The Emperor Constantine

A brief Prologue by the Church introduces the career of Constantine (from AD 305-337) with scenes from the empires of both west and east concentrating on Constantines progress to imperial power and inevitably in religious belief. He discovers Christ to be the God who has made him his earthly vice-regent as single Emperor. Summoning the Council of Nicaea in 325 an invigorating debate results in the acceptance of Constantines formula that Christ is of one substance with God. The implications of the Creed of Nicaea are revealed in the last part of the play in which it is Constantines mother Helena who brings him to the realization that he needs redemption by Christ for his political and military life as well as for the domestic tragedy which has resulted in the death of his son. I am delighted at the long overdue re-publication of Dorothy L. Sayers religious plays which will help make these valuable texts available to the current generation. Let us hope that some theatre enthusiasts will be encouraged to re-stage them! Suzanne Bray Lille Catholic University As Ann Loades makes clear in her extremely informative introduction Dorothy L. Sayers plays are arguably the place where she did her best theological work. The re-publication of these plays makes it possible again for this remarkable writer to have the readers she so richly deserves. Stanley Hauerwas Duke Divinity School Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) born and educated in Oxford was an accomplished novelist poet playwright scholar and Christian apologist. Along with her religious drama her numerous writings include translations of Dante detective stories theological works and studies of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.