ABSTRACT
A great deal of laughter is generated when, in Rabelais, some natural signs belie the speech or conduct of any human being, man, woman or child. God works through signs, and to ignore that leads to error and laughter. Realism provides certainties. Beauty, Truth and Virtue are not generalizations based on deductions from particulars, mere notions imposed arbitarily upon sounds: they are absolute values, giving - among other things - direction to Christian laughter. Rabelais's laughter at ugliness, error and vice is full-blooded and confident because its butts are not deviations from opinion but deviations from absolute value. Truth from the Word of God dripped down on to Scripture. For Rabelais, Scripture has massive force. When properly cited it trenchantly puts an end to obscurity and verbiage. It is the best of guides to moral and spiritual laughter. By the spirit of Christ, Christians have been given throughout the ages truths enough to live by.
