Description
Book SynopsisHumor in the Gospels is the most comprehensive resource on Gospel humor to date. Terri Bednarz reviews and critiques a 150 years of biblical scholarship on the subject from little known journal articles and out-of-print books to the most well respected classical works of today. She covers a range of scholarly discussions on the various forms and functions of Gospel humor from frivolity to witty allusions to satirical barbs. She examines the barriers of associating humor with the Gospel depictions of Jesus, the difficulties of identifying humor in ancient biblical texts, and the advances of literary, contextual, and rhetorical approaches to recognizing Gospel humor. This important work includes an extensive bibliography for further study of Gospel humor in particular, and Biblical humor in general.
Trade ReviewMuch has transpired over the last 150 years in gospels research. Many works have chronicled these developments, but there is no book that surveys the use of humor in the gospel traditions. This fascinating study, tracing the history of interpretation, demonstrates that the subject of humor has been (surprisingly!) an ongoing discussion in New Testament studies. More than a history of research, however, Bednarz shows the serious functions of humor in early Christian texts. -- Kelly R. Iverson, Baylor University
Bednarz’s work on the forms and functions of humor in the Synoptic Gospels is truly groundbreaking. Many have studied the use of symposia in the Third Gospel, but none have recognized the use of humor and its function to reverse the honor-shame dynamics and expose and delegitimate the authority and status claimed by Jesus’ opponents in the careful analytical way that Bednarz does. While the reader may chuckle at the unexpected twists, the import is a most serious one. -- Barbara E. Reid, Catholic Theological Union
Table of ContentsChapter One: The Quest for Gospel Humor: An Introduction Chapter Two: The Humor Taboo: Scholarship in the First Quest Era (1863–1906) Chapter Three: The Humor of the Absurd: Scholarship in the “No” Quest Era (1907–1953) Chapter Four: The Seriousness of Humor in the Teachings of Jesus: Second Quest Scholarship and Humor Recognition in the Gospels (1954–1969) Chapter Five: The Comic and the Playful in the Teachings of Jesus: Second Quest Scholarship and Humor Recognition in the Gospels (1970–1979) Chapter Six: The Cynic and the Rogue: Humor Studies in the Gospels in the Early Third Quest Era (1980–1995) Chapter Seven: The Comic Savant and His Prophetic Humor: Humor Studies in the Gospels in the Late Third Quest Era (1996–2014) Chapter Eight: Taking Humor Seriously: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Humor in the Gospels in the Third Quest Era (1980–2014) Chapter Nine: The Laughing Jesus: Theological Approaches to Humor in the Gospels in the Third Quest Era (1980–2014) Chapter Ten: A Synopsis of Humor Rhetoric in the Quest Periods
