Introduction to the special issue: humour and religion, ‘you must be joking?!’

This paper considers the alleged incompatibility of humour and religion, identifies the need for a multifaceted approach to the study of humour and religion, and spotlights important scholarship on humour and religion. It also outlines how this special issue emerged from an online symposium organized by the editors (Nicole Graham and Paul S Martin) in 2020 titled: The Sacred and The Profanity: Humour, Religion and Ritual, hosted by the University of Bristol and the University of Kent and introduces the various papers which are spread across both the globe and historical periods and which engage various media.