Humour and Religion: Challenges and Ambiguities (Continuum Religious Studies)

"Humour and Religion highlights the importance and functioning of humour in different world religions. Exploring the major religious cultures, the book looks at more constructive aspects to the relation between humour and religion, with humour seen as a pathway to spiritual wisdom. Exploring how religions contain (implicit) references to the finitude and relativity of the human condition, and why humour and spirituality fit well together, contributors discuss what the meaning of humour in different religions is - Did it evolve historically? How does it function? How is humour related to the realization of spiritual goals? Looking at religions from an external perspective, the contributors then analyze the way religion interacts with humour in society. How does a religion respond to sarcasm and irony? Are there limits to mockery and making fun of believers? Does humour have a pacifying effect when societal tensions run high or does it intensify the sensitivities? This volume will provide essays of value to scholars in the various religions and literatures covered."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Machine Generated Contents Note: Ch. 1 The Redemptive Power Of Humour In Religion / Walter Van Herck / Hans Geybels -- Ch. 2 Humour As Practical Wisdom / Hans Geybels -- Ch. 3 Humour In Hinduism / Johan Taels -- Ch. 4 Laughing Priests In The Atsuta Shrine Festival / Koenraad Elst -- Ch. 5 Humour On Religion In The Greco-roman World / Elaine Gethert -- Ch. 6 Transferring Aristophanes' Religious Registers Into Modern Greek And English: The Case Of (re)constructing The Religious Humour Of Aristophanes' Comedy Acharnians In Greek And English Target-texts / Paul Schulten -- Ch. 7 Laughing In And At The Mirror: Jewish Humour And Hassidic Wisdom / Vicky Manteli -- Ch. 8 Why Did Jesus Laugh? Laughing In Biblical-demiurgical Texts / Ludo Abicht -- Ch. 9 Laughing Against All The Odds. Some Observations On Humour, Laughter And Religion In Byzantium / Ingvild Seelid Gilhus -- Ch. 10 Being Serious About Laughter: The Case Of Early Modern Biblical Plays / Przenzyslaw Marciniak -- Ch. 11 The Muslim Sense Of Humour / Jolanta Rzegocka -- Ch. 12 Humour, Religion And Vulnerability / Ulrich Marzolph -- Ch. 13 Laughing At God. The Pictorial History Of Boundaries Not To Be Crossed / Walter Van Herck -- Ch. 14 The Fool And The Path To Spiritual Insight / Francois Bcespflug -- Ch. 15 Humour, Religion And Politics In Greek Cartoons: Symbiosis Or Conflict? / Jessica Milner Davis. Edited By Hans Geybels And Walter Van Herck. Proceedings Of A Congress Held Apr. 20-21, 2009 At The University Centre Saint Ignatius Antwerp. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Leading scholars analyze the importance and functioning of humor in different world religions. Humor and Religion highlights the importance and functioning of humor in different world religions. Exploring the major religious cultures, the book looks at more constructive aspects to the relation between humor and religion, with humor seen as a pathway to spiritual wisdom. Exploring how religions contain (implicit) references to the finitude and relativity of the human condition, and why humor and spirituality fit well together, contributors discuss what the meaning of humor in different religions is - Did it evolve historically? How does it function? How is humor related to the realization of spiritual goals? Looking at religions from an external perspective, the contributors then analyze the way religion interacts with humor in society. How does a religion respond to sarcasm and irony? Are there limits to mockery and making fun of believers? Does humor have a pacifying effect when societal tensions run high or does it intensify the sensitivities? This volume will provide essays of value to scholars in the various religions and literature covers