Alex Barnes is a MDiv Candidate at the University of Chicago Divinity School. The Divinity School conducted an interview with her to honor Earth Month.

What does your work focus on? 

My MDiv thesis: “Laughing at the End of the World: Comedy, Christianity, and Climate Change” focuses on the intersection of comedy, climate change, and Christianity. I am investigating how incorporating comedy into discussions and spaces where it might seem irreverent or inappropriate can change those conversations for the better. In a world where things are increasingly precarious, preachers and comedians play similar roles in taking whatever bad news emerges and spinning it in a way that helps us cope. I argue that if we are tired of eco-anxiety yet wary of the uncritical hope that God will make all things new, comedy has a unique perspective to offer. 

How does the study of religion intersect or inform the study of environmental issues – or vice versa (how does thinking about the environment intersect or inform your study of religion?

I think a lot about how religion can and, at its best, should inform how we interact with our environment. In undergrad, I read Lynn White’s “The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis,” which argues that religion in general, but particularly Western Christianity, is one of the major causes of our environmental crisis. To stop this anthropogenic damage, he argues that we need to transform our religious cosmologies radically. This was in 1967, and not much has changed. Still, I take seriously the claims that religion has been part of the problem and can be part of the solution; I think we just have to be a bit more creative! 

What inspired your interest in the work you're currently pursuing, and what is next for you?

I became interested in the intersections of comedy, climate change, and Christianity when I read Nicole Seymour’s book Bad Environmentalism. In it, she challenges readers to rethink the environmental movement’s reputation for gloom and doom. Perceptions of the environmental movement as self-righteous, sentimental, and overly serious are also critiques leveled at religion. It appeared to me that both groups could use a healthy dose of humor, so my work seeks to connect these seemingly disparate threads.