# Clown ministry

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Christian ministry involving clowns

**Clown ministry** is a type of [Christian ministry](/source/Christian_ministry) involving [clowns](/source/Clown). It is primarily found in North American churches.[1]

## Theology

Participants in clown ministry have pointed to multiple rationale to explain and justify clown ministry. One such rationale is the idea of [foolishness for Christ](/source/Foolishness_for_Christ), in which social expectations are subverted in order to further Christian ideals or [proselytism](/source/Proselytism).[2]

## Activities

Clown ministry can take multiple forms, including taking part in Sunday services, visits to nursing homes, hospitals, and prisons,[3] and appearance in festivals and parades.[4][5][6] Clowns involved often take part in traditional clown activities, such as creating [balloon animals](/source/Balloon_modelling) and performing skits, although often using Christian symbolism, stories, or themes.[5]

## History

Clown ministry largely dates back to the 1970s and early 1980s, with clowns such as Floyd Shaffer and the publication of Janet Litherland's *The Clown Ministry Handbook* in 1982.[4][5] However, it retains influences from historical European tropes such as the [holy Fool](/source/Holy_Fool), "the [country bumpkin](/source/Country_bumpkin), [Commedia dell'arte](/source/Commedia_dell'arte) figures, and the [court jester](/source/Jester)".[1] In the late 1970s, [Franklin & Marshall College](/source/Franklin_%26_Marshall_College) in Pennsylvania began hosting the National Clown, Mime, Puppet and Dance Ministry workshop.[3] Their July 1983 iteration saw more than 700 people attend the week-long workshop.[3]

In 1983, the [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) estimated that thousands of clown ministry groups had been founded in the United States since 1973,[7] and that 50,000 Americans were involved with a clown ministry group.[3] Spin-off groups, such as those using [pantomime](/source/Mime_artist) in ministry,[8] also formed.

The 1980s and 90s saw clown ministry groups formed at churches, on college campuses,[9][10] and, in the case of the [Benedictine Sisters of Erie](/source/Benedictine_Sisters_of_Erie), Pennsylvania, religious communities.[11]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) Kerman, Judith B. (September 1992). ["The Clown as Social Healer: A Study of the Clown Ministry Movement"](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1542-734X.1992.00009.x). *Journal of American Culture*. **15** (3): 9–16. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1542-734X.1992.00009.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1542-734X.1992.00009.x). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0191-1813](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0191-1813).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Sunday service will offer some 'giggles'"](https://books.google.com/books?id=3OxSAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22clown+ministry%22&pg=PA12&article_id=6741,4955972). *The Courier*. 1986-10-24. pp. 1C. Retrieved 2024-04-07.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_3-3) ["Clown ministry says religion can be fun"](https://books.google.com/books?id=h0ZgAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22clown+ministry%22&pg=PA64&article_id=5024,2111605). *The Phoenix*. Associated Press. 1983-07-23. pp. D10. Retrieved 2024-04-07.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_4-1) ["Never Forget About Christian Clown Ministry"](https://relevantmagazine.com/current/buzzworthy/never-forget-about-christian-clown-ministry/). *RELEVANT*. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2024-04-08.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:3_5-2) Abrahams, Marc (2010-01-12). ["Clowning for Christ – dos and don'ts"](https://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/jan/12/improbable-research-clowns). *The Guardian*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2024-04-08.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Basler, George; McKinney, Connie (2015-11-04). ["Christian troupe spreads cheer by clowning around"](https://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/connections/faith/2015/11/04/christian-troupe-spreads-cheer-clowning-around/75157672/). *Press & Sun-Bulletin*. Retrieved 2024-04-08.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Most Vulnerable Most Receptive To Clown Ministry"](https://books.google.com/books?id=7kAiAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22clown+ministry%22&pg=PA4&article_id=1277,1145263). *Boca Raton News*. Associated Press. 1983-01-15. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-04-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Toomey, Susie Kelly (1986). [*Mime Ministry: An Illustrated, Easy-to-follow Guidebook for Organizing, Programming, and Training a Troupe of Christian Mimes*](https://books.google.com/books?id=X-UMAAAACAAJ). Meriwether Pub. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-916260-37-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-916260-37-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Fools for Christ is a ministry of sharing"](https://books.google.com/books?id=EL89AAAAIBAJ&dq=%22clown+ministry%22&pg=PA3&article_id=6791,4356112). *Bonham Daily Favorite*. 1989-03-26. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-06-19.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Collins, Lois M. (1991-11-09). ["Clown ministry shares Christianity's joy"](https://books.google.com/books?id=RN8oAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22clown+ministry%22&pg=PA6&article_id=4980,3346341). *The Deseret News*. pp. B3. Retrieved 2024-04-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Goodwill Ambassadors in Clown Suits"](https://books.google.com/books?id=XMBdAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22clown+ministry%22&pg=PA44&article_id=5310,816287). *The Victoria Advocate*. Associated Press. 1987-01-04. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-04-07.

## Further reading

- Graves, Michael P. (1990-03-01). ["THE CLOWNING GLORY: RATIONALE AND PRACTICAL USES FOR RELIGIOUS BOZOS"](https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/gcd:14173834?sid=ebsco:plink:crawler&id=ebsco:gcd:14173834). *Journal of Communication & Religion*. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.5840/jcr19901313](https://doi.org/10.5840%2Fjcr19901313). Retrieved 2024-08-13 – via EBSCOhost.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Clown ministry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_ministry) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_ministry?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.