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Theatre and Its Resources for Theology Kaley Branstetter Director ABSTRACT When He Comes in Glory: Theatre and its Resources for Theology Kaley Branstetter Director: Junius Johnson, Ph.D. Theatre has consistently held an uncertain place within the Christian faith. Early church fathers like Tertullian and Augustine argued that Christians should have no association with drama. Tertullian viewed the theatre as a temple of idolatry, while Augustine believed that the theatre provokes passions that have no part in a faithful Christian’s walk. In my thesis, I address Tertullian’s and Augustine’s criticisms of theatre, and then suggest that both authors actually provide hints that there is something of Christian value to be redeemed from the realm of theatre. I will draw on Hans Urs von Balthasar and his work Theo-Drama as an example of theology that relies on theatrical concepts and terminology to make sense of the drama of the incarnation. For the last chapter of my thesis, I will explore possible ways to use the realm of stage to understand God’s active role in the salvation of mankind and examine how the way an actor inhabits a role might hold useful analogies for understanding how Christ became man and how a Christian becomes more like Christ in everyday life. . APPROVED BY DIRECTOR OF HONORS THESIS: ________________________________________________ Dr. Junius Johnson, Department of Great Texts APPROVED BY THE HONORS PROGRAM: _________________________________________________ Dr. Elizabeth Corey, Director DATE: ________________________ WHEN HE COMES IN GLORY: THEATRE AND ITS RESOURCES FOR THEOLOGY A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Baylor University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honors Program By Kaley Grace Branstetter Waco, Texas May 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... iii Dedication ...................................................................................................................... iv Introduction .................................................................................................................... v Chapter One: Tertullian .................................................................................................. 1 Chapter Two: Augustine ............................................................................................... 18 Chapter Three: Hans Urs von Balthasar ....................................................................... 32 Chapter Four: Creative Constructions .......................................................................... 42 Bibliography ................................................................................................................. 57 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project would have been impossible without the support and inspiration of my superhero thesis advisor, Dr. Junius Johnson. From the moment that he prompted me to think about what I would write my thesis on if I could write about anything, he has proved himself to be everything a student could hope for in an advisor. He has pushed me above and beyond what I thought possible for my senior thesis project, and has taught me a great deal about work ethic, dedication, and flexibility of intellect. I am so grateful. I would also like to thank my thesis pod, Rachel, Andrew, and Robin, for being noble comrades on our quest for sanity during thesis season. I am also especially grateful to Dr. DeAnna Toten Beard for welcoming me into her theatre history family, and to Dr. Michael DePalma for being the first teacher who created a space for me to write about the ways my spirituality intertwined with my passion for theatre. I am also grateful to Dr. William Weaver, who gave me the opportunity to learn valuable skills in both research and presentation. Finally, I’m grateful to my family, for supporting me in everything from my first performance to the completion of Baylor degree. DEDICATION “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” —John 17:24 INTRODUCTION While considering theatre with theological intentions may not be the first idea to enter the head of a practicing dramaturg and intent theologian, the marrying of these two disciplines has the potential to be incredibly fruitful. Let it be noted that the scope of this thesis is only to present this coupling as worthy of consideration: time will not allow a thorough sounding of all the possibilities of such a relationship. However, I hope to relate enough to reveal why this realm of metaphor is one with real theological possibility. I was first interested in this project as a high school student trying to balance my love for the theatre with my ideas of what a moral lifestyle should look like. I found it difficult to feel comfortable in the world of theatre as a follower of Christ who had a loyalty to an authority that far surpassed my allegiance to a director or producer. This thesis project does not directly address how a Christian might go about becoming an actor, but it does pursue realms of speculative theology that I hope will be helpful in making the ream of theatrical performance one that is attractive to faithful Christians. In my thesis, I will first examine the arguments of Tertullian, one of the most famous ancient theologians to offer direct suggestions on how Christians should look at drama. While Tertullian feels that the pagan origins and content of Roman theatre should not be condoned or participated in by Christians, he none the less offers a subtle but surprising affirmation of theatre as he discusses the eschatological hope of the Christian. I then consider Augustine, who was also vocal about the dangers of loving the theatre over things that directly pertain to spiritual growth, but who also inadvertently provides support for Christian participation in theatre within his “Egyptian gold” argument. Finally, I will look at the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar, who gives examples of understanding the divine-human relationships through theatrical metaphors. I will conclude with creative reflections n the ways that Christians might appropriate theatre for their own purposes. The idea of melding these two disciplines is a whim of the imagination, but is rather founded in reflections concerning the character of God. There is much artistry in the way God crafted the world and wrote the story of salvation. Scripture is fraught with metaphor, imagery, poetry, and drama. It seems entirely fitting to make use of theatre, the most incarnational of art forms, in making sense of theological truth. Theatre is particularly adept at igniting the emotions and passions, and this is why some theologians, such as Tertullian and Augustine, have been concerned by the possible affects of pagan theatre. Dramatic performances call for a kind of emotional response. Christian theology calls Christians to know God better, which should in turn cause their love for God to grow. To combine knowledge with an art form seems particularly useful for connecting the heart and mind for the purpose of worship. My hope is that this thesis will be a springboard for Christians to look at the stage not only as a place with ample resources for aiding Christian reflection but even uniquely helpful for understanding many of the theological ideas of the faith. ACT ONE Dramatis Persona: Tertullian Text: De Spectaculis Premise: There is no good in theatre Although from a modern perspective Christian drama has a lengthy history, many of the ancient church fathers living before the era of medieval morality plays had concerns about dramatic activity. Not only were they disturbed by the fact that Christians were attending the theatre, but they also doubted the possibility of any sort of Christian good stemming from theatre itself. Tertullian, writing De Spectaculis in the late 2nd century AD, argued that the “conditions, reason, and law”1 of the Christian faith inherently forbid followers of Christ from enjoying the spectacle of theatre. Tertullian specifically addresses what he considers to be the crimes of the Roman theatre including circuses (chariot races) and gladiator fights, but his denunciation extends beyond Roman dramatic entertainment to theatre as a whole. Tertullian acknowledges that theatre does bring pleasure, yet he does not think the enjoyment of such pleasure is without moral consequence. Tertullian addresses one pagan argument that declared that God must be neutral toward theatre because it is outside the religious realm and must be harmless so long as it does not directly harm God’s honor.2 Tertullian believes that such an argument assumes a false sense of the Ibid, 231. separation between faith and practice. For Tertullian, the force of dramatic pleasure both perverts spiritual knowledge and prolongs ignorance. The theatre possesses a power of pleasure so insidious that it can distort knowledge by cloaking the truth as audience members distort their natural sensibilities and subvert their understanding of reality in order to fully embrace the enjoyment of the show. For Tertullian, this view embraces an ignorant separation between the secular and the sacred that prevents men from a proper understanding of how God wants the elements employed in dramatic arts to be used.3 Other pagans felt that Christians should put aside the theatre along with all other pleasure because a life without pleasure is easier to renounce. These men categorized
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