Are Laurence Sterne's Sermons Funny?

Laurence Sterne's sermons are earnest in the way we expect eighteenth-century Anglican sermons to be earnest, and the humour is relatively scarce and appropriate, or appropriately inappropriate, as the case might be. Regardless, I show that the humour is there, contrary to the widely held view...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Stark, Ryan J. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: [2016]
In: Literature and theology
Year: 2016, Volume: 30, Issue: 4, Pages: 456-470
IxTheo Classification:CD Christianity and Culture
KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history
KDE Anglican Church
RE Homiletics
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:Laurence Sterne's sermons are earnest in the way we expect eighteenth-century Anglican sermons to be earnest, and the humour is relatively scarce and appropriate, or appropriately inappropriate, as the case might be. Regardless, I show that the humour is there, contrary to the widely held view that Sterne's sermons do not amuse. Moreover, some of the comic passages point to a neglected but crucial source of inspiration for Sterne's comic genius: the Bible, especially the Old Testament-that ancient repository of wisdom and proto-Shandean intrigue.
ISSN:1477-4623
Contains:Enthalten in: Literature and theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1093/litthe/frv026