Blessed

Blessed is a collection of dramatic monologues that engage the gospel narratives surrounding Mary, the mother of Jesus, through the experiences of contemporary women. Bridging proclamation and protest through theater, the pieces invite the reader to stand at the intersection of faith and doubt alongside women giving birth to the Word in the world, women like Mary--broken and blessed. ""Neal brings her considerable gifts and lays them at the feet of the church. These dramatic pieces are part theater, part prayer, and part sermon. She has compassionately knit together the elements of life and faith most of us keep separate: the iconic figure of Mary becomes sister and friend to all women. Readers and audiences will be blessed by Neal's Blessed."" --Richard Lischer, Duke Divinity School ""Whether read or performed, turned as single gems or taken as a single work, Neal's deft, dramatic pieces raise deep questions about Mary--the blessed but utterly human mother of Jesus. Drawn into these scenes, we cannot help wondering, as well, at the astonishing intersections of the divine life with our own."" --Sally A. Brown, Princeton Theological Seminary ""These beautiful and poignant monologues call us to the deep places of preaching, where bearing and birthing the Word is both a painful struggle and a joyful hope. Like Mary, Neal has pondered the Word in her heart, and she has given that Word rich, embodied form. All who enter this gospel drama with her will be fearfully and wonderfully blessed."" --Charles L. Campbell, Duke Divinity School Jerusha Matsen Neal is a doctoral candidate in homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is an ordained American Baptist minister, actress, and playwright.