church folk gotta laugh too
582909
I bought one for a friend and its hilarious so I will be ordering a few more soon! Too funny!
2741695
Jimmy Evens is speaking to the audience in his church. He uses humor and bible verses to get couples to look at how they are treating each other. And he lets us know that he is speaking from personal experience.
4391314
I share this book a lot with surviving Catholics. It's actually a great way to look back and laugh at the experience whether you remain a Catholic or not.
1587527
Brian McLaren is a best-selling Christian theologian and activist for social justice who is daring to jump genres with the first of these new mini e-books. Borrowing the kind of acerbic style we normally associate with New York Times commentator Maureen Dowd, McLaren now is firing off his own political screeds cast as fiction. McLaren is saying that he hopes this dramatic switch in styles will cause Americans both to laugh and to think in fresh ways about the sorry state of politics in 2012. That's the bottom line: If you've cheered Brian's stances in the past, then you'll have fun with these e-books.

This first e-book is a short tale about a middle-aged lawyer, Ruth Schwartz, who suddenly discovers that God has chosen her to become a new kind of prophet. There are, indeed, a few amusing twists to this tale. For example, Ruth fails to recognize God's voice until God switches His vocal stylings to mimic the voice of U2's Bono. Then, and only then, she begins to accept the divine message. That's funny and so true these days, right? Bono often sounds more like God, than God.

But this book is a far cry from Saturday Night Live comedy and mainly McLaren focuses on his provocative central question: What if God did come back in the voice of a female prophet, sent to shake up the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign? That's really not a laughing matter and, in the end, this book isn't intended as a joke.

Remember Joseph Girzone's very popular&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Joshua/dp/0684813467/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Joshua</a>&nbsp;series about a mysterious carpenter who turns out to be a fresh embodiment of Jesus living among us? If you did enjoy those novels, then you remember that Girzone's first mission was to spin an engaging yarn. In contrast, McLaren is more interested in penning a lampoon of American politics gone awry. At one point in the story, for example, Ruth encounters a politically conservative TV network called ... ahem, Fax News. The crescendo of the plot is the lawyer's tumultuous encounter with a rabid Right Wing talk-show host named ... ahem, Ash Lembruck. This is broad-brush humor more than deft farce.

Summarizing too much of the plot easily could steal the thunder of a book so short that most people will finish it in an hour or two. The Atlantic publishes cover stories longer than this entire e-book. The brevity is intentional. McLaren hopes these new e-books will form a string of parables borrowing widely from other contemporary prophets. At one point, Ruth starts talking like a latter-day Bob Dylan. She says: "How many times can we in the American public turn our heads and pretend that we just don't see? How many ears do we have to have before we can hear our neighbors crying? You know what the big trouble with normal is? It only gets worse."

McLaren issued a statement with the release of this first e-book. He felt compelled to do something startling this year, he said. "When you're silent on issues of injustice, your silence tacitly supports the status quo. So even silence ends up being political." In coming months, he plans to release another short e-book with Republican in the title. He'll also publish The Girl with the Dove Tattoo as an e-book. McLaren describes that one as "a tale about four men claiming to be Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Muhammad showing up in a bar in Hollywood."

All of these little e-books, he says, are "warm ups" for his next full-sized book. That's called "Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Muhammad Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World." It will go on sale on this year's anniversary of 9/11 and, thus, two months before the general election.
523709
Stuff Christians Like succeeds at being relevant, challenging, and most of all hilarious. I grew up and currently work in the church and I can honestly say that the topics discussed in this book are true depictions of the culture that is prevalent in Christianity today.

As I read through this book, not only can I relate to what he writes and find it absolutely hilarious, but it serves to challenge my preconceived notions about church, prayer, God, and community. Although sometimes poking fun, I believe that Acuff ultimately seeks to bring about change in the individual reading, through humor.

As a youth minister, I especially enjoy the topics of mission trip romances and having a cool youth group room.

Acuff has a unique style of writing that draws the reader in, entertains them, and invites them to think deeper beyond the humor. This will be a book that I will be reading over and over again and always laughing with.
1826130
Mr. Moody combines his fresh sense of humor to deal with some weighty church and personal matters.  He is a pro at looking at the lighter side, but does not compromise God's teachings.
1785769
Great humor in Fr. Martin's book and he casts Jesus as a joyful teacher, not a sad preacher of the gospel.
2457222
This book was a delight from start to finish.  Its preposteriously funny religious humor doesn't demean anyone's faith but does indeed expand on some of the typically funny happenings that can occur in connection with faith.
1829391
This book is hilarious.  I related to it because of all the 80's culture references and appreciated the good-natured ribbing of Christian culture and biases.

I wondered what approach he would take -- sarcastic, judgmental, "in joke."  And yes, it was good-natured.  That's the key.  They are "in jokes" that if you didn't grow up in the Bible belt, or aren't familiar with Christian culture you might not get it or think that he is poking fun.

But if you grew up in the 80's or followed Contemporary Christian music -- Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, Micheal W. Smith -- from the early years, you'll definitely laugh along as these "in jokes" that come across as good-natured because they are from one of your own.  It's like your family -- you might not want someone else to point out their quirks or idiosyncracies, but if it comes from within, it's really funny.
4944255
Quotes are employed around the word ICONIC in the headline of my review because the hero of Alex Riggle's satirical book is a lovably cantankerous Orthodox priest: Father Vasiliy Vasilievich, pastor of Saints Boris and Gleb and Vladimir and Olga Russian Orthodox Church in Sydney, Australia. That job-description alone gives you an immediate glimpse of the wit awaiting readers. Moreover, the book's titular exclamation is Father Vasiliy's signature "line", which he utters almost without fail when asked to comment upon some fictional hullabaloo or happening across the orthodox world. One of the funniest aspects of the use of this line is that Father Vasiliy can modulate his perfunctory indignation: at times he merely sighs or grumbles or flatly delivers the words "Is outrage!" as if the grounds for outrage are as obvious as the nose on anyone's face. How dare anyone fail to recognize the outrage?

This stylistic flair is just one of the many reasons the book is a joy to read ... and to savor. The work is actually a compendium of articles featuring Father Vasiliy culled from Alex Riggle's popular blog, "The Onion Dome," which ran from 2002 until 2010. There's no question about verisimilitude, here: Riggle is a devout Orthodox convert who brings both an insider's key perspective and a convert's enthusiasm to his riffs on the humorous facets of orthodox Christian life and practice. Each article plays-out like a brief news story about some occurrence in the orthodox milieu, usually based in America, and the Onion Dome's "intrepid reporter" (ostensibly Riggle himself) is on-the-case to get the scoop. The hot story of the day might be about the complexities (and agonies) of orthodox fasting, or drama during choir practice, or seminaries that need paint, or marriage dilemmas, or prickly relations with other orthodox jurisdictions, or the Baptists down the street. Whatever the case, most of the stories tend to find the intrepid Onion Dome reporter confronting his topic with input from a "panel" of orthodox experts. Invariably, Father Vasiliy is at the vanguard of this panel, carefully explaining why such-and-such "Is outrage!", wistfully (or instructively) recalling the salad days of Nineteenth Century Russian Orthodoxy, and generally telling everyone how things ought to be handled. Father even tackles a side-splitting advice column from time to time. A coterie of helpful recurring characters and experts chime-in with Father Vasiliy on any given crisis or question, including a "dry-as-dust-is-dry" orthodox theologian named "Yaroslav Penguin" who tries in earnest to get a professorial word in edgewise ... but can't do so to save his life. It all adds-up to delightful, sometimes brilliant, satire.

Although it helps if one is orthodox or familiar with orthodox Christian traditions to appreciate some of the idiosyncrasies on display here, this book has a satirical structure with undertones broad enough to be readily enjoyed by any educated reader who loves to laugh at human nature. This is a funny book about people, essentially. I read a few excerpts aloud to a few friends who know nothing about orthodoxy beyond 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' and we were all in stitches. Added benefits, in my opinion, are the meticulous editorial quality of the work and the overall format of 'Is Outrage,' being as it is a collection of separate articles, each different, each funny in its own way. In this manner the reader can enjoy a few articles in one sitting, pick it up again later and enjoy a brand new installment, easily finding favorite themes by headline and thereby savoring the work. I discovered Riggle's blog (now in an 'Onion Dome 2.0' version) by chance a few weeks ago and ordered the book because I liked his writing there. I was not disappointed. This is a book that more than holds its own against any work of quality, contemporary humor.
1985910
What can I say its the pope. Got it to keep for the grand kids someday silly but still something they will laugh at one day.
1540781
This short book is a lot of fun.  It takes the always seriously portrayed matter of exorcism and flips it.  The Drunken Exorcist is a collection of journal entries from Father Schnitt.  Hes not you're typical Catholic priest.  Hes hard drinking, hard swearing and hysterical.  His voice is probably the strongest aspect of this book.  I laughed out several times not only at the crazy crap he had to deal with, but also how he recollected it in his journal entries.  I don't know whether to call this a short story collection or a novella as its both, so well just call it a book. (DONT let that intimidate you, it totally works)  The book chronicles all the demons that Schnitt faces off against (the fat one, the crappy one etc) in his unapologetic career where exorcising the demon comes first and saving the one possessed.  Well, who really gives a Schnitt about them anyways?
64395
Loved the satirical documentary,  anyone looking to laugh at the concept of organized religion will enjoy this for sure.
2265065
Albert Noyer has written a delightful book--and I hope it does well. As I was reading, I was amused to list  all the different groups the author is appealing to:
*Pre Vatican II Catholics with the cult of the saints.
*Vatican II Catholics with mention of optional celibacy for priests and an enlarged women's role in the ministry.
* Bishops hewing the conservative Vatican line
* Spanish speakers
* People fascinated with the Penitente cults
* Satanists
* Civil War buffs
* Civil War re-enactors
* People who've lived in Michigan
* People who live in New Mexico
* People of Polish extraction
* Feminists, especially female law enforcement officers
* ANYONE who has ever met an Albanian
3315789
This was a delightful read. I was captured on the 1st page.  It was a pretty accurate commentary of church life as I've observed from the layman's point of view.  The characters were so true to life. My one concern was that a newer "church member" or young person might be disillusioned by the cynicism.  But I laughed my way through it in record time.  Must find the previous book by this author now.
853952
The more of an apostate you are, the funnier this book is. If you are a fundamentalist bible college dropout or just a student of pop culture, you will laugh out loud at such things as Jesus' first draft of the Sermon on the Mount, or God's day planner for the week of Creation.  Also hilarious is his day by day countdown to the Apocalypse. Funniest thing I've read since Mark Twain.
2660344
When I first got this book and looked at the title, I figured this could go one of two ways.  It would either be making fun of Christians from an outsiders point of view, or be authored by a Christian and poking a little fun at himself.  The truth of this book is the latter, and as you continue to read, you realize that the author is a very devout Christian himself, who just so happens to have a great sense of humor!

I found nothing in the book offensive, but nearly everything hilarious.  The short little commentaries ranging on everything from Abstinence to Mega Churches, make for quick laughs.  I think it's perfect for your desk or bathroom (don't judge me!).  Over all, I love this book.