Laughing Saints and Righteous Heroes

Laughing Saints and Righteous Heroes
Author: Erika Summers Effler
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2010-04-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0226188671

Why do people keep fighting for social causes in the face of consistent failure? Why do they risk their physical, emotional, and financial safety on behalf of strangers? How do these groups survive high turnover and emotional burnout? To explore these questions, Erika Summers Effler undertook three years of ethnographic fieldwork with two groups: anti–death penalty activists STOP and the Catholic Workers, who strive to alleviate poverty. In both communities, members must contend with problems that range from the broad to the intimately personal. Adverse political conditions, internal conflict, and fluctuations in financial resources create a backdrop of daily frustration—but watching an addict relapse or an inmate’s execution are much more devastating setbacks. Summers Effler finds that overcoming these obstacles, recovering from failure, and maintaining the integrity of the group require a constant process of emotional fine-tuning, and she demonstrates how activists do this through thoughtful analysis and a lucid rendering of their deeply affecting stories.

Between Heaven and Mirth

Between Heaven and Mirth
Author: James Martin
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2011-10-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0062098624

“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 The Colbert Report’s “official chaplain” James Martin, SJ, author of the New York Times bestselling The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, comes a revolutionary look at how joy, humor, and laughter can change our lives and save our spirits. A Jesuit priest with a busy media ministry, Martin understands the intersections between spirituality and daily life. 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 and a healthy sense of humor go hand-in-hand with God's great plan for humankind.

The Laughter of the Saints

The Laughter of the Saints
Author: Ryan Dennis Giles
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2009-01-01
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0802099521

The Laughter of the Saints examines this rich carnivalesque tradition of parodied holy men and women and traces their influence to the anti-heroes and picaresque roots of early modern novels such as Don Quixote.

My Life with the Saints (10th Anniversary Edition)

My Life with the Saints (10th Anniversary Edition)
Author: James Martin
Publisher: Loyola Press
Total Pages: 410
Release: 2016-09-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 082944453X

“Martin’s final word is as Jungian as it is Catholic: God does not want us to be Mother Teresa or Dorothy Day. God wants us to be most fully ourselves.” —Washington Post Book World WITTY, WRYLY HONEST, AND ALWAYS ORIGINAL, My Life with the Saints is James Martin’s story of how his life has been shaped by some surprising friends—the saints of the Catholic Church. In his modern classic memoir, Martin introduces us to saints throughout history—from St. Peter to Dorothy Day, St. Francis of Assisi to Mother Teresa—and chronicles his lifelong friendships with them. Filled with fascinating tales, Martin’s funny, vibrant, and stirring book invites readers to discover how saints guide us throughout our earthly journeys and how they help each of us find holiness in our own lives. Featuring a new chapter from Martin, this tenth-anniversary edition of the best-selling memoir updates readers about his life over the past ten years. In that time, he has been a New York Times best-selling author, official chaplain of The Colbert Report, and a welcome presence in the media whenever there’s a breaking Catholic news story. But he has always remained recognizably himself. John L. Allen, Jr., the acclaimed Catholic journalist, contributes a foreword that shows how Martin has become one of the wisest and most insightful voices of this era. “An outstanding and often hilarious memoir.” —Publishers Weekly “One of the best spiritual memoirs in years.” —Robert Ellsberg “Remarkably engaging.” —U.S. Catholic One of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of the Year Winner of the Christopher Award Winner of the Catholic Press Association Book Award

Philip Neri, the Laughing Saint

Philip Neri, the Laughing Saint
Author: Hyŏn-ju Yi (Cartoonist)
Publisher: Pauline Books & Media
Total Pages:
Release: 2014
Genre: Christian saints
ISBN: 9780819860118

St. Philip Neri s story is told in a full-color, graphic novel biography for children ages 9 12. When he goes to live with his uncle to learn business skills, he experiences a religious conversion. Enthusiastic Philip then moves to Rome to study under the Augustinian rule, dedicating his time and energy to helping the poor. This loveable saint, patron of joy and laughter, comes alive for young readers as he inspires them to live out Christ's call in their own lives."

Christian Spirituality

Christian Spirituality
Author: Arthur Holder
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 539
Release: 2009-09-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1135285403

Christian Spirituality: The Classics is a unique and comprehensive guide to thirty key Christian spirituality texts. Ranging from Origen and Augustine to Jonathan Edwards, Thérèse of Lisieux and Thomas Merton, it offers a view of the texts which is founded in scholarship, but which also presents them as living documents that invite- even compel -contemplative reflection and existential response. Each chapter briefly describes the classic text’s author and audience, gives a synopsis of its contents, suggests some of its influence in history, and then explores aspects of the text’s meaning for readers today. Key themes include: What is the meaning of life? How can human beings find truth? How can they discover who they really are? How can they live together in peace? How can they live more fully in God’s presence in this world and be united with God in the world to come? The scholars who have written these chapters are all experts on their respective topics, but they wear their learning lightly. Anyone wishing to discover the riches of Christian spirituality will find this the ideal introduction and should be able to progress to a deeper understanding of the texts themselves.

Saint Clare of Assisi

Saint Clare of Assisi
Author: Hee-Ju Kim
Publisher: Pauline Books & Media
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2017-03-02
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780819890870

"Clare is a wealthy noblewoman with a handsome fiancé, but all she wants is to belong totally to Jesus. Her friend Francis preaches about giving up everything to follow Jesus, but Clare's father wants her get married and stop causing trouble. Will Clare risk everything to follow Christ, or will she give in to her family's wishes?"--Back cover.

Saints in Limbo

Saints in Limbo
Author: River Jordan
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2009-05-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0307457915

“River Jordan’s Saints in Limbo is a compelling story of the mysteries of existence and, specially, the mysteries of the human heart.” –Ron Rash, author of Serena and Chemistry and Other Stories “I lose myself in River’s writing–transported to a different time and place– and in this case, to one that makes the ordinary mystical and magical. I give it FIVE diamonds in the Pulpwood Queen’s TIARA!” –Kathy L. Patrick, founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs and author of The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life Ever since her husband Joe died, Velma True’s world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multicolored threads tied to the porch railing of her home outside Echo, Florida. When a mysterious stranger appears at her door on her birthday and presents Velma with a special gift, she is rattled by the object’s ability to take her into her memories–a place where Joe still lives, her son Rudy is still young, unaffected by the world’s hardness, and the beginning is closer than the end. As secrets old and new come to light, Velma wonders if it’s possible to be unmoored from the past’s deep roots and find a reason to hope again. Praise for River Jordan “[River Jordan’s] literary spice rack has everything you need to put together a good book.” –Rick Bragg, author of All Over but the Shoutin’ and Ava’s Man “River Jordan writes so beautifully.” –Joshilyn Jackson, author of Gods in Alabama and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming

She Made Me Laugh

She Made Me Laugh
Author: Stephanie Emmons
Publisher: Paraclete Press
Total Pages: 100
Release: 2020-10-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1640606580

Most people likely know of Mother Teresa’s great faithfulness to God’s call as she started her ministry to the poor in Calcutta. But at the time, few knew that she had lost all sense of God's presence, love, and sometimes the assurance that God existed at all. Astonishingly, for 50 years, the saint's life was spent in what she called "the darkness." Yet, somehow Mother Teresa managed to get up every morning and say yes to God. And not only did she say yes, she came to accept the darkness, while also allowing a sense of humor and even playfulness to shine through. This book is a memoir of the author’s direct experiences with Mother Teresa during a trip to Calcutta in 1996 when she discovered that sense of humor first hand. It is also an extended reflection on the beloved saint’s “dark night of the soul” and what that might mean for spiritual seekers today.