This course is an invitation to read the gospels as they were originally intended - as performed stories of faith rather than factual histories. The gospel writers were writing for audiences who had specific contexts and concerns. Consequently they wrote and rewrote their lives of Jesus accordingly - in effect, scripting Jesus to get a particular point across and to achieve the desired audience reaction. (L Michael White http://www.amazon.com/Scripting-Jesus-The-Gospels-Rewrite/dp/B004E3XI4E) In this course we will examine how the gospel writers scripted their stories of the life of Jesus. Closely reading the gospel texts we will examine the different narrative techniques that each gospel writer used to frame their story, and how those techniques shaped the plot and characters of their stories. We will also explore how the lens of modernity has shaped how the Bible is read and how modern storytellers have reframed the Jesus story for contemporary audiences.