Religion in contemporary German drama

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Critics often assert that the twenty-first century marks a "return" of religion to the German stage. However, this study reveals that religious themes and motifs have inspired German dramatists for decades, despite drama scholarship's focus on politics, postmodernity, and gender. By examining works from four major playwrights—Botho Strau, George Tabori, Werner Fritsch, and Lukas Barfuss—this analysis explores the invocation of religion in German drama since the late 1970s. It questions whether contemporary German drama genuinely develops religious insights or merely employs religious symbols for aesthetic or theatrical purposes. The study investigates the performative and historical intersections between drama and religion, contextualizing the playwrights' approaches by referencing the traditions of modern European drama, particularly those of Strindberg, the Expressionists, Artaud, Grotowski, and Beckett. Additionally, it incorporates insights from sociology, anthropology, and psychology of religion, examining how these works mirror the evolving role of religion and spirituality, from secularization to the rise of alternative forms of religiosity in Western society since the 1960s.