Dr. Jaffe’s book Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism presents a contemporary account of religious satire as evidenced by the modern art of stand-up comedy.
This talk will introduce you to some of the ideas and examples from his research. Focused on the context of the post‑9/11 American culture phenomenon, sometimes referred to as the New Atheism – as embodied by public intellectuals such as Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins – Dr, Jaffe documents the rise of comedic satire in relation to evangelical beliefs and religious dogma. Drawing on the author’s own experience of stand-up performance, he examines the comedy of figures such as Mark Maron, Bill Maher, and Ricky Gervais and presents material from interviews with comedians including Lewis Black, John Fugelsang, and Leigh Ann Lord.
Our Presenter:
Dr. Jerry Jaffe
Dr. Jerry Jaffe has over 30 years of experience teaching college classes, specializing in acting and comedy. He has directed or performed in over 100 shows. Before moving to the Cleveland area, Jerry lived and worked in Japan and New Zealand, teaching, acting, and directing there. Many of his articles on the theatre have been published in various academic journals, including “ ‘I needed to go to this tabernacle of ignorance’: Marc Maron’s critique of the Creation Museum” (Bulletin for the Study of Religion, Vol 42, No 3 (2013)); and he co-edited the 2008 book, Performing Japan: Contemporary Expressions of Cultural Identity. In 2025, his newest book came out, Religious Satire int he Era of New Atheism (2024). He also performs stand-up comedy, in the area and around the country.
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