The Mother of All Laughter: Sarah and the Genesis of Comedy

by Terry Lindvall

When the superannuated biblical Sarah learned that she would give birth to a son, she burst out laughing, and that son's name-Isaac-was forever a testimony to this moment of holy mirth. In The Mother of All Sarah & the Genesis of Comedy, Terry Lindvall argues that there is a biblical place for laughter. At times, he lets truth be obscured by a good story (as when he cites the famous Neil Armstrong/"Mr. Gorsky" urban legend as fact), but he raises important points about humor for Christians.

120 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Trisha DeBoer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. As a seminary student who fancies herself a bit of a humorist, I appreciated the approach the author took when discussing the biblical Sarah and how she can be thought to be the mother of all comedy by her laughter at the promise of God that she and Abraham would have a child. Lindvall also had a smattering of personal stories throughout the book, which I found to be a welcome portion to keep the read light but thought-provoking at the same time. I even had a piece of paper and a pen on hand to write down quotable thoughts that were in the book, as well as my own reflections. The book was not irreverent, and really even focused on making sure to emphasize that our humor is something for which we are to be held accountable. This was a valuable read, and one that I would suggest to others.