ABSTRACT
Harsh, railing satire combines disparagement and ridicule. It is technically called diasyrm. The basic meaning of that term implies tearing a man apart. The example of Elijah and the priests of Baal gave to diasyrm a privileged place - perhaps the most privileged place - among Christians. The glossators and exegetes make that abundantly clear. For Grotius, diasyrm is not unfair when used against those who are truly enemies of piety or corrupters of the people. Christians might well have been led to reject all cruel laughter by meditating on the railing against Christ from the foot of the Cross. But the Bible as once read would not allow it. Holy Writ unambiguously showed that the very kind of laughter which is abominable when aimed at Elisha or at Christ can be directed - and as Renaissance theologians continued to insist, be rightly directed - at error, and especially at heresy and blasphemy.
