Jesus Laughed: The Redemptive Power of Humor
Senior editor of The Wittenburg Door for 20 years, the periodical that describes itself as "the world's pretty much only religious humor and satire magazine," Baylor journalism professor Darden knows something about wit. Combining passion for humor and his scholarly sensibilities, his new offering is and isn't a laughing matter. In an often breezy style, this historical, biblical, philological and psychological treatise is "a call to reclaim Holy Laughter for the church." Darden examines the ingredients of humor and ferrets out what's funny in scripture. After documenting how the Church lost its sense of humor, he champions the reasons "the redeemed ought to look more like it." Darden's reach is broad, embracing first-rate thinkers and writers such as Karl Barth, Elton Trueblood, C.S. Lewis, Annie Dillard and Anne Lamott, whose idea that "laughter is carbonated holiness" much captures his fancy. Insisting that a vital part of the human spirit needs to be brought to center stage within and without the walls of the Church, Darden maintains, "I believe with all my heart that God laughs and plays." Quoting Mark Lowry to bolster his case, Darden hammers home his point with "What healthy father doesn't love to hear his children laugh?" Clergy and laity should find reasons to rejoice in this important, timely book. --Publisher's Weekly, Religion BookLine, July 23, 2008