Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life - Hardcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

James Martin, S.J., is currently associate editor of "America" magazine and an assisting priest at the Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola, in New York City.
Father Martin's articles have appeared in "America, Commonweal, The National Catholic Reporter, The (London) Tablet", and other Catholic magazines, and in a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites both here and abroad. He is a regular commentator in the media on religion and spirituality, and has appeared in places as diverse as National Public Radio's "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" and Fox-TV's "The O'Reilly Factor," as well as on the other major networks, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, The History Channel, and Vatican Radio.
Father Martin is the author and editor of several books, including his most recent work, "Becoming Who You Are: Insights on the True Self from Thomas Merton and Other Saints", published by Paulist Press.

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In Between Heaven and Mirth, James Martin, SJ, assures us that God wants us to experience joy, to cultivate a sense of holy humor, and to laugh at life’s absurdities—not to mention our own humanity. Father Martin invites believers to rediscover the importance of humor and laughter in our daily lives and to embrace an essential truth: faith leads to joy.

Holy people are joyful people, says Father Martin, offering countless examples of healthy humor and purposeful levity in the stories of biblical heroes and heroines, and in the lives of the saints and the world’s great spiritual masters. He shows us how the parables are often the stuff of comedy, and how the gospels reveal Jesus to be a man with a palpable sense of joy and even playfulness. In fact, Father Martin argues compellingly, thinking about a Jesus without a sense of humor may be close to heretical.

Drawing on Scripture, sharing anecdotes from his experiences as a lifelong Catholic, a Jesuit for over twenty years, and a priest for more than ten, and including amusing and insightful sidebars, footnotes, and jokes, Father Martin illustrates how joy, humor, and laughter help us to live more spiritual lives, understand ourselves and others better, and more fully appreciate God’s presence among us. Practical how-to advice helps us use humor to show our faith, embrace our humanity, put things into perspective, open our minds, speak truth, demonstrate courage, challenge power, learn hospitality, foster effective human relations, deepen our relationship with God, and ... enjoy ourselves. Inviting God to lighten our hearts, we can enjoy a little heaven on earth.