Soul Magnification: A Heartfelt Tribute and a New Christmas Pageant

Abstract

This article points to recent scholarship by Dr. Walter F. Taylor Jr. then applies insights from his social scientific approach to the story of Jesus’ birth. Social scientific methodology forms bridges between the world of the text and our own, as does a church Christmas pageant. After observations on the contradictions of the infancy narratives, this article offers a short, original Christmas play. The script incorporates the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, as well as Mary’s Magnificat, into traditional pageants. The goal is to offer a scholarly and useful resource in tribute to a colleague whose career immeasurably increased knowledge and love of the biblical text in the academy and the life of the church.