Irish Christian Comedy: Heresy or Reform?

Abstract

This essay argues that Ireland developed a new form, Irish Christian Comedy, that does not make fun of religious values but instead lampoons the woodenness with which those values are understood and (mis)applied to daily life. It suggests that fiction is true to the meaning of events, and that it facilitates greater awareness of the mystery that lies behind spirituality. The hero of Irish Christian comedy is the daring, innovative reader.