Acting Gods, Playing Heroes, and the Interaction between Judaism, Christianity, and Greek Drama in the Early Common Era

Courtney J. P. Friesen is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Classics at the University of Arizona where he teaches classical Greek and courses on the New Testament, early Christianity, and Greek and Roman culture. His first book, Reading Dionysus (2015), explored ancient receptions of Euripides’ Bacchae.

• 1. Theater and/as Ritual: Introduction to the State of the Question(s) and Scope of the Study; 2. A Tale of Two Cities’ Theaters: From Athens to Jerusalem; 3. The Drama of Debating Gods (and Their Existence): Lucian of Samosata and Philo of Alexandria on Creation and Providence; 4. Gods on Stage and Gods in Heaven: Fragments of Atheism in Sextus Empiricus and Pseudo-Justin; 5. Laughing at/with Heracles: Philo of Alexandria on Freedom and Virtue; 6. Atonement and Resurrection as the Denouement of Euripides’ Alcestis; 7. From Tragic Heroines to Religious Martyrs: The Afterlife of Polyxena between Philo and Clement of Alexandria; 8. Deus ex Machina: Concluding Thoughts on Dramatic Closure.

"Friesen has very ably and convincingly illustrated a crucial component in the critical engagement of Judaism and Christianity with Hellenic culture. His book significantly contributes, furthermore, to a much larger ongoing scholarly conversation over the extent to which Jewish and Christian interpreters recognized dramatic elements even within scriptural revelation itself, such that the mimesis of drama depended not solely on exploiting the classical pagan masters but also imitating the biblical authors as they conveyed tragic and comic features in sacred history." - Journal of Theological Studies"[...] the book illustrates the more varied relationship between Jews, Christians, and the ancient stage. This is both a welcome scholarly contribution and a necessary foundation for further work into the implications of this complex and multifaceted relationship." – Bryn Mawr Classical Review"In this welcome sequence of essays, Friesen explores Jewish and Christian engagement with Greek drama during the early Common Era. [... He] not only shows the surprising variety of their engagements but also how the dramatic concept ultimately facilitated the articulation and performance of their own faith." - Journal for the Study of the New Testament"In this slim volume of crisp prose and tightly constructed arguments, Courtney Friesen examines the role of classical drama in the theological and philosophical discussions of the Second Sophistic, primarily the engagement of Jewish and Christian authors... Friesen’s studies should encourage others to pursue their suspicions about the presence of Greco-Roman dramas’ influence upon other Jewish and Christian authors, concepts, and practices." - Review of Biblical Literature