Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Map 1 Medieval Europe showing locations of principal play-texts and records cited in this study
- Map 2 Enlargement of central area showing locations of liturgical and feast-day plays as defined in chapter 1
- Map 3 Enlargement of central area showing locations of civic and community plays as defined in chapter 2
- Introduction: Christian Europe and the Play of God
- PART ONE THE THEATRICAL COMMUNITY
- PART TWO THE THEATRICAL TEXT
- 4 Creation and Fall
- 5 The Covenant and the Kingdom
- 6 Prophets and precursors of Redemption
- 7 The Birth and childhood of Jesus
- 8 The public life of Jesus
- 9 The Passion and Resurrection
- 10 Pentecost to Judgement
- Conclusion: survival and revival
- Appendix: the liturgical context of the plays
- Notes
- Bibliographical index of plays
- Performance records and references
- General bibliography
- Index
8 - The public life of Jesus
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Map 1 Medieval Europe showing locations of principal play-texts and records cited in this study
- Map 2 Enlargement of central area showing locations of liturgical and feast-day plays as defined in chapter 1
- Map 3 Enlargement of central area showing locations of civic and community plays as defined in chapter 2
- Introduction: Christian Europe and the Play of God
- PART ONE THE THEATRICAL COMMUNITY
- PART TWO THE THEATRICAL TEXT
- 4 Creation and Fall
- 5 The Covenant and the Kingdom
- 6 Prophets and precursors of Redemption
- 7 The Birth and childhood of Jesus
- 8 The public life of Jesus
- 9 The Passion and Resurrection
- 10 Pentecost to Judgement
- Conclusion: survival and revival
- Appendix: the liturgical context of the plays
- Notes
- Bibliographical index of plays
- Performance records and references
- General bibliography
- Index
Summary
And Jesus went about all Galilee … preaching the gospel of the kingdom: and healing all manner of sickness.
(Matthew 4: 23)The story of the Redemption as told in the four gospels comprises two main parts: the three years of Jesus' ministry of teaching and healing; and the events of Holy Week culminating in the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Plays on the latter section are extremely numerous and there are also a considerable number of texts which include some episodes from the Ministry. Unlike the infancy stories treated in the previous chapter, the main incidents of the Ministry and Passion are told by all four evangelists though in a different sequence and with variations of detail and emphasis; even the three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, show considerable individuality, and John's gospel is very largely original.
To cover the very large range of dramatic accounts in detail is beyond the scope of the present study, and only the more significant episodes and some of their variants can be considered.
THE WITNESS AND DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
For I say to you: amongst those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.
(Luke 7: 28)All four gospels begin the adult life of Jesus with some account of the witness of the Precursor, John the Baptist.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Biblical Drama of Medieval Europe , pp. 113 - 125Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1995