This one act biblical play presents Jeremiah’s prophecies within the context of the historical events in which Jeremiah proclaimed them. By doing so, the tragedy of the kingdom of Judah comes into focus. The people’s love for their God grew cold, and they lost confidence in him. Their God, however, remained faithful. Through the pained voice of Jeremiah, God calls to them, but they do not listen. The inevitable result is destruction. Jeremiah’s story is a tragedy. Yet, the tragedy ends in hope : the hope of resurrection and new life. Jerusalem is destroyed, but God is still God and has a plan of new life for his people. Throughout this drama, the voice of God speaks through the voice of Jeremiah. God reveals his love through Jeremiah’s agonized love for Jerusalem.

The narrative offered in this play unfolds in three voices. There is the voice of Jeremiah and of the narrator, Baruch. These two voices speak verbatim from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah according to the English of the New American Bible. The third voice is the voice of a commentator. The content of this voice has been gleaned from several commentaries, but principally from John Bright’s commentary in the Anchor Bible Series.

To read the play or to down load it click here : Jeremiah : The People of God’s Prophet of Conversion, A Reader’s Theater Presentation by Michael S. Sherwin, o.p.