Exploring the Role of Theatrical Texts in Evangelism: A Comparative Study of Everyman and Eniyan

Abstract

Stories have been presented on the stage, bringing together important truths and people’s lives. Within Christian moralistic and Yoruba cultural traditions, these plays strongly show how theatre can convey religious messages, values and instructions. It looks at the way Everyman and Eniyan dramas are used to teach lessons through comparative analysis. Although written long apart and in many cultures, these works all try to show spiritual truths and inspire audiences to think about right and wrong. The characters in the medieval Christian play Everyman are allegories and the story follows the journey of the soul towards salvation. Eniyan follows the same story as Wole Soyinka’s but tells it using an African religious view and blending universal religious ideas with Yoruba customs. A study of dramaturgy, themes and reactions from audiences have helped this work demonstrate that theatre crosses cultural lines to spread religious ideas. It demonstrates that plays can still create personal changes and link faith with art. By observing the structure and what happens on stage, the research highlights the ability of theatrical texts to spread faith, reach a range of audiences and help people reflect and transform spiritually. It also contributes to discussions about the relationship between religion, culture and arts through performance.