The Man Born to be King: Wade Annotated Edition

This new edition of Sayers' classic cycle of radio plays about the life of Christ is greatly improved by the extensive background information in the several introductions. In addition, the notes in the annotations explain many references and terms in the text that might not be familiar to modern readers.

In the midst of World War II in the U.K. and all the drama that it entailed, there was some additional drama about a drama. At the center of the hubbub was novelist, playwright, and translator Dorothy L. Sayers.Perhaps best known for her detective novels featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, Sayers was also an accomplished dramatist. The BBC commissioned her to write a series of plays for children, to be performed on the radio. They were to be plays about the life and ministry of Jesus.The cycle of twelve plays was called The Man Born to be King. Though they are not exhaustive, they cover the span of Jesus earthly life, and were meant to be something of a comfort to a nation at war.Unfortunately, like many well-intentioned attempts to convey Christianity to the masses, Sayers’ efforts met with controversy. The Man Born to be King drew great praise, but it also left people deeply concerned because Sayers used slang rather than King James English to help convey the reality of the Gospel accounts. Additionally, some were concerned about the representation of Jesus, though Sayers was especially careful to draw his dialogue more directly from Scripture. And, of course, any dramatist must fill in some gaps that even four Gospel writers left with minor characters, extrabiblical narrative, and details that illustrate the truths embedded in the life of Christ. The tragedy is really that these plays tend to be more remembered for the drama they caused rather than the greater Drama they portrayed.The cycle of plays known as The Man Born to be King are so rich that C. S. Lewis read them yearly as Easter approached. This recent republication of these plays by IVP Academic is in time for people to pick up their own copies to follow Lewis’ example.The plays themselves are not innovative. In fact, were readers not aware of the controversy surrounding their original production, a contemporary audience would find little that is shocking in them. They are an attempt to faithfully convey the greatest story ever told in a manner that may seem more real to contemporary readers because of the effort Sayers invested to bring the stories into the 20th century. Sayers’ effort is part of what makes these plays so spiritually invigorating.Though an edition of these plays can be found in print through Wipf and Stock, the recent edition of The Man Born to Be King from IVP Academic, published in partnership with the Marion E Wade Center out of Wheaton University, has accompanying notations that enrich the text by providing context for somewhat obscure (to our minds, nearly a century later) references and also show some of the ways that Sayers modified her manuscript along the way. This annotated edition, edited by Kathryn Wehr, augments the text in a way that does not interfere with casual reading and provides a treasure trove for fans of Dorothy L. Sayers.Whether you read these plays in preparation for Easter or at another point during the year, it will be spiritually beneficial. If this is your first time through The Man Born to be King, feel free to skip the front matter and notes to dive into the text. However, for those who are interested in the story behind the text, what Wehr provides through her annotations is well worth the time to pause and investigate. This new volume is solid scholarship accompanying a remarkable text. It should be read well and widely.NOTE: This is an edited version of a review posted at Ethics and Culture. I received a gratis copy of the volume from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review.

Long before "The Chosen," or "The Passion of the Christ," or "Jesus Christ, Superstar," or "Godspell" there was "The Man Born to be King" by Dorothy Sayers. Sayers was commissioned to pen 12 radio plays on the life of Christ to be reenacted on BBC Radio in 1941, in the heat of the Second World War. Recently Kathryn Wehr, creative author and scholar, has compiled a new, 420-page paperback including all twelve plays, with writer's notes, scripture references and more in "The Man Born to be King: Wade Annotated Edition". The work is a slow read, which in this case is a good thing. It is packed with background details, the history of the work, the adversity Sayers received early on, footnotes, commentary, and more.Dorothy Sayers, a contemporary of C.S. Lewis, and one who corresponded with him, was quite the woman. Theological, thoughtful, literary, astute, and at times, a bit saucy. She penned numerous short stories, novels and poems. She even translated and published "The Song of Roland" a poem about Charlemagne and his battle with the Saracens. And her theological and perceptive acumen are on full display in many of her doctrinal works, like "Letters to a Diminished Church" where she showed clearly that "the dogma is the drama". She was just the right person to craft a radio drama on the life of Christ.Kathryn Wehr has neatly taken this dramatic presentation, and added many details about its history, sources, and descriptions of it's reception. Sayers's notes are attached, where appropriate, which adds invaluable insight into the woman. Not only is there a load of frontmatter to help readers get ready (including the original Foreword by Dr. J.W. Welch and Sayers's own introduction), but before each play Wehr give's editorial introductions bringing the readers up to speed with what was happening inside the script and behind the scenes. Reading Sayers's notes to the cast, and Wehr's introductions was very penetrating. The psychological shrewdness of Sayers as she develops Judas, Matthew, and Caiaphas was amazing.If you enjoy readers Sayers, of if your a Christian artist and dramatist, you will find this edition a valuable resource. Wehr has given us a masterful work. This volume would be a good edition to college libraries. It would also by a useful resource for Christian scriptwriters and thespians. And if you are about to purchase and listen to the original recordings of this dramatic presentation, you need to take up this work and carry it with you as a traveling companion. I highly recommend the book.My thanks to IVP for sending me the manuscript, at my request, used for this review. Such generous people, they even allowed me free rein to write my evaluation, and didn't use thumbscrews or the rack. Therefore, my evaluation is freely made and freely given.

This edition is a treasure - I had never read or listened to Dorothy Sayers' cycle of BBC radio plays on the life of Christ, but Dr. Wehr's introductions and notes are the perfect companion and guide for a new reader eager to delve into the riches of this work.The side notes are unobtrusive and don't distract from the text itself, but provide remarkable depth and context for the theological, linguistic, dramaturgic, and historical elements of Sayers' craft. I appreciated the notes from earlier drafts, inclusions from letters Sayers wrote on her creative process, and the overall focus on her careful, diligent task of depicting Biblical stories in a compelling and yet truthful way for a modern audience. I'm young enough to be well distanced from the shock of dramatic Biblical adaptations like Jesus Christ Superstar or Passion of the Christ, so it was also fascinating to have the historical context of just how novel and shocking Sayers' work was, and how skillfully she navigated the waters of potential blasphemy and public backlash.The Man Born to be King is every bit as theologically rich and influential to 20th century British religious life as the work of Sayers' contemporary and friend C.S. Lewis, and I hope this new edition and Dr. Wehr's scholarship on this underrated gem will bring Sayers' work, as well as a deep appreciation for her genius, to a wider audience.