Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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MYSTERY PLAY

A religious drama during the Middle Ages, portraying some mystery of the Christian religion. These plays developed from the dramatic parts of the liturgy and joined to ideas drawn from the Bible and other sources. Biblical dramas featured the Passion of Christ, the Last Supper, the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, and the End of the World. Saints were featured in these plays, notably martyrs such as St. Catherine and St. George. After the Reformation, mystery dramas practically disappeared, but they have since been restored in many places, notably in the Passion Play at Oberammergau, Bavaria.