Biblical Humor and Performance

Audience Experiences That Make Meaning

Edited by Peter S. Perry

Cascade, 2023

What's so humorous about the Bible? Quite a bit, especially if experienced with others! Nine biblical scholars explore their experiences of reading and hearing passages from the Bible and discovering humor that becomes clearer in performance. Each writer found clues in their chosen biblical text that suggested biblical authors expected an audience to respond with laughter. Performers have a powerful role in either bringing out or tamping down humor in the Bible. One audience may be more disposed to respond to humor than another. And each contributor found that experiencing humor changed the interpretation of the biblical passage. From Genesis to Revelation, this study uncovers the Bible's potential for humor.

The Revelation of St John

Performed by David Rhoads

SBL 1998

Special thanks to the Endowment for Biblical Research (EBR), Boston, for permission to present the recording here. This presentation was given as part of the "Frontiers in Biblical Research" lecture series sponsored by the EBR. For more information, see ebrboston.org.