Article on Audio: Why Aren’t Christians Funny?

TGC Podcast

Gospel Coalition, Religion, The Gospel Coalition, 608017, Christianity, Tgc, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.5 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 14 April 2026

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Some Christians take themselves too seriously, but the gospel sets us free to laugh. Joylessness isn't equated with godliness.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Gospel Coalition podcast where we help to renew and unify the contemporary church in the ancient gospel.
0:09.9	Today we're pleased to share with you one of our articles on audio.
0:14.7	Why aren't Christians funny?
0:17.2	By Michael P. Jensen, read by the author.
0:21.0	One of my father's favorite jokes go something like this.
0:25.0	Quizmaster.
0:26.2	Now for the $64,000 question, are you ready?
0:29.7	Contestant.
0:30.7	Yes.
0:31.8	Quizmaster.
0:33.1	Where was Abraham born?
0:35.1	Contestant.
0:36.3	Um, uh, quizmaster, correct, you win $64,000. While it's not
0:43.9	sophisticated comedy, see Genesis chapter 11 verse 28, if you need the context, I like to think my dad
0:51.3	was catechising me in the Gospel of Grace.
0:57.3	The joke works because failure is rewarded.
1:02.3	The contestant hesitates, stumbles and still receives the prize.
1:06.2	It's a small parable of justification by grace alone.
1:09.1	If that's the Gospel we believe,
1:12.9	then surely Christians should have a certain lightness about them,
1:20.4	not flippancy, and certainly not cynicism, but a deep confidence, that as Julian of Norwich put it,
1:24.3	all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
	...

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