Some folks are surprised to find humor in the Bible; they don't think it has any. Others are embarrassed; they worry about being sacrilegious. Some laugh and don't tell anyone; others laugh out loud and share it with those around. However people respond, the Bible does, in fact, use humor. This book examines why it's there, why it matters, what it looks like, how to look for it, and what to do with it when you find it. The author's goal is to help people become better Bible readers, growing in both skill and insight. So the book doesn't just display a collection of museum pieces, showing the treasures of other explorers. Instead, it offers readers tools and field guides to become explorers discovering on their own. It's a fun how-to manual, dealing with what is routinely overlooked in teaching about biblical interpretation. Individuals will enjoy reading it, but it's also a rich resource for reading groups, Bible study groups, and classes.

Comedian-Written & Pastor-Approved! With the "Divine Comedy" in Scripture, such as Elijah's sarcastic insults to the prophets of Baal and the slapstick absurdity of David faking insanity, as well as The Dean James Version's comedic commentary, readers should enjoy laughter of biblical proportions. And not just any kind of laughter. Holy Laughter! Finding humor in every book of the Bible, this book answers such intriguing questions as: * Which book of the Bible is like a textbook on how to write a great comedy? * What's so funny about a handkerchief? And more importantly: * What makes a great gift for birthdays, confirmation, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, anytime? Also includes lots of funny headings and one-liners, an insightful inspection of the Resurrection of Christ: "For Sale: One Tomb, Slightly Used", "The Ultimate Movie Trailer!", clever character sketches of Simon Peter, Pontius Pilate, and more! Play "The Crosscheck Cookie Game!" Whenever you find a wordplay with the word cross in Holy Laughter!: Eat a cookie. ... Or to be more fun: Eat a hot cross bun. ... Or to be healthy, eat a carrot. For example: How did Mary make the Messiah's sash? ... She cross-stitched. Christian books are cross-referenced. More Excerpts Although many have tried, Moses is the only man in history to break all Ten Commandments at the same time. And what about Delilah? In Judges 16:1-22, Delilah pesters Samson for the secret of his strength. As soon as Samson tells her something, she tries it to no avail. Thus, she's trying to use whatever he says to destroy him. In verse 15 (NKJV), she has the gall to say: "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies." Crazy thing is, he finally tells her! Who would've thought a haircut could be a hero's "Kryptonite"? Goliath put the G in Giant! Which scared everyone except David. What Saul and the others failed to comprehend, is that David didn't let circumstances determine his demeanor. With his strong faith in God, David wasn't about to let a little thing like a giant ruin his day. Killing Goliath with a stone made David a rock star. Get right with God; or be left with Satan. Poor Peter, situations twist around so quickly for him. He steps out of the boat to walk on water, but noticing the boisterous waves, he begins to sink. He declares Jesus is the Son of God, but seconds later, says he won't let Him be crucified, earning the harshest of admonitions: "Get behind me, Satan!" And when he warms himself at a fire, a servant girl identifies him as a disciple of Jesus. A fact Peter denies three times with increasing intensity, even though he previously promised Jesus he'd die with Him. And yet, hearing Jesus is no longer in the grave, he races to the tomb. Not as fast as John, but as fast as he can go. In the NKJV, Paul uses his famous phrase "not to mention", which he also uses in 2 Corinthians 9:4. His wry way of slipping in some humor to make his point. Where upon Paul reminds Philemon he owes Paul for the everlasting security of his eternal soul! The I Saved Your Soul Card! Paul plays a mighty hand indeed. Why do people pray for me to have patience, instead of praying for God to give me what I want right now?! Share the Joy of the Lord! To make sure that this book does more than just entertain, the Parting Thoughts section explains the Gospel message. We're called to be born again; not bored again. Blessings & Joy, The Dean James Version P.S. Before you buy this book, check out "Holy Ketchup Seed Comedy Combo".

"An extension of the author's seminary course on humor in the Bible which draws on his command of Hebrew language and cultural subtleties to explore the ways humor was intentionally incorporated into scripture. The reader is guided through the stories of six biblical characters who did rather unexpected things"

Some folks are surprised to find humor in the Bible; they don't think it has any. Others are embarrassed; they worry about being sacrilegious. Some laugh and don't tell anyone; others laugh out loud and share it with those around. However people respond, the Bible does, in fact, use humor. This book examines why it's there, why it matters, what it looks like, how to look for it, and what to do with it when you find it. The author's goal is to help people become better Bible readers, growing in both skill and insight. So the book doesn't just display a collection of museum pieces, showing the treasures of other explorers. Instead, it offers readers tools and field guides to become explorers discovering on their own. It's a fun how-to manual, dealing with what is routinely overlooked in teaching about biblical interpretation. Individuals will enjoy reading it, but it's also a rich resource for reading groups, Bible study groups, and classes.

The Bible is funny! Very funny, according to Douglas Adams. In this book, Adams demonstrates how readers can discover this often-neglected humor looking at the Bible as a whole and seeing biblical stories with all their rough edges--the unethical and ambiguous characters, the unsolved problems, and the surprising endings. Adams argues that by missing the humor and irony of the Bible, readers often miss intended meanings as well.

Recognizing "a playful spirit" as part of our human makeup, Conrad Hyers shows how laughter and humor are integral to our serious study of the Bible. He opens the joy of understanding the Bible in its fullness. With the darker realities of the Bible -- sin, suffering, and death -- there coexists a lighter side -- laughter, humor, and playfulness. Competent biblical study requires both perspectives. This highly readable, preachable, and teachable work gives ministers, students, lay readers a valuable tool for recovering the spirit and offers a chance to share in the celebration of life and the divine comedy of faith, hope, and love.

Is the Bible a humorous book? Probably most people wouldn’t think of it as being funny at all. Even as the Bible is regarded as the Word of God, we find considerable ungodly human activity, immorality, wars, rebellion, murder, adultery, demon possession, and just about every other facet of what we call the human condition. Yes, the Bible is full of some pretty serious and heavy stuff. In spite of all this, is there a remote possibility we might discover something amusing, something to bring a smile on our face, something that might even cause us to laugh? Author Dale Stanton says, “Yes!” In his book, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Communion, Dale explores some of the subtle, camouflaged, and elusive gems of humor in the Bible that don’t exactly leap out at you as one would find in a comic strip or a TV sitcom. These hidden treasures of humor come alive in the biblical characters themselves, revealed in all their human quirks, foibles, and idiosyncrasies, which remind us that, in many ways, these biblical personalities are just like us. Referring to many of the Scripture lessons that are read in church on Sunday morning, Dale, in his tongue-in-cheek style, brings to life this collection of inconspicuous and sometimes wry nuggets of humor that might just make you laugh.