Integration of Religious Humor into Therapeutic Practices: Perspectives from the Philosophy of Erich Fromm and Seinto Oniisan.

Topics such as religious humor and humor in general have seen a resurgence in philosophical and clinical discourses, yet their latent therapeutic potential warrants a more systematic reconsideration. This philosophical paper advances a proposal to integrate religious humor into therapeutic practices, drawing primarily from the humanistic psychoanalytic framework of Erich Fromm and the philosophical representations in Seinto Oniisan (Saint Young Men). Consequently, the proposal preliminarily formulates a Frommian-inspired religious humor therapy that utilizes Saint Young Men as one of its textual materials, demonstrating the intersections of religion, philosophy, and psychology. With these in mind, the paper proceeds as follows: the first part provides the preliminaries: an introduction to the paper's focus, its methodology, and an overview of the discussions. The second part presents the relevant philosophical concepts of Erich Fromm, which deepen the understanding of humor and his particular view of humanistic religions. The third part begins with a summary of Saint Young Men, then elaborates on its philosophical representation. Afterward, the discussion examines the potential effects of watching the anime when it is effectively integrated into humor therapy, with a specific focus on meaning-making, religious knowledge, and the viewer's mental health. Lastly, the limitations of this study are highlighted, pointing to directions for future research.