PART 1. BEFORE THE CURTAIN RISES: ON THEOLOGY AND THEATER 1 Doing the Word 'eoeon Earth as It Is in Heaven'e?: Introducing the Theater of the Gospel Faith Speaking Understanding: The Challenge The Witness as Doer of the Word: James''s Mirror and Jesus'' House 'eoeTheater'e? of the Gospel: Definitions and Distinctions Theater as Handmaid to Theology: Metaphor or Model? 2 Audience Participation: Loving God, Doing Truth, Being Church 'eoeBreaking Down the Dividing Wall'e?: Between Actor and Audience 'eoeWalking in the Truth'e?: Participation in Christ 'eoeConfessing the Coming of Christ'e?: A Self-Involving Demonstration 'eoeAbiding in Doctrine'e?: The Audience as Staging Area PART 2. FAITH SHOWING UNDERSTANDING: HOW DOCTRINE MAKES DISCIPLES AND HOW DISCIPLES DO DOCTRINE 3 The Great Theater of the World: Setting the Twenty-First-Century Stage Stage: Church, World, and the Contemporary Crisis of Authenticity Lighting: 'eoeA Lamp unto My Feet'e? Action: The Essence of Dramatic Theater Recapitulation: The Canonical Imperative 4 Gospel Theater: The Triune Drama of Redemption The Play of the Playwright 'eoefrom Above'e?: A Drama of Trinitarian Proportions The Players: Human and Other Dramatis Personae The Play of the Playwright 'eoefrom Below'e?: A Courtroom Drama of Kingdom and Kinship Recapitulation: The Orthodox Imperative 5 Learning (and Becoming) the Part: 'eoeLittle Christs'e? Roles: Till We Have Faces Costume: Putting on Christ Prompts: Word and Spirit as Aide-Mémoire and Means of Grace Recapitulation: The Pauline Imperative 6 Forming the Company, Doing Church: Doctrinal Directions for Acting Out Life Together in Christ Communio Sanctorum : Disciples'' Gathering as Command Performance'e"'eoeDo This'e? Scenes of Congregational Life Rehearsing Communion: The Supper as Summa of the Gospel Recapitulation: The Catholic-Evangelical Imperative 7 Staging the Play in Ten Thousand Places: How the Company of the Gospel Enacts Parables of the Kingdom Local Church, Local Theater: Where is 'eoein Christ'e?? An Interactive Theater of Resident Exiles and Holy Fools Improvisation: Embodying the Mind of Christ Always, Everywhere, and to Everyone Recapitulation: The Sapiential Imperative 8 (Torn) Curtain: On Earth as He Is in Heaven Climax: 'eoeSits at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty'e? Conflict: Postvictory Theater of the Oppressed Catharsis: Purification of the Heart Recapitulation: The Doxological Imperative Conclusion. Tell and Show: Exhibiting the Gospel in Company with Christ Exeunt: The Dismissal Encore: The Gloria Appendix. What Has Broadway to Do with Jerusalem? The Antitheatrical Prejudice: Responding to Historical Objections 'eoeThe Play''s Not the Thing'e?: Responding to Contemporary Objections Selected Bibliography.