The Sacred Art of Joking

An elegant treatise on how [the church] could lighten up its image.' The Times Having worked for many years at the coalface of comedy, sorting the dross from the combustible, James Cary is uniquely qualified to write this book. Milton Jones, comedian and panellist on BBC2s Mock the Week Every few weeks a politician, pundit or soap star causes a media storm by making a gaffe or tweeting a joke that some people do not find funny. Comedy is very hard to get right and yet we think its important to have a sense of humour and not take yourself too seriously. On the other hand, a sense of humour failure can lead to losing your friends, your twitter account, your job, your career and, in some cases, your life. James Cary knows about this. He is a sitcom writer whos written jokes about bomb disposal in Afghanistan (Bluestone 42), defended comments about Islam by Ben Elton on Newsnight, been on a panel with radical Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary, sits on the General Synod of the Church of England and somehow managed to co-write episodes of Miranda. An odd mix, but one that makes him very readable. This entertaining, breezy book, explains how comedy works (with jokes and quotes) and gives much-needed insights into the controversy surrounding humour. Part 1. A good sense of humour -- It's funny because it's true -- An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman ... -- How jokes work (without killing a frog) -- How jokes go wrong -- Punched by a punchline -- Where's the line? -- Why jokes are no laughing matter -- Rules of engagement -- Leaping from car to car -- Comedy at Ground Zero -- Part 2. Comedy and the Church -- Do Christians have a sense of humour? -- The problem with jokes -- The Philippians 4 manoeuvre -- Holy crap! -- No laughing Messiah -- The Supreme Being walks into a bar ... -- Was Jesus funny? -- Why Christianity is an easy target -- Why don't comedians make jokes about Islam? -- Why you shouldn't start a sermon with a joke -- Notes for readers -- Part 3. Advanced joking -- Betrayed by laughter -- Springtime for pug dogs -- Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! -- Jerry and the lawmakers -- Careful now -- All-American prophet -- What's so funny about Easter? A funny, informative book that gives the reader an insight into how comedy works and reveals why it's so easy to get wrong (especially in the realm of religion)