From VWU's Center for the Study of Religious Freedom
To Consider (as you watch The Christians)
-As you watch the play, with whom do you most identify? Why?
-What character would you most like to talk with?
-At what points in the play do you find yourself frustrated, grieved, or angry? Why?
-Is Pastor Paul’s story a tragedy or a comedy? What aspects of each does it share?
-What position does the play itself take on the central theological question that propels it? What effect does this have?
Sociologists frequently note that fights between family members are the most intense. When disagreements appear, sometimes they feel like betrayal. Churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other religious families frequently experience that same dynamic.
Eighteen years ago, shortly after the horrific events of September 11, there was a large interfaith worship service at Scope in downtown Norfolk. The service brought together Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Soon there were letters to the editor in The Virginian-Pilot, where a number of individuals wrote that these people of different faiths should not worship together, since they “worshipped different gods.” In the midst of the flurry of letters that agreed or disagreed with that statement, one letter from a pastor stood out. He happened to believe that that kind of ecumenical worship was a good idea, but what we most appreciated was one statement of his. He wrote, “Every time I preach from the pulpit, it takes an unbelievable act of faith for me to venture to believe that even my own congregants understand God the same way I do.” The comment seemed refreshingly honest. Differences are a reality.
As you watch The Christians, ask yourself what kinds of theological—and other—differences create legitimate challenges? Reflect on how you might respond if you were in this situation.
Thank you for supporting this important production.
Dr. Craig Wansink and Ms. Kelly Jackson, Director and Associate Director
The Center for the Study of Religious Freedom at Virginia Wesleyan University
(Virginia Wesleyan's Center for the Study of Religious Freedom is pleased to sponsor two talkback sessions immediately following the October 31 and November 3 performances. These sessions offer space for discussing issues raised in the play.)
