Between Heaven and Mirth - by James Martin (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Between Heaven and Mirth is Father James Martin's bestselling, laugh-out-loud case that joy isn't a distraction from faith -- it's proof of it.

For anyone who's ever suspected religion takes itself too seriously, Jesuit priest and New York Times bestselling author James Martin, S.J. (The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything) makes a warm, witty, and deeply researched argument that humor and laughter sit at the very center of a healthy spiritual life. Drawing on Scripture, the lives of the saints, decades in ministry, and no shortage of good jokes, Martin shows why "holy" and "joyless" were never meant to go together.

Inside, readers will discover:

• Why joy is "the most infallible sign of the presence of God"
• A surprising, entertaining history of how religion got so gloomy
• How saints from Thomas More to Philip Neri used humor as a spiritual practice
• The link between vocation, service, love, and lasting joy
• Practical ways to bring laughter into prayer, worship, and community
• Honest answers for readers who feel their faith -- or their life -- just isn't funny right now

This book is for Christians, Catholics, and spiritual seekers of every stripe who want a faith that feels alive rather than austere -- clergy and laypeople alike, book clubs exploring Christian living, and anyone drawn to accessible, story-driven spirituality writing.

Readers who loved The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, or Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies, will find a kindred spirit here: faith writing that's rigorous about God and unafraid to laugh along the way.

Funny, faithful, and quietly profound, Between Heaven and Mirth will change the way you think about God, church, and your own sense of humor -- one good story (and one good laugh) at a time.

From the Back Cover

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.

Review Quotes

"The author intends to recover joy as a central virtue of the Christian life that has its roots deep in scripture and ancient practice. Humor is one expression of a joyful life that Martin says is at the core of the spiritual life. One might respond that the current woes of the world - unemployment, widespread hunger, war and poverty - are no laughing matter. Martin doesn't deny reality; he contends that a holy life is a balanced life, one that is capable of joy and delight in God's goodness while facing the tragic aspects of life. Joy, humor and laughter are essential practices of the spiritual life. We neglect them at our own peril. This is a funny book and quite serious." - Presbyterian Outlook Review

"Martin refreshingly veers away from dogma and scholarly arguments to present an accessible historical examination of humor... Between Heaven and Mirth is an enriching, inspiring read, leavened with humorous personal stories, jokes and anecdotes that give believers strategies to deepen their faith by cultivating a sense of delight and good humor in their own lives and church communities." - Shelf Awareness

"Between Heaven and Mirth is delicious, well-crafted and well-paced. Martin draws on his own experience as a priest and demonstrates both a light touch and an impressive command of his subject." - Harvey Cox, the Washington Post Book World

"Between Heaven and Mirth uses biblical passages, personal anecdotes and saints' stories to show the importance of humor to the spiritual life....It is an easy read that moves quickly along.....The book's many anecdotes show that religious people, even saints and popes, can be remarkably funny and good-humored...Father Martin invites us to a more joyful, joke-filled Christian life, because Jesus, too, loved to laugh and tease people, as reflected in his parables." - Catholic News Service

"Between Heaven and Mirth uses biblical passages, personal anecdotes and saints' stories to show the importance of humor to the spiritual life." - Catholic News Service

"Holy people are joyful people, Martin says. The author suggests ways that humor and laughter can be incorporated into prayer. This is a book that will make you laugh. Sprinkled throughout are many funny stories and jokes." - Christian Century

"If you ever got in trouble as a child for laughing in church, prepare to be vindicated. In Between Heaven and Mirth, Jesuit Father James Martin reveals that God never intended for us to take ourselves, or our spirituality, quite so seriously. Joy and laughter aren't contrary to a life of faith, but as Martin demonstrates, they are integral to it." - Scott Alessi, U.S. Catholic

"If you ever got in trouble as a child for laughing in church, prepare to be vindicated." - Scott Alessi, U.S. Catholic

"Between Heaven and Mirth couldn't come at a better time since both individuals and religious institutions are feeling the pressure of hard times. Joy and a playful sense of humor are great antidotes to hopelessness and helplessness." - Spirituality & Practice

"This book ought to find a place on everybody's Christmas list this year, both the wish list and the shopping list. It is a book to be received with joy, savored and given. It reaffirms the fundamental mystery of God's love and redemption that is at the heart of the Christmas mystery of Incarnation." - America Magazine

"Winsome and comical but also provocative and thoughtful, Martin's book is a breath of fresh air for those who would take religion--and themselves--too seriously." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Martin's book suggests numerous ways to foster the strength of gracious good humor and makes a wonderful case for replacing suffering and sadness with an abundance of levity and joy." - Booklist