I discovered this cycle of 12 radio plays that adapted the four gospels for the BBC on the Internet Archive and decided to give it a try!

From a hermeneutical and theological perspective, I have some complaints. For one thing, even though it’s a radio play, it still manages to make clear that its Jesus is blond (and, by extension, white) through repeated references to golden hair, so that got under my nerves. You could explain that away as an adaptation for British culture, with the disciples having a range of accents, Roman soldiers using British military jargon, etc. (and I actually really like all those choices), but it still rubs me the wrong way.

As a work of fiction, though, and as an adaptation of well-known texts for radio, I love a lot of the creative decisions. Writing some recurring characters into the ambiguities and lacunae of the texts is a fun choice, and the way the stories were interpreted were often compelling and helpful.

So, not bad for a radio drama from the 1940s, even if it isn’t perfect.