The Big Book of Church Jokes

Compilation
Barbour Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9781602603868
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (8/09)


“The Big Book of Church Jokes” is a collection of jokes, riddles, and lists that follow in the spirit (no pun intended) of Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might Be a Redneck If...” series.  There are also a few cute cartoons scattered throughout.  The book is divided into different topics including: pastors, missionaries, tithing, signs, weddings and funerals.  My favorite section is the one featuring children at Sunday school.  You never really know what will come out of their mouths.

Jokes are made at the expense of several different denominations.  Naturally, the material included is clean and wholesome due to the nature of the topics.  There is something for everyone to enjoy in this book.  Teenagers and adults will readily appreciate the humor.  Even younger children who are familiar with attending church and reading Bible stories will understand many of the jokes.  Different people will relate to different topics based on their own personal experiences.

The compiler of this book probably thought he was doing something good by separating the material by topic.  However, I was somewhat disappointed with this format.  At times, the material became somewhat monotonous as the same theme was constantly portrayed, e.g. lengthy sermons given by deacons or missionaries who have no place they really call home.  Randomly scattering the different subjects throughout the book might work better and keep things fresh.  Or perhaps the reader can just skip around at will for variety.  Some of the jokes in the book I had heard before, but most of the material was new to me.

“The Big Book of Church Jokes” is suitable for everyone, whether they practice religion or not.  As the back cover indicates “the eleventh commandment is thou shalt laugh every now and then.”  Young and old people will appreciate the good-natured humor and most likely will see themselves in some of the situations covered.  In a world that is currently filled with troublesome and depressing circumstances, this book provides a refreshing escape by helping people to see and appreciate the good things in life.

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