Abstract
Biblical texts were performed in Israel and current research shows many gains from performing biblical text today. This article, based on empirical studies, highlights four benefits. Firstly, multisensory communication engages the attention of the audience and enables them to remember the texts. This has an impact on evangelism/discipleship, reaching an audience not interested in reading. Secondly, as the actors study the text carefully, they discover its richness, resulting in enhanced discipleship. Thirdly, acting out a text requires one to make decisions about ambiguities in the text (e.g. concerning the emotional state of characters) and highlights to translators and Bible students where unintentional ambiguities might result in misunderstanding and where clarification is needed. Fourthly, performing biblical texts has great potential in the area of trauma healing.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Through acting out a story (which includes traumas with which the audience will resonate) and by having a jester interrupt with questions, audience members have opportunity to engage with the situations. This can be helpful in promoting healing, in line with Herman’s three steps of trauma recovery. Thus, performance can support not only better biblical understanding but also pastoral ministry.
Highlights
In this article, I focus on four particular benefits I have seen as I have encouraged communities to explore and perform biblical text
The second and third ways I have observed benefits accruing to the performance of biblical text are in the area of pastoral work, both evangelism and discipleship
The multisensory nature of performance draws in an audience who would often not be interested in reading a text or listening to a sermon
Summary
I focus on four particular benefits I have seen as I have encouraged communities to explore and perform biblical text. As a Bible-translator, I have found that performing a text is a very helpful way of determining where there are ambiguities (or gaps) in the written text, as indicated by the responses of audience members to questions at particular points in the story. Audience interaction (affirmation, interjection or lack of response) validates or corrects the meaning presented (according to the corporate group understanding) In this way, the text becomes owned by the community and the performance becomes part of their collective memory. Another advantage that came out of my PhD work (Dickie 2017) was that creative members in the church appreciated the opportunity to discover new gifts and to contribute in a significant way to the ministry of the church This was affirmed when the pastor observed how the performances prepared the congregation for his message and, even supported the preaching of the sermon (Dickie 2017:interview 3). The stories should be internalised and the actors perform using their own words (to make the story more culturally and linguistically appropriate to the community) but if remembering the story is too difficult, a dramatised reading can be helpful
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