RT Article
T1 Not Alone: "Ironic Faith," The Comic Worldview, and Process Theology in Monty Python's Life of Brian
JF The journal of religion and film
VO 20
IS 3
SP 1
OP 23
A1 Cassity, Kathleen J.
LA English
YR 2016
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1563525119
AB Steven Benko points out that far from being anti-religious, Monty Python’s Life of Brian posits a type of belief he calls "ironic faith," though he believes that the version evoked by this film falls short of calling for social transformation. If, however, we consider the resonance between process theology's "becoming-over-being" and the open-ended "humorous outlook" as articulated by philosopher of comedy John Morreall, we can interpret Life of Brian as suggesting the possibility of social transformation through its concluding evocation of a shared humanity that surmounts isolation, hierarchy, and socially constructed barriers by promoting what sociologist Robert Putnam calls "bridging social capital." Understanding Life of Brian as an evocation of ironic faith-in-process rather than as a fixed point of theological conclusion allows us to consider the later Eric Idle stage production Spamalot as a potential realization of themes pointed to implictly in Life of Brian, lending additional complexity to Benko's reading.
K1 Monty Python
K1 Life of Brian
K1 Spamalot
K1 Humor
K1 Comedy
K1 Process theology
K1 Community
K1 Social Capital
K1 social transformation
K1 ironic faith
K1 bridging capital