*

12. Or a Joyful Theology?.

  Now Mallard's convenient separation of Christianity and science-fiction also tells us about the faith that lies between the lines of his book:

...it is a faith so little that it cannot conceive of itself except as existing insome tiny, closed compartment; a faith that does not have relvance to all of life, and hence is no faith at all, but only a small hole large enough at best for the head of a human ostrich.  A faith that can find no significant meaning in art and laughter, in the tragic as well as in the hilariously comic, is a faith that will find no joy in life itself. (Short/65 p.32-33)

 And will certainly find no joy in theology either! In that sense, Mallard and Powers well represent the bulk of modern theologians who perhaps are not even aware that the faith they defend is based upon a clear denial and betrayal of Barth's confession that theology is a joyful science. But in truth, only a theology that is fully equipped to embrace the fullness of Mystery & the Comic Spirit (in all its human, cosmic, and divine aspects and manifestations) can realize the practical goal of uniting joy and science. However, to do this is also to put the entire theological enterprise at risk. This is because a "theology of laughter is a 'subversive' theology: it not only dares to laugh at everything we take for granted, everything that appears to make sense, but it also subverts our understanding of human progress" (Cote 10). Now this suggests that the best philosophical basis for any adequate comic- theology is the 'unsystematic' philosophical analysis called Deconstruction.
.
  And so a deconstructive comic-theology necessarily affirms that Jesus was not only prophet, messiah, and teacher, but also a deconstructionist! The whole thrust of the Lord's proclamation, "which Christian laughter keeps alive in the world, is a challenge to conceive the inconceivable, to say what cannot be said, to applaud what should not be applauded, and to do what cannot be done" (Cote 71). A joyful theology therefore subverts and deconstructs Scripture, art, theology, and even life in general. But it can only do this from a position of humility and holy fear. This is essential because a joyful-theology is wholly dependent on Mystery (sacred and profane), and gives witness to that Mystery. This latter witness-function is admitted simply because it is unavoidable: "Confession, or witness, is the basis of a Christian interpretation of art as it is the basis of a Christian interpretation of anything" (Shor' 65 p.32) . In the same way, the affirmation of Mystery is both necessary and unavoidable. This is because Mystery is a vital part of Being (human, cosmic, and divine). Indeed, 'Mystery' (like 'Love' ) is simply another word for God. Accordingly, the first maxim of a serious joyful-theology is the simple equation:

    I realize that to speak in this way of mystery, of what is unknown yet which gives meaning to our lives, is no easy matter. This is because we become aware of mystery, not by the head knowledge that dominates our schools, but by the heart knowledge that must be deeply experienced and felt. And our modern world, as I said earlier, excludes feelings and forbids talk of what is not of human origin. In daring to speak of our experience of mystery, this book on the echoes from the heart is part of a small yet growing protest movement against this arrogance that claims humanity is the one and only source of intelligence and morality. In countless ways today, people are becoming deeply aware of the emptiness of all attempts to live as if there were no mystery, no non-human source of life and love. There is a growing sense of the personal worth of individuals that results from letting ourselves be surprised and led by the unknown mystery that gives meaning to this life of ours (O'Call 5)

   Consequently, a theology of humor hangs suspended between two polar extremes: Mystery & Love on the one (divine) end, and Blindness & Hard-Heartedness on the other (human) end. Somewhere in the middle, if we are very lucky, we may find the lost pearl of holy humor ...

  In the long and varied history of the Church (or rather, the many churches), there have always been things like the medieval 'Festival of Fools' and other general silliness. Apparently, such whimsical social affairs are needed to offset the otherwise oppressive sobriety and solemnity of the various liturgies and religious functions. A good way to illustrate this point is to take a quick peek at the strange history of Russian piety! Now the Russian Church is surely unique in its absolute emphasis on religion as a 'very-somber-thing'. In spite of this - or, more correctly, because of this! - the Russian people have created incredibly varied, and often quite bizarre, non-orthodox forms of religious expression and spirituality. Here you may find everything from the ultra-orthodox 'Old Believers' to the ecstatic sects that went in for "savage sexual orgies" (Ars 70). You also have your Castrates and Screamers and Elders; and Rasputin and Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy and Chekov; and sundry pilgrims and idiots and beggars and ascetics and monks, etc etc. Many - if not quite all - of these are shining examples of what it means to be a true 'Fool for Christ'! Some of these (usually the more philosophically minded) even have some slight interest in things humorous; but ultimately there is little room for levity in the tormented Russian soul, which seeks, above all else, simplicity, calm, purity, and the soothing 'silence of the heart'. Of course, nothing upsets this silence of the heart quite so much as a fine indecent joke!

Arseniev, N.  Russian Piety.  Trans. A.Moorhouse.

           New York: St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1964.

Buber, Martin. The Knowledge of Man.  New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1965.

Cote, R.G. Holy Mirth: A Theology of Laughter. Whitinsville: Affirmation Books, 1986.

Cox, Harvey. The Feast of Fools: A Theological Essay on Festivity and Fantasy.

            Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1969.

Devine, George.  New Dimensions in Religious Experience.  Staten Island: Alba House, 1971.

Gilkey, Langdon.  Society and the Sacred: Towards a Theology of Culture in Decline.

            New York: Crossroad, 1981.

Greeley, A.M.  God in Popular Culture.  Chicago: Thomas More Press,1988.

Hyers, M.C., Ed.  Holy Laughter: Essays on Religion in the Comic Perspective.

            New York: the Seabury Press, 1969.

Liebenow, Mark.  Is There Fun After Paul?: A Theology of Clowning

            San Jose: Resourse Publications, 1987.

Mallard, William.  The Reflection of Theology in Literature: A Case Study in Theology And

      Culture.  San Antonio: Trinity University Press, 1977.

Moustakas, C.E.  Loneliness and Love.  New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972.

O'Callaghan, Michael.  Gorilla vs. Chimp Christianity.  Battleford: Marian Press, 1980.

Orsy, L.M. The Lord of Confusion.  New Jersey: Dimension Books, 1970.

Padberg, J.W., Chairman.  Theology in the City of Man.

            Saint Louis University: Cross Currents, 1969-70.

Powers, D.N.  culture and theology.  worship series. Washington: the Pastoral Press, 1990.

Rice, C.L. Interpretation and Imagination: The Preacher and Contemporary Literature.

            Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1970.

Short, R.L. Short Meditations on the Bible and Peanuts.  Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990.

______. The Parables of Peanuts.  New York: Harper & Row, 1968.

______. The Gospel According to Peanuts.  Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1965.