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

Martin, James

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0062024256 ISBN 13 : 9780062024251

Editeur : HarperOne, 2012

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.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, and author of the New York Times bestsellers Learning to Pray, Jesus: A Pilgrimage, and The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks and outlets, like The Colbert Report, NPR’s Fresh Air, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

À propos de la quatrième de couverture

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.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: HarperOne
• Date d'édition: 2012
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0062024256
• ISBN 13: 9780062024251
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 272
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Product Safety Manager; enquiries@harpercollins.ie; ; HarperCollins, Macken House, 39/40 Mayor Street Upper; Dublin 1; D01 C9W8; Irlande