Faith, Humor, and Paradox
Ignacio L. Gotz
Dec 2002 · Greenwood Publishing Group
Ebook
136
Pages
About this ebook
Götz proposes that there is no opposition between faith and humor, belief and laughter. To argue this point, he shows how both the structure of faith and that of humor are the same, and this structure is paradox. Paradox, which is well known in the secular realms of mathematics and philosophy, is explored, first, in detail, and then he shows how faith and humor, both, are paradoxical in nature. The result is that there is no real opposition between faith and humor. The tragic and the comic are sisters, as Aristotle saw in antiquity.
On the other side,Götz shows what happens when faith and humor depart from paradox: faith becomes dogmatic and fanatical, and humor becomes superficial and banal. Fanatical faith latches onto beliefs and dogmas rather than to the openness of paradox, and so it leads to terrorism against those who hold onto different beliefs. Götz also warns against an easy embrace of tolerance as the only alternative to fanaticism, because tolerance itself is imperfect and is often forced to accept evil. It should not, Götz argues, be the sole solution inculcated in our schools. This is a thoughtful and provocative analysis that will be of interest to the general reader as well as scholars and students interested in the place of religion in contemporary society.
On the other side,Götz shows what happens when faith and humor depart from paradox: faith becomes dogmatic and fanatical, and humor becomes superficial and banal. Fanatical faith latches onto beliefs and dogmas rather than to the openness of paradox, and so it leads to terrorism against those who hold onto different beliefs. Götz also warns against an easy embrace of tolerance as the only alternative to fanaticism, because tolerance itself is imperfect and is often forced to accept evil. It should not, Götz argues, be the sole solution inculcated in our schools. This is a thoughtful and provocative analysis that will be of interest to the general reader as well as scholars and students interested in the place of religion in contemporary society.
About the author
IGNACIO L. GÖTZ is Lawrence Stessin Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Teaching Fellow at New College, Hofstra University. His books include The Culture of Sexism (Praeger, 1999), Manners and Violence (Praeger, 2000), and Technology and the Spirit (Praeger, 2001).
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
