The Comedian-Scholar: Saint Thomas Aquinas

Saint Thomas Aquinas, whose feast day is January 28, is not often thought of as a funny man. After all, his work is dense, lucid, brilliant, and plunges the depths of theology and philosophy, making him one of the most regarded theologians of all time. Whether or not you agree with all aspects of Aquinas’ theology, there is no doubt that this medieval Dominican friar is a testament to the unity of faith and reason in the Christian life. Christianity has a rigorous intellectual tradition, which anchors faith not in some slim, not likely, spaghetti monster hope, but in deep reflection, reasoned faith and a recognition that all disciplines of knowledge, including what we call today the natural sciences, are worthy of Christian commitment and engagement. All truth is God’s truth, whether revealed under the lenses of a microscope, in the drama of the Divine Liturgy or in the embrace of lovers.

            Checking off the scholar box with Aquinas is easy considering the output of his theological writings during his lifetime (1225-1274), which included Biblical commentaries, theological treatises, devotional writings, and most famously, his Summa Theologica. Checking off the comedian box is a bit more difficult. Depictions of Aquinas are usually somewhat severe, owing in part, perhaps, to that old nickname he has born for centuries, “The Dumb Ox.” (While writing this post, I received a letter from the Association of Intelligent Oxen, protesting the Aquinas moniker, because of its derogatory assumptions regarding the mentality of their species.) However, Aquinas is on the record making this statement: “"It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes” (Question 168, Summa).

            Maybe this statement doesn’t check the comedian box for Aquinas, but it does open the door to the reality that serious, faithful scholarship and a serious committed Christian life is not at odds with “playful deeds and jokes.” G.K. Chesteron (1874-1936), known for his wit, penetrating essays and a biography on Aquinas wrote, “the test of a good religion is whether or not it can laugh at itself.” Often we are pretty good at laughing at other people’s religions, politics, and foibles while we take ourselves so seriously we dare not utter a chip monk chuckle considering our own mess ups and failures. St. Thomas Aquinas, like many other faithful Christians over the centuries, did not back away from argument, public debate, and controversy, but it seems there was a place in their spirituality to engage with the most serious issues of life while still recognizing the need for a laugh, perhaps, not least, at themselves.

            The need for this sort of ability to take God, issues of justice and society seriously while also being able to enjoy “playful deeds and jokes,” which necessarily involves some ability to take ourselves less seriously and thus perhaps to take others more seriously, I hope, is obvious. If it isn’t, you might want to read Aquinas’ all-time best joke whose punch line is, “all is straw.” Jokes can bite and humor can be used as a weapon. There is no doubt about that. Some jokes are made in bad taste or lack true funny power (listen to my sermons for examples of these). Aquinas is probably endorsing the role of joy and playfulness in life more than the role of stand-up comics; though no doubt, he laughed out loud at the antics of some court jester. It’s to our shame, that in some circles, the idea of Christian people laughing and enjoying life is seen as oxymoronic. So laugh, otherwise, the joke’s on you, so says Saint Thomas.   

What religion…err denomination are you?

Not long ago, I was walking into a hospital and a woman in wheel chair asked me “what religion are you?” Dozens of people have asked me this question over the years, but with a couple of exceptions, none of them were actually asking me which religion I was. They were asking what denomination I belong to. In the vast majority of cases, it was obvious to the questioner that I was a Christian (wearing a penguin suit or a friar’s habit does that, it also gets me great compliments every year around Halloween!), but it wasn’t obvious to them which denomination or tradition of Christianity I belonged to.  

In other words, Roman Catholics and Baptists, Methodists and Lutherans, Anglican and Mennonites, are all members of the same world religion: Christianity; albeit, they are members of different denominations within that one religion. Members of different religions would be Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and Wiccans, for example. Do you see the difference? Christianity is a very diverse religion, but there are core beliefs and common practices across denominations. Similarly, most other world religions have a variety of denominations or schools within them.

Who cares? One black eye, among many, of the Christian faith, has been the division among Christians. Jesus prayed in John 17:21 (NRSV), referring to his followers, “that they may all be one.” Claiming that our fellow sisters and brothers are members of an entirely different religion does not encourage Christian unity. Also, older generations will remember (and there are still communities where this dynamic is present) when cooperation or marriage between members of different Christian denominations was almost unheard of. Thankfully, that has changed, a bit.

So the next time someone asks you what religion you are, you can answer, in a couple of ways. 1) “I think you mean what denomination I belong to? I’m a Christian and part of a Lutheran Church” or 2) “I’m a Roman Catholic Christian” or “I’m a Baptist Christian.” Etc.  Or the next time someone says “We are different religions. I’m Catholic and you’re Assembly of God” you can reply, “No, we are both Christians, but members of different Christian denominations.” This little practice can help us move us a little closer toward the “oneness” that Jesus prayed for.

Are denominations bad?

The answer to this question is yes and no and maybe.

Yes, denominations are bad. They are a visible sign of division within the body of Christ. They violate the spirit of Jesus’ prayer for his followers in John 17:21 (NRSV), “that they all may be one.” These divisions, infighting, and historical bloodshed between denominations have been a scandal to Christians and an obstacle to some becoming Christian over the centuries.  

No, denominations are not always bad. They reflect a diversity of cultures and historical developments related to the Christian faith in different times and places. While lamentable in many ways, denominations have allowed Christianity to take on particular shapes, sizes, and colors that have contributed to the richness of Christianity overall.

The variety of denominations has also allowed a greater diversity of forms in Christian practice, worship, organization, and custom which likely allows a greater number of persons to become Christian and live out the Christian way of life. Without this diversity it’s possible to imagine that certain groups or types of people would not be reached with the Gospel message.

There is also a maybe component to this question. The maybe depends on how individual Christians and churches and denominations understand themselves in regard to other denominations. To have “team” pride is perfectly acceptable and some gentle ribbing among varied Christians can be a genuine sign of family. However, without respect this turns sour.

Sadly, Christians of different stripes, particularly denominations which differ greatly on social teachings or certain theological convictions can view other Christian Churches as “less than” or “second class” or “not up to par.” This manifests equally (albeit with its own version of smugness) among conservative, liberal, mainline, evangelical, and Roman Catholic groups.

Sometimes, even worse than above, are the infighting within denominations and individual churches, especially regarding social teaching (“!!!!!!!***!!!!!!****”), worship styles (“I refuse to worship with a projection screen!”) or furniture rearrangement (“This rug has been red since my grandfather founded this church!”)

So yes, denominations are bad. No, they aren’t bad in every way. Sometimes, maybe, they can be worse than they have to be when Christians of different denominations fail to recognize their oneness in Christ and are less than charitable toward one another. Respect and cooperation around the Lordship of Jesus doesn’t require uniformity, but it does require love.

Do you have to go to church to be a Christian?

The answer is no and yes.

No. There are lots of people who never darken the door of a church and yet identify themselves as Christian. They may have been raised in the Church or once been active in the Church or have had some minimal exposure to Christianity and for whatever reason choose to identify as Christian. Many, though not all, will say that they have accepted Christ and that they try to follow Jesus’ teachings in their daily lives, which sometimes, but not always, mostly means being a good person and praying on occasion. Lots of people fall into this category and certainly a person can admire and even practice certain aspects of the Christian faith on their own without going to church.

Years ago, a young woman told me that she was not a Christian, but that Christianity, specifically Episcopal Christianity, was her family’s religion. She recognized that she had not personally committed to the Christian faith, but also recognized that her family had a Christian heritage, even if she wasn’t specifically committed to it herself.  Lots of people who would answer the question with a no, are like this young woman; though, instead of saying “Christianity [Episcopalian] is my family religion,” they just say, “I’m a Christian [Episcopalian].” This is not unlike individuals who know and do very little politically, but still identify as XZY party because their family does.   

So that’s the no part of the answer, but here is the yes part of the answer.

Yes. You need to go to church to be a Christian. Christianity is a communal faith. If you are going to acknowledge Christ as the way to God then you also have to hang out with Christ’s people. To say you believe in Christ or follow Christ but ignore His people is like professing to be in love with someone but never giving them or their family or friends the time of day. Christianity, like most of the world’s religions, isn’t just a matter of privately held beliefs, but is about living a certain kind of life, engaging in certain spiritual practices, and being part of specific, spiritual community. Christianity is a team sport (No, watching the Saints doesn’t count!)  

You can’t play basketball by yourself; you need other people to play the game. The same is true with Christianity. Yes, you can do some spiritual dribbling and shooting on your own, but you can’t fully live the Christian life without being part of a Christian team. The question itself is a bit flawed, “going to church.” Attending weekly worship is an important part of the Christian life, but Christianity is about far more than a one hour event once a week. Christianity is a particular way of life designed to help us become fully human, fully alive, as God intended. Christians aren’t called so much to “go to church” as to “be the church” wherever they go. This involves community life in many ways, not just, but certainly including, attending worship.