REVIEWS
43
The Sacred Art of Joking
James Cary ( SPCK , January 2019 )
160pp , RRP £ 8.99
Called to Forgive
Anthony B Thompson ( Bethany House Publishers , June 2019 )
256pp , RRP £ 12.99
James Cary is well qualified to write on this subject , having been a sitcom and joke writer for over 20 years . He has written extensively for both TV and radio , including for Miranda , My Hero and My Family .
As stated in the preface , the whole point of the book is ‘ because we need to think seriously about the issues surrounding comedy , religion and offence in a measured and informed and good -humoured way .’ Indeed , Cary writes in an engagingly compelling and authoritative way throughout . He uses plenty of relatable quotes and humour of his own . He also uses a good amount of references including psychiatrists and Greek philosophers .
Carey covers all areas of comedy , including the history and context of comedy and jokes , comedy stereotypes , and how social media has affected both how comedy is portrayed and the power it can hold . He also explores how comedy is present in the Bible and how Jesus used comedy , although it is often overlooked or not even recognised . The place of religion in comedy on TV is acknowledged and Carey notes that it is often affectionately portrayed , such as in The Vicar of Dibley . It is interesting to discover how the church ’ s attitude to jokes and bawdiness has fluctuated throughout history .
The appropriateness of comedy is paid attention to and Cary notes that audience plays a part in the success of its acceptance .
Morality and responsibility of joking is explored in some depth and I found it refreshing to realise that Jesus was unafraid of upsetting people with satire or namecalling !
In these difficult times , it ’ s helpful to laugh and retain a sense of humour . I recommend this book as a good and ‘ different ’ read to lighten your spirits , but also inform you a little more about the place of joking in our lives today .
Wendy Magee
Retired from teaching , I now enjoy local preaching and pastoral work . My interests include travelling , cooking and reading .
This is an account of extraordinary forgiveness shown by the husband of one of the victims of the Charlston Church shooting in 2015 , a whiteon-black atrocity . It reveals how the call to forgive unconditionally is not only in obedience to Christ , who freely forgives us , but is also the gateway to peace and freedom . For anyone who has struggled with the concept of forgiveness , this is an invaluable book .
It is readable , but not an easy read because it contains graphic accounts of the attack , and also of other senseless murders and acts of terror . It takes us inside the mind of the attackers , and their sometimes heartless lack of remorse . The author speaks of his own pain and grief – forgiveness is not an easy ticket to instant healing – and he writes of those who have forgiven and those for whom forgiveness has been impossible . Most movingly , he writes of how he not only forgave the attacker , he reached out to the attacker ’ s hurting parents , offering emotional support and love . Impressive too is the effect of his forgiving act on his neighbourhood , pre-empting the usual retaliatory violence following racial attacks .
Preachers who have to tackle this subject will find the book useful , particularly in relation to personal testimony . Few of us will have quite such a stark example to relate , but the value of speaking from experience is well demonstrated here .
My one criticism is that the book is somewhat repetitive . The author dwells several times on the fear , and possible pain , experienced by his wife , and of his intense grief and loneliness following her murder . I also found the accounts of additional murders almost more than I could bear to read . All in all , though , this is a helpful addition to the body of Christian testimony and devotional writing .
Susan Thorne
Published author and long-established Methodist local preacher , passionate about social justice , ecumenism and the environment .