ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 discusses how Laurence Housman’s biblical drama forwards the belief that Judaism is a redundant religion because the Old Covenant between God and the Jews has been superseded by the New (and superior) Covenant brought by Jesus. The chapter assesses the extent to which this viewpoint accords with dominant Christian thinking when Housman was writing. However, Housman’s plays also demonstrate pioneering thinking about women and other social issues. The chapter explores how his choice to rework biblical narratives about prophecy and social justice is driven by his involvement with several important radical social movements – women’s suffrage, socialism, and pacifism.
