Between heaven and mirth : why joy, humor, and laughter are at the heart of the spiritual life

Title:

Author:

Martin, James, 1960-

ISBN:

9780062024268

Personal Author:

Martin, James, 1960-

Edition:

First edition.

Publication Information:

New York, NY : HarperOne, 2011.

Physical Description:

263 pages ; 24 cm

Contents:

Excessive levity -- The most infallible sign : joy and the spiritual life -- Why so gloomy? A brief but 100 percent accurate historical examination of religious seriousness -- A study in joy : Psalm 65 -- Joy is a gift from God : humor and the saints -- Happiness attracts : 11 1/2 serious reasons for good humor -- I awoke : how vocation, service, and love can lead to joy -- A study in joy : the Visitation -- Laughing in church : recovering levity in the community of believers -- I'm not funny and my life stinks : answers to the most difficult challenges of living a joyful life -- God has brought laughter for me : discovering delight in your personal spiritual life -- A study in joy : I Thessalonians -- Rejoice always! Introducing joy, humor, and laughter into your prayer -- Get ready for heaven.

Abstract:

Using relevant stories and characters from Scripture, insights and teachings from the lives of he saints, spiritual writings, and personal experiences, the author explores the place of joy, humor, and laughter in the spiritual life.

Subject Term:

Wit and humor -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Wit and humor in the Bible.

Document ID:

SD_ILS:2047304

Holds: Copies:

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Library	Collection	Collection	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hanford Branch Library (Kings Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Adult Non-Fiction Area	248.4 M	Searching... Unknown
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Summary

"Between Heaven and Mirth will make any reader smile. . . . Father Martin reminds us that happiness is the good God's own goal for us." --Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York

From one of America's most beloved spiritual leaders and the New York Times bestselling author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A Pilgrimage Father James Martin, SJ, comes a revolutionary look at how you can change your life and save your spirit through joy, humor, and laughter.

Martin shares how you can strike a healthy balance between spirituality and daily life and live as a joyful believer. In Between Heaven and Mirth, he uses scriptural passages, the lives of the saints, the spiritual teachings of other traditions, and his own personal reflections to show us why joy is the inevitable result of faith, because a healthy spirituality and a healthy sense of humor go hand-in-hand with God's great plan for humankind.

Author Notes

James J. Martin, born December 29, 1960, is a Jesuit priest, writer and Culture Editor of the Jesuit magazine America. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in 1982 and worked in corporate finance at General Electric for six years. Dissatisfied with the corporate world, he became more deeply involved in the Catholic Church and decided to enter the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits) in 1988, and was ordained a priest in 1999.

Martin is the author of many books, including bestsellers My Life With the Saints (which won the 2007 Christopher Award), A Jesuit Off-Broadway: Center Stage with Jesus, Judas, and Life's Big Questions, and Jesus: A Pilgrimage.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

"So a humor book and a serious theology book meet up in a bar..." Martin, a Jesuit who is something of a regular on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, makes a strong case for the necessity of humor in the spiritual life, offering what he calls "a serious argument for joy." Weaving funny anecdotes and jokes with biblical and historical research and interviews with scholars, Martin does much to rescue the Christian tradition from joylessness. In his telling, church history is filled with levity if you only know where to look-his portrayal of St. Teresa of Avila shows her to have been downright hilarious, and Jesus himself drew upon humor in ways we don't always appreciate when we read the Gospels today. Rather than laughter's trivializing faith, Martin sees humor as a faithful response to God, a default stance that invites other people into God's family. 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. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

Most people don't realize that Jesus relied upon a sense of humor to spread the word of God, or that several saints were known for playful sarcasm that could evoke belly laughs. Even a few popes are appreciated for their down-to-earth wit. John XXIII once responded to a question about how many people worked at the Vatican with. About half of them. Humor can definitely see us through life's toughest challenges, but more important, it can add delight and depth to daily existence, according to cultural commentator Martin, New York Times best-selling author of the Jesuit Guide to Almost Anything (2010). Humor can heal, make others feel welcome, attract happiness, encourage humility, and deliver insightful truths that would otherwise require exhaustive explanation. 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.--DeGrane, Susa. Copyright 2010 Booklist

Introduction Excessive Levity	p. 1
Chapter 1 The Most Infallible Sign
Joy and the Spiritual Life	p. 12
Chapter 2 Why So Gloomy?
A Brief but 100 Percent Accurate Historical Examination of Religious Seriousness	p. 31
A Study in Joy: Psalm 65	p. 62
Chapter 3 Joy Is a Gift from God
Humor and the Saints	p. 68
Chapter 4 Happiness Attracts
111/2 Serious Reasons for Good Humor	p. 86
Chapter 5 I Awoke
How Vocation, Service, and Love Can Lead to Joy	p. 120
A Study in Joy: The Visitation	p. 135
Chapter 6 Laughing in Church
Recovering Levity in the Community of Believers	p. 142
Chapter 7 I'm Not Funny and My Life Stinks
Answers to the Most Difficult Challenges of Living a Joyful Life	p. 171
Chapter 8 God Has Brought Laughter for Me
Discovering Delight in Your Personal Spiritual Life	p. 193
A Study in Joy: i Thessalonians	p. 212
Chapter 9 Rejoice Always!
Introducing Joy, Humor, and Laughter into Your Prayer	p. 218
Conclusion Get Ready for Heaven	p. 235
For Further Exploration	p. 237
Acknowledgments	p. 241
About the Author	p. 243
Notes	p. 244
Index	p. 249

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review

Table of Contents