The Evangelists
Encyclopedia
The Evangelists
The Evangelists (Evangheliştii in Romanian
) is a controversial play
by Romanian academic and writer Alina Mungiu-Pippidi
. The play received the UNITER Prize, one of Romania's most prestigious literary awards, in 1992.
, about two millennia ago, where Simon Peter calls on four students of the Cherintos Academy - John, Mark, Matthew and Luke, the writers of the New Testament
- to write four "books" about the life of Jesus
. The play tells the story of Jesus in a manner very different from that of the New Testament, with many subversions of plot. For example, in the play, Peter is portrayed as a negative character, violent, misogynistic and accused of killing Jesus. Additionally, Mary Magdalene
is shown as performing oral sex
on Jesus while washing his feet, while the Last Supper
is shown as a violent gathering in which Peter kills all of the other apostles.
and the Roman Catholic Church
of Romania for its "blasphemous" subject matter, which "makes a ridicule of Jesus Christ". This was due to the offensive portrayal of figures highly revered in Christianity, particularly Jesus, Peter and Mary Magdelene. The play was also denounced as an "attack against public morals" by Teoctist Arăpaşu
, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
A press release by the Roman Catholic Church of Iaşi stated:
Mungiu has defended herself against these claims by asserting her right to freedom of speech
.
The Evangelists (Evangheliştii in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
) is a controversial play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Romanian academic and writer Alina Mungiu-Pippidi
Alina Mungiu-Pippidi
Alina Mungiu-Pippidi is a Romanian political scientist, academic, journalist and writer. A commentator on national politics, she is one of the most prominent civil society activists in post-1989 Romania, and, since 1990, an active contributor to 22...
. The play received the UNITER Prize, one of Romania's most prestigious literary awards, in 1992.
Plot summary
The play is set in AntiochAntioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
, about two millennia ago, where Simon Peter calls on four students of the Cherintos Academy - John, Mark, Matthew and Luke, the writers of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
- to write four "books" about the life of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. The play tells the story of Jesus in a manner very different from that of the New Testament, with many subversions of plot. For example, in the play, Peter is portrayed as a negative character, violent, misogynistic and accused of killing Jesus. Additionally, Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
is shown as performing oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
on Jesus while washing his feet, while the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
is shown as a violent gathering in which Peter kills all of the other apostles.
Criticism
The play debuted in late 2005 for the first time in Romania, where it sparked a significant amount of controversy. It was criticised by Romanian religious organisations, particularly the Romanian Orthodox ChurchRomanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
and the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
of Romania for its "blasphemous" subject matter, which "makes a ridicule of Jesus Christ". This was due to the offensive portrayal of figures highly revered in Christianity, particularly Jesus, Peter and Mary Magdelene. The play was also denounced as an "attack against public morals" by Teoctist Arăpaşu
Teoctist Arapasu
Teoctist was the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church from 1986 to 2007.Teoctist served his first years as patriarch under the Romanian Communist regime, and was accused by some of collaboration...
, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
A press release by the Roman Catholic Church of Iaşi stated:
- "We consider this play to be an attack against public morals, a serious indecency disguised as "art", an attack against faith in God, an insult against the holiest figures: Jesus, Mary and the Apostles"
Mungiu has defended herself against these claims by asserting her right to freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
.