Humor is often seen as a way of coping with the absurdities and tragedies of human existence. But humor can also be a way of exploring the paradoxes and contradictions of religion, which claims to offer ultimate answers and values for humanity. In this presentation, I will examine how humor about God can reveal the irony of religion and the meaning of humanity. I will draw on examples from various sources to show how humor about God can challenge, critique, or celebrate religious beliefs and practices. I will also discuss how humor about God can express different aspects of human nature, such as curiosity, doubt, faith, hope, and love. I will argue that humor about God can be a valuable tool for understanding and appreciating the complexity and diversity of religion and humanity.
Rev. Prof. Robert Setio, Ph. D. is the current dean of the Faculty of Theology at Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana He is also a board member of the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies, where he has taught Interreligious Hermeneutics and Approaches to Interreligious Studies. His main research interest is Biblical Hermeneutics.
