A Book Review: ‘The Christians’ by Lucas Hnath

Pastor Paul does not believe in Hell. He has wrestled with the notion of everyone, even the worst person, going to Heaven for a while. Now, he is ready to share his insights with the congregation. Can the church take what Pastor Paul has to say? This is the question Lucas Hnath answers in his play, The Christians. 

Hell Is Not Real

Pastor Paul receives a revelation during a recent pastor’s conference. During the gathering, he listens to a story of a boy who sacrificed his life for his younger sister after a car bomb detonated in front of a grocery store. The boy was not a Christian. In fact, he practiced a different religion entirely. According to the Christian missionary sharing the story at the pastor’s conference, the boy was sentenced to eternal damnation for failing to believe in Jesus. Pastor Paul sees things differently. 

Pastor Paul believes the boy’s selflessness is evidence of his good nature. It makes no sense, then, for a loving God to punish him for not believing in Jesus. 

Pastor Paul’s perspective on this matter opens the notion of Hell up for discussion. His rationalization that people should not be punished with eternal damnation for failing to think the way Christians do makes the audience question whether or not the concept of Hell existing and being reserved for those who do not profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior is ethical, let alone in step with a God who is described as Love in the Bible. 

Pastor Paul’s epiphany is likely welcomed by the skeptic. The devout believer reading or watching this play may struggle to accept the clergyman’s message.

Trouble In Paradise

Those who indeed struggle with Pastor Paul’s message are in good company with the characters in the play who also question, wrestle with, and ultimately reject the minister’s sermon. Even Paul’s wife believes her husband has lost his connection with God after his delivery. 

It is quite interesting to read her reaction as Pastor Paul’s wife has grievances that go beyond his edgy message. She claims to view his sermon as selfish, but in reality, Paul’s wife likely sees him as self-absorbed altogether. He, after all, never bothers to check with her concerning anything related to ministry. He only sees her as his echo chamber instead of an individual with opinions that may not always agree with his perspective. 

At one point, Pastor Paul even seeks to blame his wife for the church’s failure. His attempt to use her as a scapegoat tells us that she has suffered emotional damage at his hands long before he decided to share his philosophy about Hell not existing. 

In many ways, Pastor Paul’s edgy sermon is his wife’s ticket out of a terrible situation. Such is the reason why her response to everything is so extreme. 

What We Believe And Why We Believe It

One aspect of the play that I view as purely philosophical is the notion of belief. During a conversation with his former associate pastor, Pastor Paul is reminded that he grew up in a Christian home and, thus, had a clear pathway to pastorship. Others have been tasked with struggling to believe as they came to the religion later in life, according to the former associate pastor.

This conversation caused me to consider how much culture affects the spiritual paths we choose. Many who swear by a religion they were reared in from birth have never experienced other spiritual paths. How, then, can they make informed decisions about what is truly best for them? Is it even possible to make fully unbiased decisions in life? These were questions for which I do not have definite answers. 

For Curious Minds

The Christians by Lucas Hnath is great for curious minds. Those who feel solid in their belief systems may want to skip this play as it may cause them to begin asking questions that could lead down a rabbit hole they never intended to approach.