Church for the Unchurched: an interview with Bruce Smith

by Deborah Rankin

Speaking with Bruce Smith, author of Blessed Are They, I am impressed by his articulate understanding of the complex interaction between faith and life—a rare attribute today when faith is either officially denied as irrelevant, or appears pre-packaged as a comprehensive religio-political solution.

Smith describes himself as a “deist” rather than “religious.” Despite a secular upbringing, the young Smith had a great interest in religion, which led him to study the Bible with Korean missionaries, the Book of Mormon with the Mormons, and, at one point, to engage in a dialogue with the Jehovah's Witnesses. His mother was later to join the United Church in order to engage in “good works”. Today, he is married to a Catholic and raising his daughters as Catholics.

His play is set—quite literally—in the United Church (St. James United on Ste-Catherine.) I asked him why he chose the United Church to tell this particular story, rather than the Catholic Church or some other. Many little mainline Protestant churches struggle to replenish dwindling congregations, raise money, and maintain a visible presence, whereas so many of the newly faithful gravitate towards evangelical super-churches. Blessed Are They depicts a sparsely-attended Alcoholics Anonymous group in the basement of a small rural church, and explores the meaning of faith amongst a diverse group of characters. Here, we witness the tension that exists between the personal experience of privately held faith, and religious expression that is, necessarily, both public and communal.

At the heart of the group's interactions is a conflict between a minister whose faith is riddled with doubt and a new 'Born Again' member of the AA group and church. The play's conceit turns on this familiar theme, reflecting the larger institution's dilemma: if the new congregant doesn't show up, the church will die.

Bruce Smith is no stranger to the theme of faith in his work. He is probably best known for writing the CBC mini-series about Tommy Douglas during which "a lot came up" about the interface between faith and politics. He is currently working on a screenplay about the life and times of John A. MacDonald, that underscores the Church vs. State debate between Scottish Presbyterians and the High Anglicans and Catholics of that era.

"It’s amazing how the conversation has switched since the 1930s." Smith describes how different the context is between Canada and the U.S. The Religious Left that founded the old CCF is dead as a political force, while the social challenges that were so central to the concerns of people of faith in Depression-era Prairie Canada have been replaced by the thorny moral questions raised by the Religious Right south of the border.

He aims to bridge the sectarian and ideological divide. Blessed Are They is an opportunity for audience members, with or without any particular faith heritage or belief system, to "eavesdrop" on a dialogue within a particular denominational community in the hopes of creating a "mutual conversation."

I am intrigued. Why open up this hot topic for possibly more divisive debate? "Because it touches upon the universal theme of the role that faith plays in one's life," he says. “Each of the characters is dealing with that question, approaching it from a different standpoint. Some have profound faith, others have none, some are ambivalent.”

The play avoids positive or negative value judgments about the status of the characters’ religious convictions, or lack thereof. "Some people see 'faith in action' as a powerful force for good in the world, while others see it as prone to misuse because it is so nebulous. All the characters are feeling that faith isn't in its proper place in their world and are looking for change."

He wasn't exactly "in love" with all of his characters when he began the script but, with time, he felt the need to "love all the characters" by embracing their different points of view. He acknowledges the difficulty in loving all people, the core value of the Christian creed.

Blessed Are They invites people to step out of their own sectarian experience and participate in an exploration of faith. Bruce’s goal is to create a link between "going to the theatre" and "going to church." Is he worried about possible criticisms after the fact, or prior objections to holding a theatre event in a church? "No, because it’s genuine," he says, referring to his own creative conviction. He relishes feedback.

It’s a concept I like to call “theatre as church for the unchurched,” and I find it fresh and transformative. But, don't take my word for it. I’m not an advocate of blind faith. See the show for yourself. Then decide. To believe, or not to believe.