Humour in the Beginning

Published 2022.

Humour in the Beginning presents a multidisciplinary collection of fourteen in-depth case-studies on the role of humour - both benign and blasphemous, elitist, and ordinary, orthodox, and heterodox - in early, formative stages of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and (late-antique) Judaism. Its coherence is strengthened by four preceding theoretical essays, many cross-references, and a conclusion. Thus, the volume allows for a methodologically sound comparison and explanation of historical views on humour in the world's most important religions. At first sight, the foundational period of religions does not seem to offer many opportunities for humour. A closer look on primary sources, however, reveals the ways in which people formulated answers to existing ideas on humour and laughter, in moments of religious renewal. Main topics include the incongruous nature of the divine, the role of anthropomorphism, superior and didactic humour, moderate laughter, responses from dissenters and the gap between religious regulations and reality.