Page - 163 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/01

According to McIntyre, religious satire can even work as a corrective that criticizes the church authorities’ interference in and control of the religious practices of in- dividuals. In general, Religious Humor in Evangelical Christian and Mormon Culture makes a substantial contribution to the growing field of the study of humor (specifically the genre of comedy) and religion. The focus on producers of humorous religious me- dia, and on comedians in particular, in relation to religious audiences proves espe- cially fruitful. However, the large quantity of materials examined is both a strength and a weakness of this study. On the one hand, the study is founded on rich mate- rial that allows the development of a persuasive and comprehensive argument. On the other hand, the analysis could be even more acute if it considered the stylistic properties and effects of the different source types: it makes a difference if a joke is presented in a film comedy, by a stand-up comedian or in a cartoon. The approach employed here focuses largely on dialogue, with only occasional reference to ac- tion. To determine how religious humor actually works, we must take into account the media in which it is presented. But this hesitation suggests only a desideratum for future studies and does not diminish this book’s valuable contribution. 162 | Marie-Therese Mäder www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/1, 159–162