About the Author

Robin Gallaher Branch holds a research appointment as Extraordinary Associate Professor in the Faculty of Theology at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. She publishes frequently in South African journals. She received a Fulbright Fellowship in 2002-3 to South Africa and a Kilian McDonnell Fellowship in Faith and Culture in 2015 to the Collegeville Institute in Collegeville, Minnesota. She writes frequently for magazines and newspapers and serves as an adjunct instructor at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee.

Reviews

""With its emancipated imagination, the Bible clearly is intended for dramatic reperformance. Robin Gallaher Branch has well understood this and has brought her artistic sensibility to the task. The outcome is compelling scripts that will evoke many fresh performances. Her scripts provide the dramatic specificity and concreteness so crucial to the biblical plot."" --Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary ""Dr. Branch succeeds in this publication to bring biblical characters to life. In some instances, by having these characters converse with modern contexts, she comments on the transformative nature of the biblical text in the twenty-first century. In other cases, she captures and investigates the human spirit of her characters while keeping them confined to an ancient life setting. Either way she makes an exciting contribution to writing the present chapter in the reception history of the biblical text."" --Hans Van Deventer, Professor of Biblical Studies, North-West University, South Africa ""Dr. Branch claims that 'Plays capture the drama of theology in the making.' That is certainly true in her compositions, where she employs the scriptural idiom in dramatic format to invite both performers and audiences to see themselves as part of the greatest story ever told."" --Andrew Dearman, Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary ""Dr. Robin Gallaher Branch has taught on the college level, written for the Society of Biblical Literature, and published an important book on contributions of lesser-known women in the Old Testament. Dr. Branch is an excellent scholar, however, she is able to write so that the average person understands the message being conveyed. Her Six Biblical Plays for Contemporary Audiences is a delightful look at Bible stories and helps us see these rich stories in a playful light."" --John B. ""Mike"" Loudon, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Lakeland, FL ""Robin Gallaher Branch has written six plays which Christians will enjoy enacting as their audiences gain fresh insights into the significance of familiar biblical texts. The profound scholarship displayed in her annotations enables her to understand accurately the background of these texts. She correctly depicts Elizabeth and Mary as young teenagers at the time they were wed. She empathetically describes their emotions: Elizabeth while suffering the anguish of barrenness and Mary while living under the suspicion of being an adulteress. Her plays based on characters from Proverbs and on the parts of the body of Christ personified display wit and humor."" --Edwin M. Yamauchi, Professor of History Emeritus, Miami University ""These biblically based plays remind us of Jesus' method of teaching the multitudes through stories rather than directly through lectures. Robin does what Eugene Peterson said (using words from an Emily Dickinson poem) about Jesus with the parables--'Tell it slant.' Her technique works equally well with audiences that do not have a background of biblical knowledge and with those who think they know all about the Bible."" --David A. Bowen, Assistant Minister, Mid-Adults; Memphis Fellows Teacher, Second Presbyterian Church ""Dr. Branch's plays serve as a wonderful tool to take a closer look at what REALLY happened in familiar Bible stories. As I read each play, I used my imagination and reason to ponder and question how I might receive a divine pronouncement--something that definitely would interrupt the routine of my life! Two characters in particular--Lady Wisdom and Mary--encouraged me to respond daily to God's freely offered wisdom and redemptive plan."" --Elizabeth Dickinson, Lawyer ""Dr. Branch's plays are theatrical windows into biblical narratives and human nature. Characters embody an array of emotions--from joy to fear and cockiness. Funny Bone Finds a Home is humorous. An audience or reader may chortle over the dismissive declarations of one member of the Body of Christ: 'I