Religion
Related: About this forumSecularise Jesus' story and watch his relevance grow
Atheists should see Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber' Jesus Christ Superstar as soon as possible, suggests Tracy Quan. Jesus is far more relevant to us when we secularise his story.
5 November 2012
Tracy Quan
A film of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar - featuring Perth-born comedian Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot - will open in 60 Australian theatres for a week starting November 8.
The new film, made during a 10-city tour of the UK and Ireland, also features former Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and ITV "Superstar" winner Ben Forster playing Jesus.
In 1970, when Jesus Christ Superstar was issued as a concept album, many believed that religion was gently fading away. How quaint that idea seems in 2012.
If, like Minchin, you're an outspoken atheist, you should see this updated production as soon as possible, rather than wait for the DVD Blu-ray release. Jesus is far more relevant to us when we secularise his story. The last seven days of Jesus's life take place in a fiery version of 21st century London. His tormentors wear suits, while his followers use social media and carry iPads. (Julian Assange - an atheist with a Christlike aura - crossed my mind more than once during this movie.)
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4350436.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)For example, everything by Andrew Lloyd Webber is was and always will be a huge bag of pompous suckage.
rug
(82,333 posts)Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)rug
(82,333 posts)Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)Rogers and Hart?
Gershwin?
Bernstein?
Porter?
Seriously?
rug
(82,333 posts)You don't have to sleep with him to acknowledge when he writes a good song.
msongs
(67,420 posts)rug
(82,333 posts)
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)The word she is looking for is 'modernise' - not 'secularise'.
Secular means something worldly, temporal, non-religious. This is still the story of the biblical figure of Jesus - regardless of the setting.
Shakespeare's Macbeth set in a London restaurant kitchen is still Macbeth, and a passion play set in a corporate office is still a passion play.
Modernizing the story doesn't make it more relevant to someone for whom it has no relevance.
rug
(82,333 posts)"It modernized the story I'd been hearing in catechism every day and made these people seem real," she recently told me. "At first it was Mary Magdalene I was most interested in. I suddenly realised she was influential, had a lot of personal power and was the close adviser to Jesus. I think she would be a grassroots activist today, breaking the mould. I did always see her as a rebellious character, like me."
cbayer
(146,218 posts)His exploration of that side is interesting.
pinto
(106,886 posts)passed down in later writing or verbal histories. Like other biographies of individuals from 2,000 years ago. I'm sure there are some out there.
rug
(82,333 posts)The whole thing is online.
Here are a couple of interesting ones within the last 15 years or so but you'll need to get them from the library or Amazon.
"The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth" by Ben Witherington
"The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth" by SGF Brandon
In a weird sort of way the Jesus story reinforced my interest in politics. I think the political / religious dance around his arrest and trial and execution helped define my strong support for the separation of church and state.
Burma Jones
(11,760 posts)It was called E.T.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)
