Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism: Do You ‘Seriously Believe That’ After 9/11

Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism presents a contemporary account of religious satire as evidenced by the modern art of stand-up comedy. Focused on the context of the post-9/11 American culture phenomenon sometimes referred to as the New Atheism - as embodied by public intellectuals such as Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins – it documents the rise of comedic satire in relation to evangelical beliefs and religious dogma. Drawing on the author’s own experience of stand-up performance, it examines the comedy of figures such as Mark Maron, Bill Maher and Ricky Gervais and presents material from interviews with comedians including Lewis Black, John Fugelsang, Leigh Ann Lord, in order to provide unique insights into some of the issues and definitions surrounding satire. With attention to the demonstrable rise in religious satire following the events of September 11th, 2001, the author considers the clear link between this increase and the New Atheist movement, exploring shared themes and presence at specific events, such that stand-up comedy represents the Avant Garde of the New Atheists.