From Ha-Ha to A-Ha: Thinking of Homiletical Humor for the Indonesian Pulpit

In Indonesian culture, humor is a form of local wisdom that teaches life’s values and norms. Based on this reality, this article explores the possibility of proposing homiletical humor for Indonesian preaching. First, I demonstrate how folklore, comedy, local puppet shows, and theatrical humor help Indonesians find meaning in their daily lives. Next, I will briefly share my observations on the application of humor in Indonesian Islamic and Christian sermons. Finally, the article will bring together homiletical humor theory and the Indonesian humor tradition to examine the discourse of the homiletical humor approach in Indonesian Christian preaching. This article explores how humor, considered within the Indonesian context and through homiletical humor theory, can be used to enhance homiletical humor in Christian preaching. Furthermore, it demonstrates that a homiletical perspective may also be valuable for fostering interfaith dialogue.