Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life Paperback - 2012

"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 guide to Christian living that looks 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, a healthy sense of humor, and a dedication to spiritual growth go hand-in-hand with God's great plan for humankind.

How can we find the humor and happiness at the heart of the spiritual life?

• Christian Humor: 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.
• Finding Joy: 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.
• Spiritual Wisdom: 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.
• A Joyful Believer: An invitation to change your life and save your spirit not through seriousness and gloom, but through the revolutionary power of laughter.