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

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.

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.