Sunday 18 November 2012

Christian Play Scripts For Entertainment And Instruction

By Dianne Crane


Christianity is not the only or the oldest religion but it has been influential in shaping Western Civilization. This is a fact that can be ascertained by touching the walls of beautiful cathedrals, by listening to music or by reading books. Watching listening to or acting in Christian play scripts can also help to establish the fact.

During the Middle Ages the mystery play was popular. The aim was to tell bible stories through dramatizations. This form of theater developed into the morality play which often attempted to depict the ways that life should be lived from a moral standpoint that was determined by Christian principles.

At various times the theater has been regarded by some Christians as wicked and immoral. Theaters in England were closed at one point, causing even Shakespeare some career setbacks. However, as the Bard himself pointed out, the purpose of drama is to instruct through entertainment.

Especially in recent times Christians have grasped the power of television and film drama as a means of spreading the Gospel in an entertaining way. Religious messages that are put over in a powerful and dramatic fashion tend to be retained because they are interesting and memorable.

The Internet phenomenon is still in its infancy having been born in the 1980s but Christians, like other groups, have been quick to take advantage. Many websites carry religious messages and in addition there are data bases that give people access to vast stores of information. Already there have been seminal alterations in the ways that people are educated and in the ways that the world is seen. However, in an age of immense change some things remain the same. The health of the gaming industry illustrates how people an animals still learn through play, even in the computer age.

Christian play scripts of many types are now available online. Because Christianity is a message for the whole of humanity many different scripts will be suitable for different purposes. High brow intellectuals may be interested in the works of TS Eliot and others may be interested in nativity plays for the very young.

Websites that specialize in collecting, storing and selling religious plays are often designed to assist browsers in making choices. A data base will contain many items. Many different categories of people call themselves Christians so it is important for browsers to navigate through everything that is available. The ability to make critical assessments has perhaps become even more important in the Information Age than it has was before.

The wide range and availability of Christian play scripts mean that producers need to select script that accord with their purposes. However, amid the diversity a few distinct points stand out. One important one is that entertainment and instruction go hand in hand. A message that is put over in an entertaining way has a far better chance of teaching important lessons than one that is dull and boring.




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