Theatre and Christianity - by Elizabeth Schafer (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This critical new title in the Theatre & series explores the fluctuating relationship between theatre and Christianity by focusing on key points of intersection - the challenge of realism and the real, the treatment of women and the role of amateur performance. It covers a wide range of examples from medieval times to today, examining how theatre and Christianity have sometimes clashed dramatically and sometimes embraced one another to great effect.

Engaging and enlightening, this book offers an insight into the complex dynamic between theatre and Christianity perfect for undergraduate and postgraduate students of theatre or religious studies.

Review Quotes

Engaging, creative and thoughtful, Theatre and Christianity offers fresh insights through discussing Shakespeare, Passion Plays and Jerry Springer: the Opera.
Jolyon Mitchell, University of Edinburgh, UK

Schafer's compact argument shows how Christianity and theatre are, simultaneously, irreconcilably hostile to and wholly dependent on each other, and, thus, existentially intertwined.
David Mason, Rhodes College, USA

About the Author

Elizabeth Schafer is Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.
Elizabeth Schafer is Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.