Humor in the Gospels: A Sourcebook for the Study of Humor in the New Testament, 18632014

(Hardback)

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Description

Humor 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.

Reviews

Much 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
Bednarzs 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

Author Bio

Terri Bednarz is assistant professor of New Testament studies at Loyola University New Orleans.