Paul Kerensa

Comedy writer, author, stand-up comic, and broadcaster Paul Kerensa uses his comic writing skills and stage profile to help improve our understanding of religions. Paul has a theology degree and is the only comedian to sell out gigs in both cathedrals and comedy clubs. Paul has written comedy for Lee Mack, Chris Evans, Miranda Hart, and regularly appears on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, often at key moments in the Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Christian calendars. He also works closely with broadcast production teams to ensure religion is well represented in the entertainment media.

A practising Christian, Paul’s mantra is that comedians have a great tradition of being outspoken about their own religious beliefs, traditions, and cultural sensitivities, so comedy is a powerful platform to talk about difference and remove the anxiety of getting it wrong. Paul takes great inspiration his own primary-school aged children, who celebrate different religious festivals with friends at school – they bring in cakes, they learn about traditions and in the playground are curious about other religions and worldviews. For Paul, an education in religion and worldviews is the cornerstone to understanding each other in the twenty first century, saying “it’s the grounding we need”.

Paul has written Hark! The Biography of Christmas and is planning a new book on the history of religious broadcasting. He also works with international Christian relief and development charity Tearfund.