As the C of E lays the smackdown on the Tories and the Pope more or less calls the entire global establishment out for a fight, now is a very good time for Lucas Hnath’s ‘The Christians’, an American play set in an American church that nonetheless has some very astute things to say about the modernisation of Christian the world over.
Pastor Paul (William Gaminara) seems like a great guy: over 22 years he has built his congregation up from nothing to many thousands, and under his stewardship the cost of its enormous new building has finally been paid off. So he takes this opportunity to preach a radical sermon, saying that he does not believe in Hell as a literal concept, and that he believes that everybody – regardless of religion – will be saved by Jesus.
He’s a popular man and a fine orator, so controversial as the sermon it, he argues his case convincingly and the initial fallout is minimal: his fire and brimstone associate pastor Joshua (Stefan Adegbola) quits, along with 50 or so members of the congregation, but that would seem to be it.
Except it isn’t: over the course of what are essentially a series of Socratic dialogues between the pastor and members of his congregation, we see his fortunes plunge and his flock disperse. Worse, much as I’d imagine the average audience member would approve of Paul’s tolerance, it’s hard not to see the point of those who question him, most especially the excellent Lucy Ellinson’s Jenny, a sweet, simple, poor woman who asks some very hard questions about the timing of the announcement that Paul finds himself unable to answer. If devout Christians are as a rule a conservative lot, then does it really befit their better-educated leaders to try and high-handedly change them? It’s certainly worth a thought as non-believers cheer on the liberalising of Christian bodies without much thought for for the millions who take comfort in the old ways.
It’s a smart, if slightly stiff play, hemmed in by its duologue-centric format. Christopher Haydon’s production compensates by plonking an entire gospel choir on stage to sing a few songs and double as the congregation, but though it’s a welcome injection of colour they’re not integrated as well as they might be. Still the stiffness allows it to cut to the chase and serve as a forum to debate some big, uncomfortable ideas. There are moments of lull, but at its best ‘The Christians’ flares incandescent.