Tina Fey… and Improv as a metaphor for the biblical drama.

Last updated on: July 10, 2012 at 2:32 pm by Christopher Smith

Tina Fey… and Improv as a metaphor for the biblical drama. 2012-07-10T14:32:54-05:00 Christopher Smith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’m working today on revising the theological overview chapter for the Slow Church book. One of the key ideas that I borrow from pastor and theologian Sam Wells is that:

“Improvisation in the theatre is a practice through which actors develop trust in themselves and one another in order that they may conduct unscripted dramas without fear.”

I’ve been encouraged recently by some early readers of this chapter to make the improv metaphor robust…

This morning as I was getting ready to work on this chapter, I stumbled upon a great blog post by my friend Jen Michel, in which she reflects on Tina Fey’s thoughts on improv in her recent book Bossypants. I went and dug up this passage [CLICK HERE to read the passage in Google Books — Scroll up after clicking, the passage is in the gray box. ]. There is a lot of good stuff here but my imagination was captured by two thoughts:

1) [The Second Rule of Improv] “YES, AND means don’t be afraid to contribute. It’s your responsibility to contribute. Always make sure you’re adding something to the discussion. Your initiations are worthwhile.” (No one is a passive observer in the biblical drama).

2) “THERE ONLY NO MISTAKES, only opportunities.” (This seems to ring true with an eschatology of God’s reconciliation of all things)

I’m only beginning to learn about improv…
Anybody with more experience have insights into how improv is reminiscent of our engagement in the biblical drama?

Previous Post

July 6, 2012

Believing is Seeing

Next Post

July 16, 2012 Ragan Sutterfield's Farming as a Spiritual Discipline

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abundance Advent Books Community Conferences Conversations Ecology Economics Emergent Eucharist Family Food Gratitude Happenings Health history Hospitality Justice Lent Meditations Neighborhoods News Peace Place Poetry Politics Sabbath Scripture Stories Technology The Table Theology Uncategorized What is Slow Church? Youth

Select a Month January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 March 2016 June 2015 March 2015 February 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the Red Horse in Revelations symbolize?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Deception War Famine Death