FOOLS FOR CHRIST:

Humor and the Poverty of Modern Theology
*

'Alexamenos worships his god'
proclaims this anti-Christian Greek graffito found on the Palatine,
showing a crucified man with an ass's head. (I)
[Graffiti and text cited from 'The Crucible of Christianity'
(1969) by top-notch historian A.Toynbee;
See page 295 of this very big and heavy book.]

*
CONTENTS:
.
1. Introduction
2. Irony & the Comic Spirit
3. Theology & the Comic Philosophy
4. For Example: Spiritual Sci-Fi
5. A Certain Puzzling Blindness
6. The King of the Jews
7. Turnabout is Fair Play
8. The Poverty Illustrated
9. Hebrew & Greek Attitudes
10. The Literature of Holy Humor
11. A Theology of Laughter?
12. Or a Joyful Theology?
13. Addendum's & Works Cited

*
1- Introduction
*
Theology Is a joyful science - Karl Barth.

   The first intention of both theology and preaching is to engage men and women wherever they are; and where they are is in the midst of whatever particular culture surrounds them and enters them through the very air they breathe. Now the essence of religion is the response, in the depths of one s mind and heart and soul, to whatever is profound and meaningful in human experience. This is what Tillich's 'ultimate concerns' means. "By this definition, the opposite of religious feeling is indifference, superficiality, aloof detachment from the concerns of men and women" (Rice 3). Accordingly, this essay will attempt to demonstrate that comedy and humor are far less indifferent and detached from our ultimate human concerns than modern theology is. Now there are various ways in which Christian thinkers (and thus theology in general) can participate in the so-called post- modern' culture of the global techno-village: through liturgy and prayer, through time spent in solitude and meditation, through silence and dialogue with the inner-most self, through encounter with the City and its peoples, and with the cycles of nature. All this can position theology aright to savor the essence of the common culture that prevails in all the international urban centers. If there is any meaning to be found in the madness and chaos of a hungry and fearful world, then it will have to be searched for among those precious few things of high quality: "the aesthetic meaning of life in art, in music, in literature, in human encounter" (Mous ix).

    And in comedy. But the more refined comic spirit, being so difficult to define and capture, tends to confine itself mostly to the mundane, everyday world of work and leisure and society, and so rarely even makes its way into 'the arts' and theology. Occasionally, however, an exceptional writer will come along in whom the comic genius is apparent to all. The first, though certainly not the greatest, of these talented men in modern times is the ever amazing Soren Kierkegaard. he is that Christian individual who wrote (among other things) the 'Concluding Unscientific Postscript', which is the real starting point for all serious reflection on the Comic spirit. Back in the 20C, Charles Shultz has first claim on the theologian's attention; but there are certainly a few others! So what is humor, anyway? Professor Kane offers an interesting definition: "Humor is the meeting place of the human and divine; it affirms our humanity and the possibilities God gives us in life for growth ... It opens the door to humility by inviting us not to take ourselves so seriously ... Humor deals with the emotions, so it is a psychological subject. Since theology can (or should be) applied to all aspects of life, it is fitting to talk about a theology of humor" (Cote 7).

  Now Greeley has a similar understanding; but his definition confines itself - unnecessarily, in our view - to but one aspect of humor, namely, irony: "Irony, however, is required for more than the humility that ought to be a virtue zealously pursued by those who engage in theological reflection. It is an absolute prerequisite for theology.Without irony one forgets the essential nature of human nature as creature, indeed funny creature. Pomposity, self- importance, and self-righteousness make theological reflection impossible because they turn the theologian into the object of reflection; and the theologian is by definition not God" (Greeley 287).