Sacred Laughter
Humor and Laughter in Religious, Cultural, and Mythic Traditions
Will be published approx. on 2. April 2026
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-1-6669-7304-4 (ISBN)
Description
This anthology explores the intersection of humor and laughter with various faith, religious, and mythic traditions.
Each chapter covers a unique case where humor and laughter have intersected with some part of a religious, cultural, or mythic tradition and explores how and why laughter and humor are important in those stories. The contributors also explore how the role of humor and laughter shaped and influenced the various religions, cultures, or myths and what that might mean to the parent society. Each author also adds a bit of reflection on how they think their work is relevant to issues of humor in our modern world.
Each chapter covers a unique case where humor and laughter have intersected with some part of a religious, cultural, or mythic tradition and explores how and why laughter and humor are important in those stories. The contributors also explore how the role of humor and laughter shaped and influenced the various religions, cultures, or myths and what that might mean to the parent society. Each author also adds a bit of reflection on how they think their work is relevant to issues of humor in our modern world.
Reviews / Votes
This collection will be of great use to anybody seeking to learn about religion and humor-especially outside of Christian and Jewish contexts. The materials on East Asian religions, in particular, are welcome additions to the field. * David Feltmate, Professor of Sociology, Auburn University at Montgomery, USA *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
13 bw illus; 4 tables
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
510 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6669-7304-4 (9781666973044)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Michael K. Cundall Jr.
Sacred Laughter
Humor and Laughter in Religious, Cultural, and Mythic Traditions
E-Book
01/2026
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€94.99
Available for download
Michael K. Cundall Jr.
Sacred Laughter
Humor and Laughter in Religious, Cultural, and Mythic Traditions
E-Book
01/2026
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€94.99
Available for download
Persons
Michael K. Cundall Jr. is professor of philosophy at North Carolina A&T State University, USA.
Content
Acknowledgments
Editor's Introduction: Sacred Laughter
Chapter One: The Wheel of Gelastic Fortune: The Turnings of Monastic Mirth
Terry Lindvall and Christian Palmisano
Chapter Two: The Transformative Nature of the Sun-god's Laughter in Ancient Egyptian Religious Texts
LaReina Hingson
Chapter Three: The Archfigure Trickster: The Role of Humor in Functional Models of the Trickster-Civilizer's Actions in North American Indian Myths
Nikol Danisova
Chapter Four: Humor in Islam
Fatima Ahmed and Sundus Mohamed
Chapter Five: Buddhism, Humor, and Laughter
Richard Gardner
Chapter Six: Transformations of a Japanese Deity of Dance: Humor, Ritual, and the Question How to Reach the Gods
Bernard Scheid
Chapter Seven: The Sanctity of the Funny: Christian Clown Ministries and the Paradox of the Profane
Liz Sills
Chapter Eight: Serious Buddha, laughing Krishna? Some aspects of fun and games in Hinduism and Buddhism
Paul van Der Velde
Chapter Nine: 'The Gods live like Us': Sacred Humor in Africa
Benson Igboin
Chapter Ten: Boiled Shoe, Enamoured Cow and a Buddha in a Fur: Buddhist Humour in Mongolian Communities
Alevtina Solovyeva and Anastasiya Fiadotava
Chapter Eleven: Laughing to Move the Gods: The Transformative Power of Humor in Shinto
Kaitlyn Ugoretz
Editor's Epilogue
About the Contributors
Editor's Introduction: Sacred Laughter
Chapter One: The Wheel of Gelastic Fortune: The Turnings of Monastic Mirth
Terry Lindvall and Christian Palmisano
Chapter Two: The Transformative Nature of the Sun-god's Laughter in Ancient Egyptian Religious Texts
LaReina Hingson
Chapter Three: The Archfigure Trickster: The Role of Humor in Functional Models of the Trickster-Civilizer's Actions in North American Indian Myths
Nikol Danisova
Chapter Four: Humor in Islam
Fatima Ahmed and Sundus Mohamed
Chapter Five: Buddhism, Humor, and Laughter
Richard Gardner
Chapter Six: Transformations of a Japanese Deity of Dance: Humor, Ritual, and the Question How to Reach the Gods
Bernard Scheid
Chapter Seven: The Sanctity of the Funny: Christian Clown Ministries and the Paradox of the Profane
Liz Sills
Chapter Eight: Serious Buddha, laughing Krishna? Some aspects of fun and games in Hinduism and Buddhism
Paul van Der Velde
Chapter Nine: 'The Gods live like Us': Sacred Humor in Africa
Benson Igboin
Chapter Ten: Boiled Shoe, Enamoured Cow and a Buddha in a Fur: Buddhist Humour in Mongolian Communities
Alevtina Solovyeva and Anastasiya Fiadotava
Chapter Eleven: Laughing to Move the Gods: The Transformative Power of Humor in Shinto
Kaitlyn Ugoretz
Editor's Epilogue
About the Contributors