Drama, Literature and Music in Worship
Christians express their faith in ways you can watch, read and hear: plays, stories and music. Explore passion plays, the novels of C.S. Lewis, and the sound of chant and hymns in worship.
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Faith you can watch, read and hear 🎭
Christians do not only express their faith in pictures. They also act it out in **drama**, tell it in **literature**, and sing it in **music**. This module explores plays that retell Bible stories, stories that explore Christian ideas, and the music used in worship.
Words to know 🔑
Four ideas run through this topic:
What is a passion play? 🎯
What does a passion play retell?
- The death and resurrection of Jesus
- A famous sporting event
- A medieval battle between kings
- The story of a farming harvest
Two ways to express faith ⚖️
Christians use many art forms. Here are two big ones.
Match the form 🔗
- A mystery play
- A passion play
- A story by C.S. Lewis
- Gregorian chant
- Acts out Bible stories like the Nativity
- Retells the death and resurrection of Jesus
- Uses the lion Aslan as a Christ-figure
- Ancient unaccompanied singing in worship
The sound of worship 🎵
Music sets the mood in worship. Gregorian chant is a calm, unaccompanied plainchant used in many Catholic and Orthodox services, and the Church document Musicam Sacram gives guidance on sacred music. Many Protestant churches instead sing hymns together as a congregation.
Spot the forms ✅
Which THREE are forms of Christian expression covered here?
- Passion plays that retell the Easter story
- Novels that explore Christian themes
- Hymns and chant sung in worship
- Refusing to express faith at all
- Counting the collection money
What is it for? 🔀
- Teaching Bible stories to people who cannot read
- Retelling the passion of Jesus on stage
- Creating a prayerful mood in a service
- Exploring faith through an imaginative story
- What medieval mystery plays did
- What a passion play does
- What Gregorian chant does
- What a C.S. Lewis novel does
Retell the story 🪜
An interactive activity.
Complete the idea 🧩
A _____ play retells the death and resurrection of Jesus. Medieval _____ plays acted out Bible stories for people who could not read. The author C.S. _____ used the lion Aslan as a Christ-figure. Gregorian _____ is ancient singing used in worship. All of these help Christians express and share their _____.
True or not? 🖍️
An interactive activity.
What is chant? 🔎
What is Gregorian chant?
- Ancient unaccompanied singing used in worship
- Modern pop music played at parties
- A spoken sermon with no music at all
- A fast dance performed in the street
Choose the form 🧭
An interactive activity.
Express the faith ✍️
An interactive activity.