Page - 160 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/01

Marie-Therese Mäder Book Review Elisha McIntyre, Religious Humor in Evangelical Christian and Mormon Culture London: Bloomsbury, 2018, 221 pages, ISBN 978-1-350-00548-8 At first sight one might think that religion and humor do not belong together, or at least do not make a fruitful pairing. The study Religious Humor in Evangelical Chris- tian and Mormon Culture by Elisha McIntyre, an Australian scholar in the study of religion, shows that such is not the case at all, although the effectiveness of such hu- mor will depend on its purpose and participants. The study distinguishes between humor about religion and religious humor. Defining the latter, McIntyre writes, “it must be made by religious people, include some sort of religious theme(s), or is at least informed by a religious worldview” (2). This genre supplies the religious mar- ket and communicates philosophical and theological ideas. The sources included in the study share a broad, contemporary production context that includes written jokes, cartoons, stand-up comedy, film comedies and sitcoms. One of the central questions in the book is “How does religious belief inspire and/or control humor cre- ation and appreciation?” (6). As the analyzed sources primarily concern Mormon and evangelical productions – often created by evangelical or Mormon comedians, car- toonists, or television producers and mostly intended for evangelical and Mormon audiences – a second set of questions ask, “What are evangelicals and Mormons watching, reading, and listening to for the purpose of humorous entertainment? What criteria do believers use to make their entertainment choices? How does that help them to express and, importantly, reinforce, their religious beliefs and prac- tices?” (6). The last question addresses one of the theses of the book, namely that jokes feed boundary-formation processes for religious groups and individuals be- cause what someone perceives as funny is indicative of that person’s worldview. Shared laughter and shared offence-taking are social expressions of group belong- ing or of disassociation from others. McIntyre proposes that “understanding what DOI: 10.25364/05.06:2020.1.9 Book Review: Religious Humour | 159www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/1, 159–162