{"product_id":"between-heaven-and-mirth-why-joy-humor-and-laughter-are-at-the-heart-of-the-spiritual-life-isbn-9780062024251","title":"Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“\u003ci\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/i\u003e 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\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom one of America’s most beloved spiritual leaders and the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eJesus: A Pilgrimage\u003c\/i\u003e Father James Martin, SJ, comes a revolutionary guide to Christian living that looks at how you can change your life and save your spirit through joy, humor, and laughter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMartin shares how you can strike a healthy balance between spirituality and daily life and live as a joyful believer. In \u003ci\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/i\u003e, 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, a healthy sense of humor, and a dedication to spiritual growth go hand-in-hand with God's great plan for humankind. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow can we find the humor and happiness at the heart of the spiritual life?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eChristian Humor:\u003c\/b\u003e Why holy people are joyful people, with hilarious and touching stories from the lives of the saints, the wisdom of Scripture, and the author’s own experience as a Jesuit priest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFinding Joy:\u003c\/b\u003e Practical, heartfelt advice on how to strike a healthy balance between modern daily life and spirituality, showing that joy is the inevitable result of a deep faith.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSpiritual Wisdom:\u003c\/b\u003e A refreshing look at the spiritual teachings of Christian and other traditions that prove a healthy sense of humor goes hand-in-hand with God’s great plan.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Joyful Believer:\u003c\/b\u003e An invitation to change your life and save your spirit not through seriousness and gloom, but through the revolutionary power of laughter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/em\u003e, 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHoly 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 \u003cem\u003ewithout\u003c\/em\u003e a sense of humor may be close to heretical. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing 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. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePresbyterian Outlook Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Martin refreshingly veers away from dogma and scholarly arguments to present an accessible historical examination of humor... \u003ci\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/i\u003e 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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/i\u003e 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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHarvey Cox, the Washington Post Book World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCatholic News Service\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Between Heaven and Mirth uses biblical passages, personal anecdotes and saints’ stories to show the importance of humor to the spiritual life.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCatholic News Service\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristian Century\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“If you ever got in trouble as a child for laughing in church, prepare to be vindicated. In \u003ci\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eScott Alessi, U.S. Catholic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“If you ever got in trouble as a child for laughing in church, prepare to be vindicated.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eScott Alessi, U.S. Catholic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpirituality \u0026amp; Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAmerica Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperOne","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888008851685,"sku":"NP9780062024251","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062024251.jpg?v=1730227945","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/between-heaven-and-mirth-why-joy-humor-and-laughter-are-at-the-heart-of-the-spiritual-life-isbn-9780062024251","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}