From the religion of birds to the church of FSM: religious satire and parody religions in the history of European culture

The paper treats the phenomenon of religious satire and invented parody religions as an important part of European folk and popular culture in various historical epochs, from Antiquity to the XXI century. Using the example of the most famous works, social movements and associations, the author examines the various forms that religious parody took depending on the era, cultural and religious perceptions, and analyzes the role of laughter culture in shaping the image of fictional parody religions. Both common characteristics characteristic of religious satire from Aristophanes to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and distinctive features that differentiate modern parodic tendencies in this sphere from the satire of the past are highlighted. Particular attention is paid to terminological difficulties arising in the study of fictional religiosity, primarily related to the very notion of “parody religion”.