An Appraisal of the Inter-religious and Ecumenical Relevance of the Oberammergau Passion Play in the Light of Post-Vatican II Theology

Abstract

The main aim of this article is to trace the ecumenical value of the Oberammergau Passion Play concerning the Catholic-Protestant and Jewish- Christian dialogue in the light of the Second Vatican Council teaching on Ecumenism. This aim is achieved through a comparative study of the pre-Vatican II and the post-Vatican II scripts of the Oberammergau Passion Play. Though the term ecumenism is an innovation of post-Vatican II theology, the Passion Play of Oberammergau was the main instrument for the cordial relationship between the Catholics and the Protestants who lived in this village when the whole of Europe clashed with each other on the grounds of Christian religious extremism which resulted from Protestant Reformation in the 16th century CE. The subsequent editions of the Passion Play scripts of Oberammergau in 2000 and 2010 were directly influenced by post-Vatican II theology on the renewal of the relationship between Jews and Christians. Hence, the relevance of the Passion Play of Oberammergau in an ecumenical sense is immeasurable.