try to ignore the situation like Mrs. Alving did, nothing will ever become resolved or fxed.

15 Ibid.

16 Sarah Schnebly, “Nora, Torvald & Ibsen’s Audience through the Ages,” The Huntington Theatre, https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/articles/dolls-housearticles/gallery/ibsens-audience/.

17 Henrik Ibsen, Ghosts. Mint Editions, 2021.

Ghosts was a brave and powerful release by Henrik Ibsen, and he met much backlash from the public about it. Though there are no actual ghosts within the play, it is easily seen that everyone in the play is haunted by ghosts of their past and refuse to move forward. Ibsen was trying to warn society that if they ignore their demons and do not face them head on, they will continue to haunt them and it will only lead to their downfall.

Playwrights such as Henrik Ibsen and Tony Kushner, author of Angels in America, a play that deals with the AIDS crisis in the 1980s,18 have excelled at giving a platform to those in the margins, bringing awareness to issues and having their audience take a critical inward look at themselves. While the topics that these playwrights and others have written about may cause unease among evangelicals, the fact is that those realities still exist for many, and they are just as desperate for a Savior to ofer them hope as anyone else.

Through my years of being a part of the theater world, I have seen frst-hand how it is a community flled with hurting, broken people. They are usually the ones that have been rejected by society or those around them, sometimes even the church, and they long for a place to be accepted. That is why the theater is perfect for public theology; as Christians we can ofer them hope. Vanhoozer specifes that the church needs to be a “theater of the Gospel, played out on the diverse cultural stages throughout the world.”19

18 Johnson and Savidge, Performing the Sacred, 120–121.

19 Vanhoozer, Drama of Doctrine, 400.

The mission of the church is to be image bearers of Christ, going out and making disciples, and theater is a great way to accomplish this. We can see in Genesis 1:26–28 that God chooses us to be the vessels to spread His glory. “Be fruitful and increase in number” is used multiple times throughout the Bible and this passage can actually be seen as the frst mention of the Great Commission:

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fsh of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fll the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fsh of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Gen 1:26–28 NRSV)

Christopher J. H. Wright brings this verse up in particular when talking about human beings having a mission, or missio Dei: “So God instructs the human species not only to fll the earth (an instruction given to the other creatures in their habitats), but also to subdue the earth and to rule over the rest of the creatures.”20

Further exploring the missio Dei, Jesus was sent by the Father to proclaim the Good News, free the oppressed, and forgive the sinner while also having the power through the Holy Spirit to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and raise the dead. We are called to continue Jesus’ work here on earth and we are able to do so through the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can make disciples of Christ and bring glory to His name. This is also mentioned in Acts, where we as Christians are tasked to be witnesses to all the other nations: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus says that the power of the Gospel will transcend race, ethnicity, and even language barriers and that it will be possible to carry forth this task through the Holy Spirit.

20 Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 50.

It is important to keep in mind that, while we are tasked with the Great Commission, we are doing everything with God versus doing it for God. It can be easy for the church to fall into a trap of legalism, believing that to be good Christians we have to go out and make disciples. In reality, the reason why the church should want to go forth and spread the Gospel is because we know that we hold the key for life versus death and the Holy Spirit in us makes us want to spread that good news to everyone we meet so that we may all live eternally as children of God. We must remember that as Christians we have a freedom: “yet we know that a person is justifed not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justifed by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justifed by the works of the law” (Gal 2:16). Because of Christ, we are no longer slaves to the law and works, but rather only through faith are we saved. This brings freedom to how we live our lives and how we share the Gospel in the world.

We have been given individual, unique gifts by the Spirit to use to further the missio Dei while here on earth, to go forth and build communities of believers among the world. Intimacy with Jesus means that we are empowered, strengthened, and, most importantly, victorious over sin through the Holy Spirit; it also means that we can be bold and courageous (Joshua 1:9) in our mission as a church to build union and share God’s love.

Ronald J. Sider, Philip N. Olson, and Heidi Rolland Unruh, speak about the importance of Christians loving one another, as it strengthens our witness: When Christians truly love one another and meet one another’s needs, when they experience growth and unity in Christ and when their lives display the wonders of the Spirit, then congregations become powerfully attractive and transformational communities.21

Theater is a very powerful way to build community. This is exceedingly important in public theology, as that is essentially what public theology is: being a part of God’s kingdom we are all called to live in community with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Theater can build and strengthen communities through multiple avenues, both as a participant in the arts and as an audience member.

For an actor, having a close bond with your ensemble members is absolutely crucial. Actors have to be able to trust and be vulnerable in front of their fellow castmates. Todd E. Johnson and Dale Savidge correctly state, “If Christianity is a relational religion, and theater is a relational art, there is no better place for relationships to take root and grow than in the rehearsal process.”22 There is ministry to be found and cherished in a group of artists, and that can be just as valuable, if not more, than the end product of a production. Artists of all kinds can come together as a community that disciples one another through prayer, Bible study, and grace, learning how to be better artists and equipping each other to minister in other areas of their lives.23

21 Ronald J. Sider, et al., Churches That Make a Diference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003).

22 Johnson and Savidge, Performing the Sacred.

As for how theater can build a community for the audience, Johnson and Savidge mention that the Christian perspective in a play and having it refected in the performance can be extremely powerful. No matter what your worldview may be, the experience will still be sure to help one grow as a person and as a Christian.24 Johnson and Savidge also bring the point that theater is at its best when the performance becomes more than just entertainment; patrons will feel a part of a community, even if temporarily, because of the shared experience. It is a wondrous thing to behold, both as a performer and audience member.

One of the frst times I experienced this for myself was when I attended a performance of the play The Laramie Project, written by Moisés Kaufman. The Laramie Project is a collection of real interviews, journal entries, and news reports that were recorded after the 1998 murder of a gay college student attending the University of Wyoming.25 It was my frst year at my undergraduate and I had not worked too closely with the production so I was not quite sure what to expect when going to view it. I had heard some critiques of previous outside productions of the show, saying that it felt preachy to audience members and more of a guilt trip than anything. Going into it with an open mind, what I actually experienced was the heartbreaking true story of a young man, Matthew Shepard who never felt like he ft in and was murdered by two other college students simply because they did not like that he was diferent. It was not a play that shouted at the audience to change their actions immediately or for them to feel ashamed; it simply showed a tragic story from all viewpoints, and by the end of the performance, the audience and I were left in complete awe. I felt connected to all the people around me, although most were complete strangers. In the span of an hour and a half, a small but intense community was formed out of a shared experience. This is another reason why theatre can be used with public theology, because shared experiences such as this promote connection with one another while discussing real issues that are happening around us.

25 Moisés Kaufman, Peter Golub, and Alex Steyermark, The Laramie Project (USA, 2002).

I recently saw a commercial for the luxury brand Montblanc that featured Irish actor Cillian Murphy. In the commercial, Murphy answers the question of “what moves you” or what drives you, but as someone who studied theater and acting professionally for a number of years, Murphy’s answer on what he loves about storytelling struck a deep chord with me:

The emotion is the thing that is key for me. If I don’t feel altered by it, by the story, then it doesn’t work for me, as a performer and a viewer. I like people to go to a theatre and come out feeling winded and emotionally shattered.26 the lighting design, sound design, to even how seating for the audience is arranged.

It is a rather strong statement made by Murphy but it is one that resonates with me. Working in theater, making the audience experience a visceral reaction to what they were viewing, good or bad, is the common goal of everyone who is involved with putting on the show. It afects everything from 26 Montblanc. “Cillian Murphy X Montblanc II #Whatmovesyoumakesyou II Montblanc.” YouTube, 24 Aug. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=JyimtoTthFk.

Having the Holy Spirit within us should move us to want to act on the injustices that surround us in the world, which is what Miroslav Volf writes about the functions of faith. He states that faith does its most proper work through three diferent steps: Starting us on a journey, guiding us along the journey, and adding meaning to every move we make.27 The formula that Volf is describes is one that every director uses to create an impactful story. Just as the protagonist must fnd the thing that moves them in their journey to fnd meaning in their denouement, so must we as Christians.

The denouement (a French word used in both theater and literature to describe the outcome of story) is the frst thing that should run through a director’s brain as they begin blocking the stage and selecting their actors, already aware of the efect that it will have on the audience. If the director does not have a clear vision of what the denouement is, then it will become apparent and the show will end up feeling lackluster and unsatisfying to the audience. The denouement is what Cillian Murphy describes in his Montblanc commercial, wishing to impart a crucial idea to the viewers. If an outcome lacks any substantial meaning then one begins to wonder if the journey to the denouement was even worth the efort and process.

The job of thespians is to hold up a mirror to the audience so that they can see a refection of themselves in the characters, which is a key facet of the genre of realism. But as I think more about this analogy I realize the hypocrisy in this thinking. As humans we only show what we think is an accurate representation, but if we do not do it through the lens of theology then it will always be false: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Cor 13:12). Curt Thompson mentions that various English words and phrases have been used throughout the centuries to translate this passage, but they all correlate in that the glass or mirror helps us see “dimly” and “dark.” Thompson goes on to write, “The mirror, for all of its helpfulness, is not perfect. And neither is our vision of our life experience.”28

27 Miroslav Volf, Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good (Grand Rapids: Brazos Baker, 2013).

The mirror that we view ourselves in will always be tainted by the image of sin; we do not “know fully” ourselves. Therefore, how can we show a clear refection of what humans ought to strive for? How can the mirror that actors show the audience be an accurate representation of human nature? Although Henrik Ibsen’s design of the realism genre is to show a portrait of society’s failings, and is still used in today’s modern theater, little changewill actually happen if there is no basis or absolute truth for the need of change. Unless we are able to witness and present everything through a lens of grace and the redemption of Jesus Christ, any answer that we strive to fnd in the mirror will only come up empty and full of disappointment.

Medieval author Thomas á Kempis writes how humans will never be satisfed by anything in the material world until they seek the kingdom of God and devote their lives to Him. There will only be restlessness and disappointment if we strive to fnd that thing that moves us only in the world around us.

28 Curt Thompson, “Seeing through a (Rearview) Mirror Dimly.” Curt Thompson, 27 Sept. 2019, https://curtthompsonmd.com/seeing-through-a-rearview-mirrordimly/.

When we come to the end of our lives, we do not want to feel that it was all in vain. À Kempis goes on to write that we do not need to look far for a purpose:

The kingdom of God is within you, saith the Lord. Turn thee with all thine heart to the Lord and forsake this miserable world, and thou shalt fnd rest unto thy soul. Learn to despise outward things and to give thyself to things inward, and thou shalt see the kingdom of God come within thee.29

Referring back to 1 Corinthians, we know that the mirror that we view ourselves through is inherently dirty, and we are not able to know ourselves fully. But we can be comforted that there will be a day that we will fully be known, irrefutably knowing who we are through God. I would also add that although à Kempis urges us to “forsake this miserable world,” it is actually our mission as Christians to show God’s kingdom while here on earth through our actions. We are invited by the Holy Spirit to help accomplish a task that cannot be done by our own will. We share Jesus and invite others through our actions, listening to one another and praying for each other, trying our best to replicate God’s kingdom through community and loving one another.

Theater is the perfect place to address hard topics, as seen with Ibsen and Kushner, but they do not ofer any means of hope at the end of their shows. In the words of the great Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.”30 God, as our director, already knew the perfect denouement to His great play before He even set the stage and cast us as the main characters.

29 Thomas á Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. (Bruce Pub. Co., 1940), 63.

30 William Shakespeare and Michael Hattaway, “Act 2, Scene 7,” As You Like It (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021).

The church has a unique opportunity to create theater with a theological lens of redemption. We can discuss the hard topics and share the Good News of hope to the audience and even those who participate in the production, which is why theater can and should be used as public theology. With today’s generation having grown up with visual media being the main source of entertainment and means to gather information, theater is in the perfect position to reach new audiences from all diferent backgrounds. After all, people attend movies for the exact same reason they attend church: to fnd meaning in their lives. Through theater that engages the public with theology, the Gospel will be shared and the actors (humankind) will interact with their director (God) and begin striving toward the perfect denouement.

Ehrensperger, Harold A. Conscience on Stage. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1947.

“Is There a Place for Christian Drama?” Ministry Magazine, Feb. 1995, https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1995/02/ is-there-a-place-for-christian-drama.

Johnson, Todd Eric, and Dale Savidge. Performing the Sacred: Theology and Theatre in Dialogue. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009.

Kempis, Thomas á. The Imitation of Christ. Bruce Pub. Co., 1940.

Montblanc. “Cillian Murphy X Montblanc II #Whatmovesyoumakesyou II Montblanc.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Aug. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=JyimtoTthFk.

“Montblanc® Ofcial Website: Luxury Pens, Watches & Leather Goods.” Montblanc® Ofcial Website | Luxury Pens, Watches & Leather Goods, https://www.montblanc.com/en-us.

Schnebly, Sarah. “Nora, Torvald & Ibsen’s Audience through the Ages.” The Huntington Theatre, https://www. huntingtontheatre.org/articles/dolls-house-articles/ gallery/ibsens-audience/.

Shakespeare, William, and Michael Hattaway. “Act 2, Scene

7.” As You like It. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2021.

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Sider, Ronald J., et al. Churches That Make a Diference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003.

Thompson, Curt. “Seeing through a (Rearview) Mirror Dimly.” Curt Thompson MD, 27 Sept. 2019, https:// curtthompsonmd.com/seeing-through-a-rearviewmirror-dimly/.

Vanhoozer, Kevin J. The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005.

Volf, Miroslav. Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2013.

Woodruf, Paul. The Necessity of Theater: The Art of Watching and Being Watched. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Reinaldo I. Gracia Figueroa

Abstract

Latinos/as are a minority in the United States (US) afected by many public issues such as migration, racism, and oppression, among others. Many Latino/a church members look to their local church for help on how thinking theologically and biblically about these issues. This essay discusses how a Latino/a Pentecostal local pastor can engage publicly from the pulpit with issues surrounding Latinos/as in the US. Local pastors are responsible for discipling their local churches concerning public issues and engaging with the broader society. It is argued that local pastors must recover their identity as local public theologians and use preaching to engage with every dimension of society. For instance, sermons must have a section that directly addresses society. The last section of the essay draws some missiological implications of the topic, exploring preaching as a public act.

Reinaldo I. Gracia Figueroa is an Asbury Theological Seminary doctoral candidate in the Intercultural Studies program. Gracia earned his Master of Divinity from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Studies from the Universidad Teológica del Caribe. Gracia has ministered for over ffteen years in Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Kentucky in pastoral and teaching roles. He is happily married to Xiomara and they have three beautiful children.

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