Conrad Hyers has taken a fresh look at comedy from the standpoint of comparative mythology and religion, and thus at comedy's spiritual significance. He maintains that the ability to see the humor in things, to create comic tales and rituals, is among the most imaginative and profound of all human achievements. Comedy interrupts the tragic seriousness with which we take ourselves, our values and beliefs, and introduces a different spirit and larger vision of life.

Comic figures, even when making an appearance in great literature and drama, debunk human greatness and grandeur and mock heroic claims. In his unique study of the comic tradition, Hyers explains the difficulty in pinning down themes, structures, plots, or characters that are common to all comedy. Instead he argues that there is an essence of comedy in the area of spirit rather than form, perspective rather than pattern.

1. He draws upon the rich historical ensemble of types of comic figures, with a chapter devoted to each: the humorist, comedian, comic hero, rogue, trickster, clown, fool, underdog, and simpleton. He shows how each type incarnates a comic heroism in its own unique manner, offering a profound wisdom and philosophy of life.

The approach of this book is broadly interdisciplinary with materials and interpretations introduced from the various fields of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences as they illuminate both the tragic and comic sensibilities. The methodological thread that draws this all together is an analysis of the major types of comic figures in terms of the myths and legends associated with them, the rituals they produce and enact, and the symbolism of the comic figures themselves.

Written in a very readable literary style, The Spirituality of Comedy will appeal to psychologists, social scientists, clergy, philosophers, and students of literature.