In examining the major critical humorists that have clashed with religion, this book investigates the dynamics at the heart of this long-standing cultural antagonism. The dramatic skirmishes recounted here revolve around various facets of religion, including its policies and edicts, its political manifestations, and the nature of faith itself.

The popular wits profiled in each chapter draw upon an array of humor techniques (satire, parody, sarcasm, irony, hyperbole, jokes, puns, and the grotesque), and their expressions are analyzed in the contexts of their particular forms and methods. Genres covered include literature (Twain, Vonnegut), journalism (Mencken, Hitchens), film (Monty Python), cartoons (Charlie Hebdo), cartoon sit-coms (The Simpsons, South Park), stand-up comedy (Carlin, Maher), music (Newman, Pussy Riot), performance monologue (Sweeney), and magic (Jillette). Structured in a loose chronology that allows readers to dip and sip as they choose, this entertaining and insightful survey highlights the expressive diversity of our frontline secular humorists in a sweep that spans the last 150 years.