The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life

A delight to read about spirituality and theology in such a pleasing manner.

Father Martin's book is not only educative but enlightening for the inexperienced reader of books of this nature. He tells facts in a clear concise and often amusing way. And he writes in such a manner as to offer the reader the opportunity to absorb his subject matter in great or small amounts at each reading.
THE JESUIT GUIDE is a must read especially for all those who have heard of and appreciated the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, but never participated for lack of time or proper understanding. It is also for those think spirituality and religion are mutually exclusive or that perhaps the former is accessible only to saints.
Father Martin is the author of several other extremely readable books. It is worth the time to read them as well as this one. Keep them coming Father Martin.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

The Spirituality of Saint Ignatius, Straight UP!

I saw this book promoted in 'America' magazine, so ordered it when it came out. Having read a few of Father James Martin's other books, this book really stands out - incredibly well-organized and crafted to make the spiritual life (Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius inclusive) easily accessible for all. I have many heavy tomes on the spiritual life and Spiritual Exercises (heavy not just in weight!) & have done several 8-day silent retreats with the Jesuits and Trappists, but this is one of the best guides to the spiritual life I've ever read. Thank you, Father Martin, for all your work putting this together - I love all the quotes, the history, the format (highlighted boxes inclusive!), the honest personal examples (especially like the humility humor!)...and the simplicity. This book will be treasured for a long time. Highly recommend to those who have been on the spiritual journey for a long time as a welcomed refresher and to those just beginning a journey -- there's something great in it for everyone.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Brilliant Introduction to Jesuit Life

Author James Martin delivers an entertaining and honest guide to his life as a Jesuit priest.
This is a terrific book if you've ever been curious about the historical and philosophical side of the Jesuit order.
I can't imagine how a book on this topic could be any better.
I found this book to be both educational and useful.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

highly recommended

a little bit of history, a little bit of religion, a little bit of humor, a little bit of practical advice on how to live a simpler more intentional life. Loved it

Very good

I had a little trouble downloading my e-book but finally figured it out and it looked great. Unfortunately our iPad was stolen before I got a chance to read the book. Any chance I could download it again when the new iPad we've ordered arrives in a few days?

Self help in a new light

Do we really need another self help book? Yes if it's this one. Not a step-by-step guide, but a thoughtful stroll down the lovely path of life on Earth. It has helped me refocus my relationships with friends, family and all those drivers on the freeway.

Wonderful Read

Reading this book is an enriching experience.

A Christian Guide To Putting Your Life In Perspective

I found this book at a point where I was trying to put my life back together. Martin has an uncanny knack for putting very thought provoking spiritual matters into down to earth simple terms that anyone can understand. With that said, I'd also recommend that you buy "When God Stopped Keeping Score." an intimate look at the power of God and forgiveness. Given the chance, it too could change your life.

What a Great Book written by a Great Writer

If you're on your soul's journey, if you've ever said to yourself, there's got to be more to this life....or if you've ever wondered what am I doing and/or what should I be doing with my life, how do I walk the right path and find my life's purpose - read this book. Quite apropos for me.

An Amazing Book!!!

Finally, a book on spirituality that is real, genuine, fresh, relational, practical, insightful, funny, honest and just plain refreshing. James Martin's book, The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life is a book that explores principles, practices and sometimes wild experiences from Martin's own life, who has been a Jesuit for about twenty years, as well as the lives of various saints, Christians, professors and fellow journeyers and mainly from his main spiritual mentor: St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556).

St. Ignatius Loyola is not only Martin's mentor but the "way of Ignatius" "has helped millions of people-from the doubtful seeker to the devout believer-find freedom, make friends, live simply, work sensibly, fall in love, experience joy, and enter into a relationship with God." James Martin is the kind of guy you would want as your spiritual coach and director. His ability to articulate a theology concerning the immanence and closeness of God is liberating, especially for those who are used to experiencing God as "super holy," "super mad" and completely transcendent. Martin helps paint us a picture of a God who is all around us and provides us with smear free glasses (well almost smear free glasses, lol) to help us see and experience God in new and liberating ways. In some ways it is a book on Sacred Semiotics and gives us the ability to see God in every aspect of life, demolishing the tendency of dichotomizing and compartmentalizing our religious lives.

There is so much to comment about in his book. It is like taking a class that when really engaged can drastically change your life. One thing that I found insightful was his take on those who consider themselves "spiritual" as opposed to "religious." I must admit, I have also used that card on similar occasions. It is so common nowadays to claim one is spiritual and not religious. There are so many actors and actresses, artists and musicians who boast in their/our postmodern spirituality and eschew any mention of being religious or the topic of religion in general (unless degrading it). Even Anne Rice is now throwing away "religion," leaving Christianity and keeping her "spirituality" and love for Jesus.

But Martin suggests that we need both. We need religion and we need spirituality to help mold a more complete, healthy and vibrant faith. While Martin admits that religion, "can lead people to do terrible things"(p.48), he also suggests that religion can thwart our rampant individualism and keep us grounded amidst a corrective and loving community. And if the community gets out of whack then prophets will rise up exposing the hypocrisy and bring the community back to balance. Martin writes, "It's a healthy tension: the wisdom of our religious traditions provides us with a corrective for our propensity to think that we have all the answers; and prophetic individuals moderate the natural propensity of institutions to resist change and growth. As with many aspects of the spiritual life, you need to find life in the tension" (p.48). So, I am now both "spiritual and religious" and unashamed.

The Jesuit Guide To (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life is a wonderful book and will enlighten all who read it. You will be freer to love yourself, love others, love God and love the world. Guaranteed!!

An excellent spiritual journey for those familiar with or wanting to know your higher power!

This book is an excellent an example of how to love your religion and spiritual journey with grace, respect and dignity. It is truly a journey of (Almost) everything you would want to know about everything through the guide of the eyes of a Jesuit.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Uplifting and practical

I bought this book as a gift for my son, who attended a Jesuit college (Scranton). I wound up reading it myself, and decided I needed a copy for myself. The book is filled with very usable advice and suggestions for living well. It was fun to read, and is very down to earth. I have already started applying some of the principles of St. Ignatius, and they really help.

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