ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a cross-section of contemporary religious humor, focusing mainly on stand-up comedy and other pop culture creations. It outlines the extraordinarily rich and varied landscape of contemporary religious comedy. Mark Lowry, a practicing Baptist, is a full-blooded entertainer and talented musician, regularly performing to large audiences across the United States. He belongs to the sector of evangelicalism that sees in comedy a legitimate vehicle for conveying religious themes. South Park is a cutout-style US animated cartoon program that has gained notoriety for its free use of profanity, its often bizarre plot developments, and its unfettered satirical approach to just about any topic, including religious thematics. Imposing a sensitivity requirement on comedy would not only eliminate offensive comedy aimed at subjects dear to the political left, but it would also undercut the anti–right wing comedy disseminated by Saturday Night Live, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, and others.
