Comic World

A comic world, also known as a comic vision, is an alternative perspective of life that emphasizes a happy ending over a tragic one. This world is funny and joyous. It is where good prevails and evil is defeated. Comic worlds are hopeful and affirm the goodness in human beings and their societies, emphasizing tolerance and acceptance over exclusivity. They can be attributed to an individual or group (e.g., C. S. Lewis's comic world or the comic world of the Christian tradition), and they are frequently expressed in artistic visions as much as they are explained in logical argumentation. Laughter leads people into the comic world and invites them to dwell there, and comic worlds become apparent to us through our sense of humor. They intrude into our everyday lives and are seen as “more real” than reality because the comic vision's insight disintegrates the contradictions that characterize everyday life. Comic worlds are the aspirations of their creators who imagine ways of living that are better than our present state.

Comic worlds are intimately tied into their creators' political realities and conflicts. Part of a comic world's appeal is its harmonious nature: Lions lay down with lambs, soldiers put down arms and never take them up again, lovers are reconciled instead of irreparably separated, and rulers are just and the people rejoice. Concurrently, the comic world is created in a world in which lions prey upon lambs, soldiers slaughter each other, lovers are kept apart by family politics, rulers exploit their subjects and the people know it. It is for this reason that we should see comic worlds not only as the aspirations of one group of people but also as visions of the good life that compete with other such visions in society.

Many comic worlds are religious, although religiousness is unnecessary. This entry uses Christianity [Page 161]to explain the phenomenon of comic worlds. While Christianity has historically been seen as promoting a tragic vision in which an omnipotent God sets forth his plan for all humans who are damned through original sin, redeems them through the death of his son, and then expects our obedience as thanks, there are some who see a comic world in the redemptive story of a God who became human, died on a cross, and gives everybody the gift of eternal life. Among these thinkers, Jesus is often portrayed as a humorous figure who tells parables with shocking visual imagery (a camel passing through the eye of a needle) and socially awkward plot twists (a Samaritan helping a Jew), performs miracles that restore social order and bring joy into the people's lives (turning water into wine at a wedding), skirts social conventions and disrespects his superiors (spending time with tax collectors and prostitutes and not with religious authorities), and ultimately cheats his enemies out of his death (the resurrection). Those who find a comic vision in Christianity see human flaws forgiven, societies restored, and the gulf between human and divine bridged. God's kingdom is immanent in these Christians' comic worlds, standing in stark contrast to the image of humans as miserable sinners at the mercy of a God who forgives us despite our failings and inability to meet his expectations.

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