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VIENNA, Austria — Austria’s national radio station, ÖRF, recently devoted a six-hour programme to a reading of the entire Book of Isaiah.
The programme, organised in co-operation with the Austrian Bible Society, interspersed readings by an actor from Vienna’s largest and most famous theatre with short, simple explanations of each reading by three of the country’s leading theologians. Jewish music, sung and played live, set the mood for the readings.Dr Jutta Henner, General Secretary of the Austrian Bible Society, said the programme, which was entitled Long Night with the Bible, was “an absolute sensation, since our national radio station is not known as being too Christian!” The broadcast followed ÖRF’s appointment of a Bible-reading Roman Catholic as its new Head of Religious Programmes.
“He produced some positive reports about the Bible Society at the time of our 150-year celebrations,” said Dr Henner. “We discussed the idea of doing something together more than a year ago, and then the idea for the Long Night was born. We are both very happy with the result.”
The programme was recorded before a 100-strong audience at ÖRF on the
evening of December 7 and transmitted from midnight until 6am. In Austria, December
8 is a national holiday marking the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
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The three theologians who took part were Dr Chaim Eisenberg, Austria’s Chief Rabbi, Dr Michael Bünker, joint head of the country’s Lutheran Church, and Dr Wolfgang Schwarz, a Roman Catholic priest based in Jerusalem where he is the director of a house for pilgrims from Austria. Dr Henner acted as the chairperson, summarising the talks and putting further questions to the speakers.
The seven Bible readings ranged from 20 to 45 minutes in length. The actor who read them, Martin Schwab, is a member of Austria’s national theatre, the ‘Burgtheater’, founded in 1888. A Protestant from a family which has produced many pastors, in his youth he was involved in working for the YMCA.
Since the great majority of Austrians belong to the Roman Catholic Church, the Bible used for the reading was the official Roman Catholic translation.
Dr Henner said there had been many positive reactions to the programme – and much surprise at hearing the Bible on national radio. A pastor from southern Austria who listened to it while driving to Germany said, “The day was really blessed.”
A week after the event an elderly Roman Catholic lady said that on the night of the broadcast she had been unable to sleep and switched the radio on. “It was the most meaningful night I can remember, and I was not tired even after six hours of listening,” she told Dr Henner.
Another similar collaboration between the Bible Society and ÖRF is due to take place at Easter. A reading of the Gospel of John, with discussion by theologians, and accompanied this time by Christian music, will be broadcast on the afternoon of Good Friday.
Tickets for the recording of December’s broadcast sold out in less than three days and hundreds of applicants had to be turned down. “For the next event we will take a bigger room with about 400 seats,” said Dr Henner. (WR 357/23 - 1/2.01) e-124