Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism

Do You ‘Seriously Believe That’ After 9/11

Jerry C. Jaffe

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9781032536316
• eBook ISBN: 9781040133293
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism presents a contemporary account of religious satire as evidenced by the modern art of stand-up comedy.

Focused on the context of the post-9/11 American culture phenomenon, sometimes referred to as the New Atheism – as embodied by public intellectuals such as Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins – it documents the rise of comedic satire in relation to evangelical beliefs and religious dogma. Drawing on the author's own experience of stand-up performance, it examines the comedy of figures such as Mark Maron, Bill Maher, and Ricky Gervais and presents material from interviews with comedians including Lewis Black, John Fugelsang, and Leigh Ann Lord to provide unique insights into some of the issues and definitions surrounding satire.

With attention to the demonstrable rise in religious satire following the events of September 11, 2001, the author considers the clear link between this increase and the New Atheist movement, exploring shared themes and presence at specific events, such that stand-up comedy represents the Avant Garde of the New Atheists.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsements
• Half Title
• Series
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• 1 Introduction: “I Survive Trauma Through My Sense of Humour”
• 2 Reading Between the Lines and Defining Satire: “Seeming Seeming”
• 3 Religious Satire and Doubting Thomases: “I'm Here Promoting — Doubt”
• 4 Acting Out the Character of God: “Ridiculing the Incarnation”
• 5 Comedians Satirizing Creationists: “I Needed to Go to This Tabernacle of Ignorance”
• 6 Conclusion: “People Snapped”
• Select Bibliography
• Index