Lucas Hnath’s The Christians (2014) is a thought-provoking exploration of faith, doctrine, and the difficult process of spiritual transformation. The play takes place in a contemporary megachurch, where Pastor Paul, the leader of a thriving congregation, delivers a sermon that shakes the very foundation of his church’s beliefs. What follows is a tense and deeply introspective examination of the nature of faith, the role of religious leadership, and the consequences of questioning long-held convictions.
The Power and Peril of Revelation
At the heart of The Christians is a crisis of faith that does not come from external persecution or scandal but from within. Pastor Paul, after years of leading his congregation, experiences a shift in his understanding of salvation. He announces to his church that he no longer believes in hell—a radical departure from traditional Christian doctrine. This revelation, instead of bringing unity, leads to division, doubt, and a painful reckoning for Paul and those around him.
The spiritual dilemma in The Christians reflects the age-old tension between revelation and institutional doctrine. Religious history is filled with figures—prophets, reformers, mystics—who have challenged prevailing beliefs, often at great personal cost. Paul’s journey echoes that of figures such as Martin Luther, who questioned the Catholic Church’s teachings, or even ancient mystics who experienced direct communion with the divine and found their experiences at odds with established religious structures.
Faith as a Collective Experience
One of the play’s most striking elements is the way it depicts faith as a shared, communal experience. The church is not simply a place of worship—it is a living organism, shaped by the beliefs and emotions of its members. When Paul announces his new theological stance, it does not only impact him; it sends ripples through the entire congregation. His associate pastor, Joshua, vehemently disagrees with him, members of the church begin to leave, and even Paul’s wife struggles to reconcile her beliefs with his.
This tension reflects an essential truth about spirituality: belief is not static. It evolves, sometimes in painful and unpredictable ways. The play captures the fragility of faith, showing how a single shift in understanding can unsettle the foundations of an entire spiritual community. This mirrors larger religious movements throughout history, where theological disagreements have led to schisms, reformations, and even entirely new faith traditions.
Parallels with Myth and Mysticism
In many spiritual traditions, figures who challenge existing belief systems are seen as heretics or visionaries, depending on perspective. In Hindu philosophy, for instance, different schools of thought often clash over interpretations of dharma, karma, and moksha. Similarly, in Gnostic Christianity, the idea of a deeper, more mystical understanding of divinity often led to persecution by the orthodox church.
Paul’s theological transformation can be seen as a modern-day mystical experience, where an internal revelation forces him to redefine his understanding of God and salvation. Yet, like many before him, he finds that such revelations come with isolation and suffering. The play raises profound questions: Is spiritual truth more important than unity? Can faith survive without certainty?
Doubt as a Path to Spiritual Growth
The Christians ultimately presents doubt not as the enemy of faith, but as an essential part of it. The play does not offer easy answers, nor does it judge its characters for their beliefs. Instead, it presents a world where faith is dynamic, where belief is constantly tested, and where the struggle for understanding is at the core of the spiritual journey.
Like many of the greatest spiritual narratives—from Job’s questioning of divine justice to Buddha’s search for enlightenment—the play suggests that true faith is not about clinging to dogma, but about embracing the unknown. In doing so, The Christians becomes more than a play about religious doctrine; it becomes a deeply human exploration of what it means to believe.
