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Is There Fun After Paul? A Theology of Fools and Clowns
Fools and clowns pop up in cultures throughout the world, individuals who approach life a little differently and wake us to alternative ways of viewing the world. They confront the powers of the world and remind them that individuals are still important. They probe stereotypes and deal constructively with societal problems.
When we think of clowns, we often think of the circus and the role that clowns play. Clowns are not in the circus just for entertainment, they are the glue that holds everything together. Emmett Kelley, a Ringling Brothers clown who was known as “Weary Willie,” felt that his character provided needed relief for people, helping those who were feeling sad and beaten down by life to smile again. He also poked fun at those who thought too highly of themselves, and brought them down a peg.
There is a long history of religious fools throughout history. Black Elk, a Dakota elder and Heyoka clown, saw his role much as Kelley did. The Koyemshi clowns of the Pueblo culture even make fun of death because, you know, this really isn’t the end. In Medieval times there was the Christian Feast of Fools. The Russian Orthodox Church has made saints of a couple of their fools, like St. Philip Neri.
Clowns remind us that we can get through even horrible struggles if we never give up hope and remember to laugh each day. Humor cuts through the logic of life and gets to the punch line, or enlightenment, as the Buddhists would say. We don’t successfully think our way through life, we feel our way.
When we think of clowns, we often think of the circus and the role that clowns play. Clowns are not in the circus just for entertainment, they are the glue that holds everything together. Emmett Kelley, a Ringling Brothers clown who was known as “Weary Willie,” felt that his character provided needed relief for people, helping those who were feeling sad and beaten down by life to smile again. He also poked fun at those who thought too highly of themselves, and brought them down a peg.
There is a long history of religious fools throughout history. Black Elk, a Dakota elder and Heyoka clown, saw his role much as Kelley did. The Koyemshi clowns of the Pueblo culture even make fun of death because, you know, this really isn’t the end. In Medieval times there was the Christian Feast of Fools. The Russian Orthodox Church has made saints of a couple of their fools, like St. Philip Neri.
Clowns remind us that we can get through even horrible struggles if we never give up hope and remember to laugh each day. Humor cuts through the logic of life and gets to the punch line, or enlightenment, as the Buddhists would say. We don’t successfully think our way through life, we feel our way.
150 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1987
About the author
R. Mark Liebenow
6 books6 followersMark Liebenow is the author of four books, most recently Mountains of Light: Seasons of Reflection in Yosemite, which won the River Teeth Nonfiction Prize and was published by the Univ. of Nebraska Press in 2012. His essays, poems, and critical reviews have appeared in journals like the Colorado Review, Crab Orchard Review, and Fifth Wednesday Journal. Some of his poems have been set to music by composers. His nonfiction work has won the Chautauqua and Literal Latte awards, been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and was named a notable essay in Best American Essays 2012. He writes extensively about grief and cancer.
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