Part 1 of Samuel Wells‘ Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics traces a movement from Ethics as Theology (ch. 1) through Theology as Narrative (ch. 2) and thence from Narrative as Drama (ch. 3) to Drama as Improvisation (ch. 4). Having covered the intro and thoughts on theology and narrative last time, we move now to drama.
Wells insists that the church must move from a narrative understanding of theology to a dramatic understanding. Narrative is insufficient because it does not inherently entail performance. And the theology and ethics we advocate must be embodied, the story must be interpreted through the practices and performances of the community (46).
Riffing off of Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Wells warns of a couple possible mistakes: an “epic” construal of our story can leave the story so “other” that we fail to engage it or live it out–the supper becomes merely a memorial; a “lyric” construal of our story is too subjective, experience and expression trump objectivity and truth. Both elements must be in place to create a viable Christian drama.
Moreover, Wells insists that we view time as a friend. This is one of the most profound contributions Wells makes in the first part of the book. Let me summarize.
Wells begins with N. T. Wright’s suggestion that the Christian story is a five-act play, and tweaks those five acts as follows: 1. Creation. 2. Israel. 3. Jesus. 4. Church. 5. Eschaton. Putting act 5 as “eschaton” is a crucial move for Wells, as it reminds us that we are not the end of the story, we are therefore not charged with getting everything right in our act, and that things will be better and finished–but only when God dramatically intervenes to finish setting the world to rights.
Because we are not in the final act, and because we are not in a one-act play, we are not charged to “effective or successful but to be faithful” (55).
Finally, Wells warns against placing oneself in the wrong act of the play. To this, I respond with a hearty Amen! 
We’re not in Act 1, we’re not the creators, and we’re not living in a pristine world. We’re not in Act 2, and it is a mistake to live (and I’d add, read our Bibles as though the Messiah has not yet come. We are not in Act 3, charged with the herculean task of bringing the drama to its climactic, decisive moment (or acting faithfully therein). We are in Act four.
Although I’m not completely on board with his downplaying of this stage of the play, Wells suggests, that “the shape of the five-act play reminds the church that it does not live in particularly significant times. The most important things have already happened. The Messiah has come, has been put to death, has been raised; and the Spirit has come. This is a great liberation for the church. It leaves Christians free, in faith, to make honest mistakes” (57).
We’re not in Act 3, but we’re not charged to bring Act 5 to its glorious conclusion, either.
Up next: Wells will talk about the need for improvisation.
