This activity is co-sponsored by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, South Valley Community Church, and Shepherd's Staff Training in Psychodrama. It is open to any one from the general community....

 

Exploring the Gospel of Luke: What Were They Thinking?

Have you found yourself inspired, moved, or changed by a dramatic presentation like Mel Gibson’s passion? Would you like to understand the gospel of Luke in a first hand sort of way?

Come and join others seeking spiritual growth and transformation in this study as well as experience the text centered bibliodrama approach. Dramatic ability is not required. You will not have to get out of your chair!

The this study is currently on sabbatical and will resume Monday nights at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church when there is sufficient interest. Clients of SSCCC are requested to discuss their participation with Rob Pramann prior to attendance. Contact Rob Pramann for further details, questions, to RSVP or just come. 561-9987 x25 or UtahSSCCC@aol.com.

The purpose of using Bibliodrama in Bible teaching is to help the students find, learn, and apply truths from a Biblical narrative at a personal level. Students are helped to see not only words on the page of the Biblical text but to understand the possible thoughts, feelings and actions of the characters. This includes both those indicated in the Biblical text and those that are implied by the context as well, under the guidance of the teacher/director.

Bibliodrama is a powerful and a unique way to learn from “all scripture” (II Timothy 3:16—17). This method can be applied to many kinds of learning tasks but takes on special significance when applied to the Bible, which is not merely “cleverly invented stories” written by men but rather is God’s voice and God’s word (II Peter 1:12—21).

Bibliodrama: What is it and Why

What is it? Bibliodrama is a form of role-playing in which Biblical texts and narratives are explored from the point of view of the characters in the text. It is a form of interpretive play. It does not require the participants to be “dramatic” or even get out of their chairs, but rather investigates the subtext and back-story of the characters’ experience.

It is a way of exploring or investigating the meaning of the text. It is understood the text is “a given,” inspired as God intended. Yet, what is happening in the characters’ hearts and minds is left to our imagination and this is what we explore.

It is a way to enrich our understanding and enhance our relationship to God and the characters of the Bible. It provides an opportunity for experiential learning. As we put ourselves in the place of the characters, we learn about them and ourselves.

Interestingly, this was implicit in the writing of the Bible. A fore note in the New American Standard Bible explains, “…in some contexts the present text seems more unexpected and unjustified to the English reader… (b)ut Greek authors frequently used the present tense for the sake of heightened vividness, thereby transporting their readers in imagination to the actual scene at the time of the occurrence.”

Why Bibliodrama? The purpose of Bibliodrama is to discover the images and stories of the Bible, to awaken interest in the Bible as a source of nourishment and direction, and to find in the Bible both a mirror of ourselves and window to what it means to walk together with God. Other purposes include providing an opportunity for community as we seek spiritual growth and transformation and a way of teaching the Bible that captures God’s power to comfort, heal, connect, and guide.

For texts on Bibliodrama go to the Annotated Psychodrama Bibliography, see Pitzele and Miller.