Theatrical Theology

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 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.

""It is one thing to say that ethics is 'performative' or that the incarnation is 'theatrical.' It is another thing to presume that these sorts of statements are self-evidential, when they are far from it. This collection of essays offers us a clear-headed and stimulating treatment of the various ways in which 'theatre' orients the work of Christian theology. This is a very welcome volume for both academy and church.""
--W. David O. Taylor, Fuller Theological Seminary, Houston, TX

""The dynamic cast of voices in Theatrical Theology enacts a rich and vibrant dialogue rarely heard in academic conversations about theology and the arts. More than merely appropriating a new conceptual vocabulary for theology, Theatrical Theology actually reckons with the cultural practice of 'theatre' in generative and illuminating ways. This text models a careful engagement with the theorists, practitioners, and canons of theatre while also opening up fresh modes of faithful Christian practice.""
--Taylor Worley, Union University, Jackson, TN

""For those who have been intrigued by the growing talk of the 'theatrical turn' in theology, this book allows you to enter the conversation. In these suggestive essays the 'performance of faith' is explored in such a way that the possibilities of this approach begin to surface. By the end of the book the reader knows that the conversation is not over, it is just beginning.""
--Kelly M. Kapic, Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA


Wesley Vander Lugt is Lead Pastor of Warehouse 242 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the author of Living Theodrama: Reimagining Theological Ethics (2014) and the coauthor of Pocket Dictionary of the Reformed Tradition (2013).

Trevor Hart is Rector of Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church and Honorary Professor at the University of St Andrews. His recent publications include Between the Image and the Word: Theological Engagements with Imagination, Literature, and Language (2013) and Making Good: Creation, Creativity, and Artistry (2014).