Humor and Laughter in Religion Symposium

ARCHIVED EVENT

The Center for the Study of Religion and Melton Center for Jewish Studies will present a symposium on religious humor and laughter.  The day will consist of two panel discussions with two presenters exploring the following questions: Why is it important for scholars to attend to humor and laughter, and, if it's often been neglected or overlooked, why is that the case? What are the methodological or conceptual challenges that attend the study of religious humor? Are there broader issues or questions in the study of religion on which humor or laughter helps shine a particularly useful light? What does humor reveal about how communities and individuals negotiate boundaries of religious and ethnic identity? What, if anything, do we gain by engaging religious humor comparatively and cross-culturally?

The presenters will include:

Jennifer Caplan, Associate Professor in Judaic Studies at the University of Cincinnati, an expert on American Judaism and popular culture. 

Samah Choudhury: "Thinking About Religion and Race by Taking Humor Seriously." Choudhury is an assistant professor in the department of Philosophy and Religion at Ithaca College where she teaches courses on religion, race, pop culture, and Islam. She is at work on her first book, American Muslim Humor and the Politics of Secularity, which examines how Muslims have articulated themselves through the medium of standup comedy in the U.S., and the ways that Islam gains recognition or becomes obscured under the specter and demands of U.S. multicultural secularism. She is a research fellow this year with the University of Chicago’s Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity.

Melissa Curley, Associate Professor of Comparative Studies at The Ohio State University, an expert on Buddhism and Japanese philosophy. 

Hannibal Hamlin, Professor of English at The Ohio State University, an expert on early modern English literature. 

Schedule

9am         Tea/coffee and pastries available

9:30-9:40     Welcome/Introductions

9:40-10:30    Panel 1

• Jennifer Caplan (Univ. of Cincinnati), "What's Jewish about Jewish Humor?"

• Samah Choudhury (Ithaca College), "Thinking about Religion and Race by Taking Humor Seriously"

10:30-10:40   Break

10:40-11:30   Panel 2   

• Melissa Anne-Marie Curley (OSU), "Rain-Making and Piss-Taking: Bawdy Humor in a Few Buddhist Stories"

• Hannibal Hamlin (OSU), "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost walk into a bar...: Does Christianity Have a Sense of Humor?"

11:30-11:35   Break

11:35-11:55   Conversation w/ all presenters

11:55-12pm  Wrap up

The Humanities Institute and its related centers host a wide range of events, from intense discussions of works in progress to cutting-edge presentations from world-known scholars, artists, activists and everything in between.

We value in-person engagement at our events as we strive to amplify the energy in the room. But we also recognize the fact that not all our guests will be able to visit our space. Zoom access will be available to this event upon request. If you wish to have such access, please send your request to Megan Moriarty: moriarty.8@osu.edu.