Religion and Humor as Emancipating Provinces of Meaning

Exploring the tension between intrinsic and imposed meanings, the book delves into how non-pragmatic finite provinces of meaning can liberate individuals from daily pressures. Barber highlights the dynamics of pragmatic mastery and the resulting anxieties that arise when people and groups resort to hyper-mastery strategies. These strategies, while intended to maintain established ways of meeting lower-level needs, often exacerbate individual anxiety and contribute to social pathologies. The work offers a thought-provoking examination of the complexities of everyday life and human experience.