THE CLOWN MINISTRY HANDBOOK, Written by Janet Litherland

Christian clowns.  As Jesus said to Thomas, 'I shit you not.'  I had never realised there was such a thing, but one of the first groups you encounter when you peer into the greater world of clowning, are those who clown for Christ's sake.  This isn't some niche group.  They are a wide-spread ministry, who even have their own handbook:

When I discovered that clown ministry existed, I assumed it was a figure of speech, like a 'clown society' or 'clown troupe,' or perhaps it was a union, or another name for clown college.  I was mistaken in all of these conjectures.  The true meaning of it only became clear to me when I attended the Dublin Circus Skills Convention, where I met Richard Kane, a professional clown.  I thought he was joking when he told me about them (he is, after all, a clown), but no, the clown ministry is exactly what it purports to be; a clown ministry.  Go figure!

  Clown ministry is not a vast organisation, but an ethos.  Those who practice it encourage others to set up ministries in their own areas, spreading the joys of Christ through the terrors of clowning.  Clown minsters visit nursing homes and hospitals, and perform their act in schools, at fairs, or at conventions.  They basically do everything any other clown does, but they bring their faith into it too.  In areas where the locals have really embraced this practice, they even go so far as to allow clowns to partake in church services: bringing up gifts, doing the collection, or providing entertainment during church events.  In some parishes, the local priest might even have their own clown persona, though I'm sorry to report that he does not say mass in this guise.  Now that I would like to see!
  The Clown Ministry Handbook  is a very interesting read.  It gives a real insight into what is undoubtedly a strange world.  The idea of the clown as a positive social agent is not specific to Christians.  Marian Finucane recently interviewed someone about the organisation Clowns Without Boarders^§ (this is the link to the American site; for some reason the Irish site is filled with viruses, so avoid!).  Clowns Without Boarders seeks to bring joy to the grief stricken areas of the world, their motto: No child without a smile.  This is a noble cause, and credit must be given to these people for their charitable spirit, although in fairness, they could have chosen a less disturbing logo:

But a clown spreading laughter is to be expected.  Christian clowning is something else.  Where does the idea of spreading the word of Christ through clowning come from?  According to the handbook, its rational is derived from the Bible, the most common reference being:

We are fools for Christ's sake. [Corinthians 4:10]

Other quotes, such as 'But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise' [1 Corinthians 1:27] and 'Serve God with gladness' [Psalms 100:2] are also used as justification.  While it is understandable that people would look to the Bible for validation, like much Biblical interpretation, this does feel like trying to fit the square peg of 'the Word of God' into the round hole of 'what we would really like it to mean.'  There is a deeper rational to be found in the Passion itself.  When the soldiers crowned Jesus with thorns, dressed him in regal robes, and named him 'King of The Jews,' they did it to make a fool of him.  There is a certain irony in taking the fool, or the clown, and turning the joke back on the hecklers.

  The Clown Ministry Handbook isn't just about religion.  Behind the Christian supra-text is a basic guide on how to create your own clown.  It covers everything from face painting, different styles of costume, ideas for props, and it details numerous sketches to help the budding clown get started.  These lectures are broken up with the biographies of various people who have brought clown ministry into their communities.  As the book states:

"Clown ministry isn't just entertainment; nor is it preaching in costume.  It is a means of touching souls, something most clowns somehow manage to do.  Perhaps all clowns, whether or not they realise it, are involved in ministry."

This is certainly true historically.  All clowns have an agenda of sorts.  With some it is to entertain.  Some seek to educate*.  Some do it purely for the cash.  Others want to kill you and wear your face.  With all of that in mind, it makes sense that there are those who would use clowning to share their beliefs.  Jacques Lecoq, a famous French mime during the latter half of the twentieth century, said, 'For several years now the clown has taken on a great importance; not in the sense of the traditional circus, which is dead, but as part of the search for what is laughable and ridiculous in man…'  But this crossover between clowning and spirituality is nothing new; it's just the terminology that has changed.  What we call the clown today, was once simply, the fool.
  The fool has long been associated with religion (and I do not mean that in a facetious sense).  The Pueblo Indian Delight Makers, and the Cheyenne Contrary Makers, are the witch doctors of their tribe.  They prescribe remedies and perform rituals as much as they provide entertainment.  Some of their ceremonies are still practiced even today, albeit mostly as a tourist attraction.  Taoist monks laugh a great deal during certain of their ceremonies.  The modern carneval (farewell to the flesh) was originally a Christian celebration held just before Lent.  But most interesting of all has to be the medieval Feast of Fools.
  The Feast of Fools was a massively popular public event that took place from the fifth to the sixteenth century.  A successor to the Roman Saturnalia (which makes it - debatably - a precursor to what we now call Christmas), The Feast of Fools was a very interesting occasion.  People would dress up in a mockery of the clergy, and perform ceremonies that ridiculed those of the church.  Even the clergy would partake.  They wore masks and robes, and engaged in borderline blasphemous activities.  They would sing and dance in the streets, and eat black pudding at the side of the alter.  Most amazing of all though, is that this behaviour was sanctioned by the church!

  During the Feast of Fools, everyone was allowed - nay encouraged - to embrace the darker side of life; to play the fool, if you will.  This wasn't being 'a fool for Christ's sake.'  This was something far darker and more primal.  While the rest of the year was spent living a good and solemn life, for this short time, you were allowed to unleash what was normally kept in check.  This is, of course, a dangerous freedom to grant, and over time, the Church clamped down on these celebrations, eventually banning them in the fourteenth century.

  But while the fool and religion have a complex history, the clown and the fool are very different individuals.  The fool represents the chaos inherent in all of us.  It is a state of mind, and doesn't have a particular form.  The clown, however, is a very specific image, and one that doesn't gel with a Christian attitude.  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with Christian clowning, but much like Christian rock, it just doesn't feel right to me.  Christian rockers take sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, and transmogrify them into chastity, abstinence, and rock 'n' roll.  Something pretty integral is inevitably lost.  Christian clowning makes me feel the same way.  Holy water and greasepaint just don't mix!

  The Clown Ministry Handbook becomes more technical the further you get into it.  While this is no doubt useful to many of its readers, once the book stopped discussing the history and motivation of the Christian clown, it was of little interest to me.  Many of the gags described are laden with Christian messages, to the point of being painfully didactic.  However, one thing Richard Kane told me was that in clowning circles, Christian clowns are the most willing to share their routines.  They have no problem with you taking their gags and performing them without the Christian element.  While their ultimate goal is to extol the virtues of Christ, they are, first and foremost, entertainers.

  As with Christian rock, it's hard to be too critical, as it is all performed with the best of intentions.  I have no doubt these people bring joy to a certain portion of the populace.  But while I can't say that I hate it, there's nothing to stop me politely making my excuses, backing away, and leaving town on the next available donkey.

Next up, is a review that you don't want to fall asleep during.

^{§  Thanks for the heads up, Úna!}

*  This level of artistry seems to be firmly rooted in the past.  Philemon, a Christian clown from the forth century, was crucified for mocking the pagan beliefs of the time.  In the sixteenth century Erasumus's published his famous essay, The Praise of Folly.  It was a biting satire, in which Folly herself is the lead character.  It proved an incendiary text, and one of the catalysts of the Protestant Reformation.  The comeddia dell'arte, hugely popular from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, was a breeding ground for social and political satirists.  At the time of of the French Revolution in the eighteenth century, comedians were forbidden to use speech in their acts, as many of their performances were deemed subversive.
  In the late nineteenth century Dan Rice was one of the leading entertainers in America, earning more each week than his good friend, Abraham Lincoln.  In the early part of the twentieth century, Vladimir Durov was exiled from Russia for his subversive routines.  During the Russian revolution of 1917, Vitaly Lararenko used his satires to entertain and inspire the troops on front line.  Joseph Grimaldi, Grock, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Fratellini, Marcel Marceau, Otto Griebling, Lou Jacobs; these are giants of the clowning world, not because they were masters of the pratfall, but because they are artists and philosophers.  Much like myself, really, except I wear more subtle makeup.