Preaching Jokes to Power

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Preaching and stand-up comedy share many traits. Both art forms transpire with a lone speaker addressing a more or less attuned audience on some matter of sociopolitical significance. Despite their commonalities, comedy and preaching bear a troubled history. Much discourse emerging from the contemporary comedy stage would lead to a slew of angry emails (and possibly termination) were it to come from the pulpit. Some even question whether humor is appropriate for the “serious” task of gospel proclamation. What, then, might preachers learn from comics?

Many stand-up comics have found ways to challenge sociopolitical norms through humor. While the efficacy of humor aimed toward social justice remains debatable, such humor prompts us to consider what preachers might learn from stand-up comics in this regard? This workshop interrogates the capacities of preaching and stand-up comedy to challenge structures of injustice, i.e., to preach…