"A Subtle Thing Withal”: Reflections on the Ineffable, the Unspeakable, and the Risible in Vernacular Religion
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2015-10-15
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American Folklore Society
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Many years ago as a graduate student studying William Langland’s Vision of Piers Plowman, I came upon what was evidently a popular scatological riddle pertaining to a profound theological teaching. Since that time I have continued to ruminate over the role of humor—especially sexual and scatological humor—arising from within vernacular Catholicism. In this talk, I will consider the serious play of such forms of expression and their significance for folklorists concerned with the nature of belief in the sacred.
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