The Garaventa Center will host a lecture by Anita Houck, “God, Humor & Humanity: From The Iliad to The Onion” on Thursday, April 9, at 7:15 p.m., in the Holy Cross Lounge in Franz Hall. Her talk is free and open to faculty, staff, students, and the public.
Houck is chairwoman of religious studies at Saint Mary’s College in Indiana, as well as an associate professor of theology. In this lecture, she will offer the audience a whirlwind tour of humor’s history in exploring the mystery of the Divine, from Homer’s controversial depictions of the laughter of the Greek gods to the coverage of religion in Chicago’s edgy satirical newspaper. The lecture is part of the Beckman Humor Project, established by John ’42 and Patricia Beckman for a multi-disciplinary effort to study and promote humor as a “spiritual and revolutionary energy in every field of endeavor, from business to politics to the arts and beyond.”
For more information contact the Garaventa Center at 8014 or eifler@up.edu.