A Battle Over a Church's Soul

"The Christians" starts with a sermon.

Pastor Paul (Andrew Garman) has news for his evangelical congregation: he's had a radical change of heart. He no longer believes in hell. Instead, he says, no matter what someone's religion or beliefs or actions, he or she is going to heaven. Everyone is saved, whether they profess faith in Jesus Christ or not.

This rocks the congregation, especially the fierce young pastor Joshua (a magnificent Larry Powell). If everyone is saved — why believe? 

This theological debate lasts for two-thirds of the play's 90 minutes. It's compelling, especially since we feel like we're members of the congregation, thanks to scenic designer Dane Laffrey's set — a realistic, contemporary, suburban church chancel, with video images of doves and tranquil trees flanking the 20-member choir. Perhaps it's so interesting because it's something we rarely see. The media tends to portray evangelicals as a bloc, always moving in unison, their thoughts in lockstep. Lucas Hnath's play is about what happens when someone's beliefs expand beyond the traditional — what's gained, but also what's lost. 

However, for most of the play, the characters are kept at a distance. They're people we barely know, speaking from the altar through microphones and warring Bible quotes. Only toward the end, when Joshua and Pastor Paul's wife (Linda Powell) crack their hearts open, does the show catch fire. We are just starting to really get it, to care, when the lights are pulled. We're left literally in the dark, with no idea what will happen to the characters, or how the playwright feels about the questions he raises.

That's admirable, though unsatisfying. In the end, "The Christians" is more like a particularly engrossing class — or a really good sermon — than a deep engagement with characters we have come to understand. 

The Christians

Playwrights Horizons

Through Oct. 11