Abstract:
The main aim of this Passion Play is to introduce a new paradigm for presentday
Passion Play writers. This is realised by highlighting the pastoral implications of
appropriately interpreting the passion and death of Jesus based on the Gospel of Mark
with an emphasis on the theology of redemption (liberation), rooted in Hebrew and
Christian Scriptures enlightened by the modern biblical exegesis.
To achieve this aim, I opt for practised-based research by performing a Passion
Play in collaboration with the professional dramatists of the Department of Drama and
Theatre, University of Kelaniya. I, too, intend to employ the literary-critical, sociocritical,
and context-oriented methods of analysis in this research. In addition to that, I
will discuss Three methodologies of modern biblical exegesis: the historical‐critical
method focusing more on historical contexts (diachronic dimensions), new literary
criticism emphasising the texts (synchronic dimensions) and the new trends of exegesis
(or hermeneutics), which promote more interaction with the target audiences. This
methodological approach helps to replace the Creation-Fall-Salvation of atonement
theological framework of the traditional Pasion Plays with Exodus-Easter or Exodus-
Prophets-Passion of Jesus.
I have carefully selected the dramatic scenes within the classification of the
passion narratives of the Gospel of Mark based on the scholarly book of Donald Senior,
C.P., University of Louvain, Belgium.
