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Between Heaven And Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, And Laughter Are At The Heart Of The Spiritual Life (2011)

by James Martin(Favorite Author)

3.89 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0062024264 (ISBN13: 9780062024268)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

HarperOne

review 1: This is a very uplifting book on the importance of finding the joy in Catholicism (and faith in general). Fr. Martin is a Jesuit priest who spent time researching the Bible and talking with scholars about the way humor and faith come together. If you have ever seen Fr. Martin on The Colbert Report you know he has a great sense of humor and handles the complexity of Catholicism with grace and wit.I thought the book was interesting and filled with humor and insight. Catholics generally have the whole "we love a good party" thing down (beer at KoC events! at the Church!), but there is certainly something to be said about the seriousness of faith. Fr. Martin does a good job pointing out that faith doesn't have to be serious all of the time. We can laugh and make fun of ourselv... morees and be joyful without fear of judgment from God.The book gets a little long winded and dry in some parts, but overall it is a good read. Fr. Martin has a conversational writing style which makes the book feel laid back even though there are a lot of Biblical and scholarly references throughout it. It isn't preachy or condescending. Clearly Fr. Martin went to great lengths to make it easy for any Christian to understand. While there are more references to Catholicism than any other religious denomination (obviously) he talks regularly about conversations with pastors and church leaders from religions across the globe.It was a refreshing read, and I'm glad I read it before we get into the Advent season. I recommend it for anyone who wants to read a lighthearted but thorough book on faith.
review 2: Continuing my reading on the intersection of humor and faith, someone passed this on to me. The scope of the book is very good but even more impressive is the number of references to other works and theologians. It feels like Martin was on the phone with every theologian in the country while writing the book. The section on scripture was well done but still lacked something for me. I can't quite put my finger on it. There's something missing in the argument. I suppose my question is this: are laughter and humor true virtues or are they personality traits? Are they a hybrid? No doubt that humor can give us access to God, but is there a christian mandate to have a good sense of humor? less

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