Matthew S. Farlow PhD Thesis

241 Pages·2011·1.58 MB·English

THE DRAMATISING OF THEOLOGY: HUMANITY’S
PARTICIPATION IN GOD’S DRAMA WITH PARTICULAR
REFERENCE TO THE THEOLOGIES OF
HANS URS VON BALTHASAR AND KARL BARTH
Matthew S. Farlow
A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD
at the
University of St. Andrews
2011
Full metadata for this item is available in
Research@StAndrews:FullText
at:
http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/2102
This item is protected by original copyright
This item is licensed under a
Creative Commons License
UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS

ST MARY’S COLLEGE

INSTITUTE FOR THEOLOGY,
IMAGINATION & THE ARTS

†

The Dramatising of Theology: Humanity’s Participation in
God’s Drama with particular reference to the theologies of
Hans Urs von Balthasar and Karl Barth

A THESIS SUBMITTED BY

Matthew S Farlow

TO THE FACULTY OF DIVINITY
IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND
FEBRUARY 2011
Declarations
1.Candidate’s declarations:
I, Matthew S. Farlow, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 88,000 words in
length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not
beensubmittedinanyprevious applicationforahigherdegree.
I was admitted as a research student in September 2007 and as a candidate for the degree of Doctor
of Philosophy in May 2008; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the
UniversityofSt Andrews between2007 and2011.
Date12February2011 Signatureofcandidate
2.Supervisor’s declaration:
I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations
appropriate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of St Andrews and that the
candidateis qualifiedtosubmit this thesisinapplicationforthat degree.
Date15November2011 Signatureofsupervisor
3.Permission forelectronicpublication:(tobe signedbybothcandidate andsupervisor)
In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews we understand that we are giving
permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University
Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected
thereby. We also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the
work may be made and supplied to anybona fide libraryor research worker, that mythesis will be
electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as
requested below, and that the libraryhas the right to migrate mythesis intonew electronic forms as
required to ensure continued access to the thesis. We have obtained any third-party copyright
permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested
theappropriateembargo below.
The followingis an agreed request bycandidate and supervisor regardingthe electronic publication
of this thesis: Access to printed copy and electronic publication of thesis through the University of
St Andrews.
Date12February2011 Signatureofcandidate
Signatureofsupervisor
farlowthesis
Abstract

The aim of this project is to investigate the proper response of theology to the Christian God
who, as revealed through revelation, is Being-in-act. This project takes seriously the idea
posited by Shakespeare, that totus mundus agit histrionem, and upon this stage ‗all the men
and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his
time plays many parts.‘1 If, then, God‘s Being is act, and as so many have deduced, life and
death are enveloped within the drama of everyday, then, might it be possible that our
theological endeavours would prosper through a dramatic rendering? In light of this, the
project seeks to illumine that it is beneficial for both the Church and society, to realise how
drama can be, and is, fruitful for our theological endeavours. God is Being-in-act, and
through His revelation, He invites humanity to enter into and participate in His action. In
light of the aforementioned, then, theology must contend with the implications for its
practices, which, as is being argued, are benefited most through a full embrace of the
dramatising of theology.

The thesis is situated in the recent movement of our theological endeavours that recognise
the profundity of the dramatic and its ability to illuminate God‘s action and call to action
from theology, the Church and society. Moving forward from the seminal work of Hans
Urs von Balthasar, and set forth in the context of the theologies of Balthasar and Karl Barth,
this project argues that it is through the dramatising of theology that theology is best
equipped to illumine God‘s desire for humanity‘s participation in His Theo-drama. The
dramatising of theology is a natural response to God‘s Being-in-act; it is the natural
movement of theology‘s response to God‘s action which calls for an active response on our
part. Current examples of today‘s theological movement towards the dramatic can be seen
in such authors as Max Harris, Trevor Hart, Stanley Hauerwas, Michael Horton, Todd
Johnson and Dale Savidge, Ben Quash, Kevin Vanhoozer, Samuel Wells and N.T. Wright,
and this project hopes to contribute to the movement towards the dramatising of theology.

1 William Shakespeare, As You Like It, II.vii.139-43, The Riverside Shakespeare, ed. G. Blakemore Evans,
(Boston: Houghton Pub., 1974). All subsequent Shakespeare references are taken from The Riverside
Shakespeare.
iii
farlowthesis

A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

These past few years have been a tremendous ride; years my family and I will look back
upon with awe and wonder. With this in mind, it is first acknowledged that this project is a
blessing from God and as such, will be used to serve and assist the Church in her role of
revealing the all-consuming love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to a world in need of
Christ‘s reconciliatory performance.

Trying to acknowledge all the people involved throughout the process of this thesis is
almost more daunting than its completion. Thus, I wish to offer a general word of thanks to
all I encountered during the writing of my thesis. It has been a tremendous privilege to be
able to engage in a PhD thesis at such a special place. The University of St Andrews has
been everything we could have ever imagined, and then some. It is with a profound sense of
thankfulness and praise that I wish to acknowledge the following persons, which to one
degree or another, have made this PhD possible.

My parents have been long-standing supporters of my theological quest during my Masters
and PhD degrees. They have supported me and Kristin in a multitude of ways over the last
6 ½ years and we are exceptionally grateful for their love, support and guidance. Indeed,
both of mine and Kristin‘s families have been supportive throughout our pursuit of the
Masters and PhD degrees through their continuous offerings of encouragement and love,
and for this we are grateful.

Moving continents is quite an ordeal, but the family of Holy Trinity embraced us as one of
their own, thus making our transition to Scotland, that much smoother. In particular, my
family and I would like to thank Rory and Annice and the MacLeod family for their insane
love for Jesus; George Donaldson for his support, friendship and laughter; Graham McLean
for his gentle spirit; and the wonderful women of HT that showered our family with love
and laughter all the days of our stay in St Andrews.

iv
farlowthesis
My Black Room office mates were – well they were Black Room all the way. Thank you
Kelly, Meg, and Aaron. I would also like to thank Kevin Diller, Luke Tallon, Paul
Warhurst, Daniel Driver, Jeremy Gabrielson and of course my Baillie Room Reject bros
Stephen and Drew. The time my family and I spent in St Andrews was what it was because
of the discussion with each of the aforementioned as well as the ability to share life with
them and their families.

I am grateful to Professor Trevor Hart for his supervision and guidance, as well as to
Michael Partridge who came on late in the game so as to fill out the depth and strength of
my project. My project flourished through the theological discussions with both Trevor and
Michael and I am thankful for the willingness of both to share their wisdom. I wish also to
thank ITIA, and specifically, Dr Gavin Hopps, for the intellectual stimulation granted on a
weekly basis. As for Dr Hopps, well the friendship he offered to me and my family was
truly a blessing. A word of thanks is necessary for the insightful and mind-stimulating
discussion and comments offered by Dr Ivan Khovacs via the Viva Voce.

Finally, as cliché as it sounds, it is true, words simply do not have the depth of meaning, the
depth of gratitude, or the depth of love to express my feelings of acknowledgement and
thanks for my family. Kristin, Kayla and Jacob are the embodiment of Christ‘s love that
brings daily strength to my life. Through my beloved family, my life is and has been daily
drenched in the Insane Love of Jesus. This whole journey has been one that has seen its ups
and downs, but has never been one that I have questioned as through the presence of my
wife and children, I have always found the strength and courage to press on towards the
goal. Thank you.

To you, Kristin, Kayla and Jacob, this book is dedicated. Amen Jesus!
v
farlowthesis
TABLE OF CONTENTS

A
BBREVIATIONS viii
I
NTRODUCTION 1
§1 THE DRAMA OF THE DAY 1
§2 PARAMETERS OF THE STAGE 3
§2.1 PARAMETERS OF THE CONCEPTS RELATING TO THE STAGE 5
§2.1.1 THEOLOGY 5
§2.1.2 PARTICIPATION 7
§2.1.3 PERFORMANCE 8
§2.1.4 THEATRE AND DRAMA 11
§2.1.4a THEATRE 12
§2.1.4b DRAMA 13
§2.1.5 INTRODUCTION TO THE PARAMETERS OF DRAMATIC 15
§2.2 PARAMETERS OF BEING AND BECOMING: OUR THEOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE 17
§3 THE BECOMING OF THE PROJECT 20

C O T A B G
HAPTER NE – HE CT AND EING OF OD 23
§1 INTRODUCTION 23
§2 THE EVENT OF GOD‘S ACTION 25
§3 GOD‘S BEING-IN-ACT 27
§3.1 GOD FOR US 28
§3.2 PARTICIPATION IN GOD’S BEING AND ACT 30
§4 GOD‘S UNITY AND DISTINCTION IN THE EVENT OF REVELATION 32
§4.1 GOD THE FATHER 35
§4.2 GOD THE SON: THE OBJECTIVE REALITY OF REVELATION 37
§4.3 GOD THE SPIRIT: THE SUBJECTIVE REALITY OF REVELATION 40
§5 TRIUNE REVELATION AND ITS THEOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE 45
§6 THE ACTION OF THEOLOGY AS EXPOSED THROUGH THE THEO-DRAMA 47
§6.1 HUMANITY’S PARTICIPATION IN THE THEATRUM GLORIAE DEI 47
§6.2 RECOGNITION AND EMPLOYMENT OF THE THEATRICALITY OF GOD’S ACTION 49

vi
farlowthesis
C T T E
HAPTER WO – HEOLOGICAL XPRESSION 54
§1 INTRODUCTION 54
§2 THE NARRATIVE MODEL OF THEOLOGY 56
§2.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NARRATIVE 57
§2.2 NARRATIVE MOVEMENT: DRAMATISING THE NARRATIVE 60
§3 THE DRAMATIC MODEL OF THEOLOGY 64
§3.1 THE BENEFITS OF DRAMA FOR THEOLOGY 67
§3.1.1 UNDERSTANDING OUR HUMANITY THROUGH A DRAMATIC MODEL 69
§3.1.2 THE EXPRESSION OF THE TEXT AND OF LIFE THROUGH PERFORMANCE 73
§3.2 PERFORMATIVE REALITY OF A DRAMATIC MODE 78
§3.3 FRAMING THE ACTION OF A DRAMATIC MODEL 80
§4 THEOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE 82

C T D M T
HAPTER HREE – RAMATIC ODEL OF HEOLOGY 86
§1 INTRODUCTION 86
§2 INCORPORATION INTO THE NORMATIVE 87
§2.1 DRAMATIC, PERFORMATIVE FOUNDATION OF THEOLOGY 89
§2.2 THEOLOGICAL MOVEMENT: DRAMATISATION 91
§3 CHRIST AS THE UNIVERSAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOCAL POINT 93
§3.1 CHRIST AS CENTRE, MIDST AND PERIPHERY OF PERFORMANCE 93
§3.2 THEOLOGICAL ENACTMENT 96
§4 CHARACTERISTICS OF A DRAMATIC MODEL OF THEOLOGY 98
§4.1 THE PERFORMANCE OF LANGUAGE IN A DRAMATIC MODEL OF THEOLOGY 100
§4.2 SUITING THE ACTION OF THE WORD TO THE ACTION OF THE DRAMA 102
§5 STATE OF THEOLOGY TODAY 105
§5.1 EXPLICIT BELIEF IN AND USE OF THE DRAMATIC 105
§5.2 MOVEMENT OF LANGUAGE IN A DRAMATIC MODEL OF THEOLOGY 107
§6 DEVELOPMENT AND MOVEMENT OF THEOLOGICAL LANGUAGE 110
§6.1 VANHOOZER AND THE DRAMA OF DOCTRINE 111
§6.2 THE DRAMA OF THE BIBLICAL STORY IN BARTHOLOMEW AND GOHEEN 113
§6.3 PERFORMING THE FAITH: STANLEY HAUERWAS 114
§6.4 INCARNATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF THEOLOGY THROUGH A DRAMATIC MODEL 114
§7 PERFORMANCE AND PERSON AS EXPOSED THROUGH A DRAMATIC MODEL OF THEOLOGY
115
vii
farlowthesis
§7.1 PERFORMANCE AND PERSONHOOD ROOTED IN CHRIST 116
§7.2 FROM OUR ANALOGIA RELATIONIS TOWARDS THE IDEAL BECOMING THE REAL 118

CHAPTER FOUR – IMAGINING THE REAL 120
§1 INTO THE REAL 120
§2 EMBEDDED IN GOD 122
§2.1 IMAGINING THE REAL: OUR PERFORMANCE IN CHRIST 122
§2.2 THE THREEFOLD MOVEMENT OF REVELATION, INVITATION AND RECONCILIATION 125
§2.2.1 REVELATION OF BEING 125
§2.2.2 INVITATION TO HUMANITY 127
§2.2.3 RECONCILIATORY PERFORMANCE 129
§3 THEOLOGY‘S USE AND RECOGNITION OF ITS IMAGINATIVE POWERS 130
§3.1 THE RESULT OF A RATIONALISTIC THEOLOGY: THE RE-IMAGINING OF THEOLOGY 134
§3.1.1 IMAGINATIVE PRODUCTS: A LOOK AT AUGUSTINE 135
§3.1.2 NEGATIVE RECEPTION OF THE IMAGINATION 138
§3.2 TODAY’S THEOLOGICAL IMAGINING 139
§4 IMAGINING THE REAL 143
§4.1 OVERCOMING THE UNIMAGINATIVE 143
§4.2 REALISING OUR MISSION: THE BECOMING OF THE REAL 145
§4.3 REALISATION OF OUR PARTICIPATORY MISSION 147
§4.4 REALISING THE POSSIBILITIES THROUGH OUR INTERACTIONS 149
§5 RELATIONAL REALITY 151
§5.1 IDENTITY OF MISSION 151
§5.2 RELATION OF BEING 153
§6 ELEVATION OF THE REAL 156
§7 IMAGINATIVE MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE ACTUALITY OF OUR FAITHFUL PERFORMANCES
158
C F P R
HAPTER IVE – ERFORMATIVE EALITY 160
§1 THE OPENING MOVEMENT 160
§2 DRAMATIC MOVEMENT 161
§2.1 PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE THEOLOGICA DRAMATICAS 161
§2.2 DRAMATISING THEOLOGY 165
§3 BEYOND THEATRE INTO THEOLOGICA DRAMATICAS 167
§3.1 DISCOVERY OF IDENTITY 167
viii
farlowthesis
§3.2 DRIVING THE DRAMATIC 169
§3.2.1 IN PERSPECTIVE: INVESTIGATING BALTHASAR’S APPROACH 170
§3.2.2 PERFORMATIVE FOUNDATION 173
§ THEOLOGICAL INTERLUDE: THE PERSON OF THE SPIRIT IN THE THEO-DRAMA 175
§4 The CHARACTER OF THEOLOGY: A PERFORMATIVE REALITY 179
§4.1 STRANGE DICHOTOMY 179
§4.2 REDEMPTIVE REALITY 184
§5 THEOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE 187
§5.1 MOVING TOWARDS THE CORE OF PERFORMANCE 188
§5.2 EUCHARISTIC IMPROVISATION 189
§5.3 TODAY’S PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE PLAY OF YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW 193
§5.4 THE FINAL WORD: LOVE 196

CONCLUDING REMARKS 200
§1 WHAT‘S DONE CANNOT BE UNDONE 200
§2 THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE 202
§3 HOW NOW SHALL WE LIVE? 204

B
IBLIOGRAPHY 207

ix