And the Laugh Shall be First: A Treasury of Religious Humor

by William H. Willimon

And the Laugh Shall Be A Treasury of Religious Humor

Genres: Humor

156 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1987

About the author

The Reverend Dr. William H. Willimon is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at the Divinity School, Duke University. He served eight years as Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, where he led the 157,000 Methodists and 792 pastors in North Alabama. For twenty years prior to the episcopacy, he was Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

Reviews

[JD Waggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

All my respect to Bishop Willimon (who was not a bishop yet when he put this together), but there's a huge problem with this "treasury of religious humor": it isn't funny.

Perhaps I'm the wrong audience; I'm a Methodist preacher, the butt of many of the jokes in this volume. But most of what's in here is satire, biting and fierce. It's not funny. It's not even really meant to be funny; it's meant to call for change, but even in doing so many of these stories go for the easy targets. It takes little effort to mock exultant Pentecostal-types in the sticks. It takes little effort to deflate puffed-up stuffed-shirt pastors who have abandoned their duties for the sake of their vanity. It takes little effort to press on the "nicety" of pastors who think that they can't be rude. These are stories that largely haven't aged well over the last 100 years, not because they're not applicable but because there is so much that mocks clergy and the general doing of church these days that they are but one of a thousand voices.

I did appreciate Willimon's "Methodist Preachers" story simply because I'm in the midst of tangling with the District Committee on Ministry and the Board of Ordained Ministry, so the stereotypes in that clip were applicable and funny in a painful sort of way. But that's because he's speaking from Methodism to Methodism with me, so I don't know that that would translate well to other denominations. And I liked the obituary of God in response to the Emory prof's "God is dead" declaration, although again that has to fight the uphill battle of time because here in 2018 God has been declared dead for 50 years and we're all sort of used to the idea and have moved on.

I won't be keeping this, and I'm actually hesitant to pass this on to anyone else I know. These days, the Church is into enough evil in reality that we don't need to make up more with which to lampoon it. But maybe my sense of humor is off.

[James Klagge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some clever pieces, some rather boring. The best were Ch's 14 & 15 written by Willimon. Ch 14 is "Olympics for Clerics," written in anticipation of the 1984 Olympics in LA. I especially enjoyed the Calling-Card Dash (p. 89), and the Preaching-Volume Throw (p. 90). And the last selection was also good--an obituary for God, written 50 years ago in response to the "God is Dead" meme.

[John Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is satire beyond satire. Do not read this believing you are engaging theology but instead embrace the humor and do not take it or yourself too seriously.

[Covenant Presbyterian Springfield Ohio]

Call Number: 202 WIL

Available.