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The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Study of Ignatian Spirituality for Everyday Life Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to Jesuit Spirituality - THE JESUIT GUIDE TO ALMOST EVERYTHING is the latest book by the acclaimed, bestselling Jesuit writer, James Martin, S.J., whose earlier work MY LIFE WITH THE SAINTS has become a contemporary classic of popular Jesuit spirituality. Father Martin has deservedly won accolades for his accessible yet insightful writings; the "America Magazine" writer and editor has even gained a popular following through his occasional appearances on "The Colbert Report." (His national television presence may well make him the Archbishop Fulton Sheen of the early twenty-first century --sans the former's flashy episcopal habiliment.) Father Martin's writing style conveys a sense of being effortless, that is to say, it is without evident artifice; his writing makes him as approachable as he appears on television (and on Facebook). He's also down-to-earth about his own foibles; no holier-than-Saint Joe cleric here. This book--as the title suggests--runs the gamut of life issues, taking as its starting point and organizing principle the essence of Jesuit spirituality, founder St. Ignatius Loyola's "way of proceeding." By explaining the "way of proceeding," Martin sums up on the first page what his book is all about: "the freedom to become the person you're meant to be, to love and accept love, to make good decisions, and to experience the beauty of creation and the mystery of God's love." The chapters unfold from there, treating such topics as seeking God; living a simple life; plumbing the real meaning of chastity, love, and friendship; understanding and accepting obedience and suffering; learning the Ignatian way of decision making, discovering the role of desire in vocation, and being "who you is." Occasionally one encounters a section that feels less organic than pastiche, but Martin's presentation is always engaging and useful. While the reader is likely to have had some interest in religion or spirituality to have even picked up the book, Martin attempts to expand the meaningfulness of this material to all "seekers." This is both ambitious and in keeping with the Jesuit (and the Christian) charge to evangelize, but it's difficult to surmise how successful he is in that regard. One of the goals of the Society of Jesus (the formal name of the Jesuit Order) has always been to extend its thinking and practices beyond its mostly clerical membership, an ever more challenging (and important) mission as the Order's ranks diminish. Since Martin's world is principally that of the Jesuits, his examples, just as in earlier books, come mostly from his years of Jesuit formation and the experiences of his present life as a priest. Thus, there's a quite a bit of insider Jesuit religious life (vice experiences of everyday lay life) that Martin attempts to convert into lessons for the layperson. I think he does this rather successfully and engagingly--though I should note that my judgment might be influenced by the few wonderful years I once numbered in the edifying company of the Jesuits. It'd be interesting to see if spiritually minded non-Catholics are paying attention. I hope so. If I had been the publisher, I might have tinkered with the presentation of the material. I see this as a spiritual guidebook, and so it would have interested me to have seen this formatted accordingly, like a travel guidebook rather than as a travel narrative. One might read a travel guide cover-to-cover in preparing for a trip, but while on the journey one will want to go right to the section most applicable. In this context, one might want to ready-reference Martin's excellent synopsis of, say, the Examen or the Ignatian decision-making process, and a guidebook format would both facilitate locating those sections and highlight the salient points through text boxes, charts and other graphic devices. Note to HarperOne: it's not too late to get an illustrated guidebook version of this book out by next Christmas! One will wonder what's NOT covered by an "almost" guide. Well, sex *is*, in a way (actually, in a profound way), so not that. There's a definite deficit of attention paid to food (though Rick Curry, S.J. is mentioned--ah, no, I'm not punning on his name; the Jesuit brother who founded the National Theater Workshop of the Handicapped has also written books on soupmaking and breadmaking), but I note that sort-of tongue-in-cheek. The book actually is quite comprehensive, but fortunately, should Martin choose, he still has plenty of topics to cover. In a follow-up he could address or further develop such matters as understanding the nature of evil/Satan in the modern context (thinking beyond Dana Carvey's Church Lady); the relationship between science and faith; the challenge of living faith-filled, counter-cultural lives in an affluent, comfortable society; end-of-life (and associated quality-of-life) issues; and death and resurrection. An expanded treatment of the Jesuit performing and visual arts would be welcomed. In any case, I'll be looking forward to whatever Father Martin should choose to write about, even if it's about sitting in the Colbert Green Room. Review: A readable religious book that still makes you think. - Religious, and specifically Christian, books can be a challenging lot. On the one hand there are plenty of great theological texts to read (Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Rahner, Barth, etc), but suffice it to say they are not the type of book you curl up with at the end of the day. On the other hand, there are too many "Christian-lite" books (I'll be nice and not name names) which touch on Christian themes, but lack the depth to really challenge the faithful. With his rather bold title, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, James Martin, SJ looks like he would fall in the latter category. But happily, what we find here is a treatment of the Christian faith (through a Jesuit lens) which is not difficult to digest, but will challenge the reader to reexamine their stance toward faith. This is not just wordplay when I say "stance toward faith." Martin honestly and respectfully engages readers who may be atheists or agnostics, as well as any Christian still examining their faith. He does note that much of what he offers from his Jesuit life could be adopted by non-Christians. But give Martin credit for not being embarrassed of his faith and making a strong case for Christianity. Martin acknowledges his own wordplay when he addresses his title. "It's not a guide to understanding everything about everything (thus the Almost). Rather, it's a guide to discovering how God can be found in every dimension of your life." The essence of the book is that every aspect of your life is spiritual -- faith is not just concerned with your thoughts on God, but what you say in those emails to a coworker. This is the first of four definitions that comes from Jesuit spirituality, namely, that everything in your life is important. The second idea is "contemplative in action," in which Martin outlines how a contemplative life translates into an active life. This theme plays a major role throughout the book as Martin explores how those of us who are not Jesuits can still actively incorporate spirituality into our lives. Third, not only is everything important, but God can be found everywhere. This carries the theological phrase of incarnational spirituality, but the idea is simple. Finally, many readers may be surprised to hear that people who pledge obedience see their spiritual life as one of freedom and detachment from distracting influences as opposed to a set of rules to follow. Martin spends a great deal of time looking at the role of prayer in our lives. Again he is not afraid to challenge, as he does with the conventional excuse of "busyness," when it comes to why we find prayer challenging. One of Martin's strengths is that he understands the challenges of the working world. He came to his own faith decisions after a, ahem, active collegiate experience and after having a successful business career. He knows what many people deal with daily, and although not the head of a family, he understands the stresses the life of a parent has to contend with in addition to finding prayer time. But he points out that all relationships need nurturing, and our relationship with God is no different. He offers several options, but his focus on "The Examen" is the most enlightening. This Jesuit prayer is central to the Jesuit way of life. Created by the Jesuit founder, St. Ignatius Loyola (and Jesuit spirituality is often called Ignatian spirituality), this prayer takes a person through five steps at the end of the day. The prayer focuses on the course of the day. In Martin's version (and we learn throughout that Jesuits are a pretty flexible lot on faith issues) we start with gratitude for what went well, and then review all actions of the day. When we recall events we are sorry for we have reached the third step, which leads naturally to seeking forgiveness, step four. Finally, we seek God's grace for the coming day. Simple as it sounds, and it is simple, the prayer reinforces that idea of all aspects of your life are important to God. All our actions should reflect our faith, and when we fail, we should seek to remedy our wrongs. Regardless of one's faith inclination, a thorough review of the day and an accounting for one's actions is bound to create opportunities to move forward. Martin's explanations of the vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty are enlightening in not only understanding what those vows mean, but what they have to do with the rest of us. No, he is not promoting worldwide chastity in the normal sense, but he does argue that loving chastely lets those even in sexual relationships realize there are many ways to express love. In a sex-obsessed culture, this rather obvious line of thinking is desperately needed. This is how Martin works throughout the book. He explains how Jesuit's think and why, and then looks to tie it in with everyday life for the non-Jesuits of the world. While it sounds simple, it is challenging in both content and translation to life. If you just want an easy "feel good" book or "10 steps to live like a Jesuit," look elsewhere. If you want to think about faith and how it underlies your life, this is the place to start. But not to worry, Martin does all this with a sense of humor. He knows when some thinking sounds funny, and he points it out. He loves to tell Jesuit jokes, almost always at the expense of Jesuits, and the book is filled with real-life stories to illustrate his points. How often do you get to read a priest talk about being overwhelmed by sexual obsession just weeks before ordination? Martin does, and he spares himself little in the telling of tales. But his honesty and humor make all this thinking that more fun. And after all, if we cannot enjoy our faith, we must be missing something. Martin also keeps a friendly, informative Facebook page where you can read about his other comments on life. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #10,068 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #78 in Inspirational Spirituality (Books) #124 in Christian Self Help #239 in Christian Spiritual Growth (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,038 Reviews | ## Images ![The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Study of Ignatian Spirituality for Everyday Life - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ZrWt9C5+L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hitchhiker's Guide to Jesuit Spirituality *by M***N on January 17, 2011* THE JESUIT GUIDE TO ALMOST EVERYTHING is the latest book by the acclaimed, bestselling Jesuit writer, James Martin, S.J., whose earlier work MY LIFE WITH THE SAINTS has become a contemporary classic of popular Jesuit spirituality. Father Martin has deservedly won accolades for his accessible yet insightful writings; the "America Magazine" writer and editor has even gained a popular following through his occasional appearances on "The Colbert Report." (His national television presence may well make him the Archbishop Fulton Sheen of the early twenty-first century --sans the former's flashy episcopal habiliment.) Father Martin's writing style conveys a sense of being effortless, that is to say, it is without evident artifice; his writing makes him as approachable as he appears on television (and on Facebook). He's also down-to-earth about his own foibles; no holier-than-Saint Joe cleric here. This book--as the title suggests--runs the gamut of life issues, taking as its starting point and organizing principle the essence of Jesuit spirituality, founder St. Ignatius Loyola's "way of proceeding." By explaining the "way of proceeding," Martin sums up on the first page what his book is all about: "the freedom to become the person you're meant to be, to love and accept love, to make good decisions, and to experience the beauty of creation and the mystery of God's love." The chapters unfold from there, treating such topics as seeking God; living a simple life; plumbing the real meaning of chastity, love, and friendship; understanding and accepting obedience and suffering; learning the Ignatian way of decision making, discovering the role of desire in vocation, and being "who you is." Occasionally one encounters a section that feels less organic than pastiche, but Martin's presentation is always engaging and useful. While the reader is likely to have had some interest in religion or spirituality to have even picked up the book, Martin attempts to expand the meaningfulness of this material to all "seekers." This is both ambitious and in keeping with the Jesuit (and the Christian) charge to evangelize, but it's difficult to surmise how successful he is in that regard. One of the goals of the Society of Jesus (the formal name of the Jesuit Order) has always been to extend its thinking and practices beyond its mostly clerical membership, an ever more challenging (and important) mission as the Order's ranks diminish. Since Martin's world is principally that of the Jesuits, his examples, just as in earlier books, come mostly from his years of Jesuit formation and the experiences of his present life as a priest. Thus, there's a quite a bit of insider Jesuit religious life (vice experiences of everyday lay life) that Martin attempts to convert into lessons for the layperson. I think he does this rather successfully and engagingly--though I should note that my judgment might be influenced by the few wonderful years I once numbered in the edifying company of the Jesuits. It'd be interesting to see if spiritually minded non-Catholics are paying attention. I hope so. If I had been the publisher, I might have tinkered with the presentation of the material. I see this as a spiritual guidebook, and so it would have interested me to have seen this formatted accordingly, like a travel guidebook rather than as a travel narrative. One might read a travel guide cover-to-cover in preparing for a trip, but while on the journey one will want to go right to the section most applicable. In this context, one might want to ready-reference Martin's excellent synopsis of, say, the Examen or the Ignatian decision-making process, and a guidebook format would both facilitate locating those sections and highlight the salient points through text boxes, charts and other graphic devices. Note to HarperOne: it's not too late to get an illustrated guidebook version of this book out by next Christmas! One will wonder what's NOT covered by an "almost" guide. Well, sex *is*, in a way (actually, in a profound way), so not that. There's a definite deficit of attention paid to food (though Rick Curry, S.J. is mentioned--ah, no, I'm not punning on his name; the Jesuit brother who founded the National Theater Workshop of the Handicapped has also written books on soupmaking and breadmaking), but I note that sort-of tongue-in-cheek. The book actually is quite comprehensive, but fortunately, should Martin choose, he still has plenty of topics to cover. In a follow-up he could address or further develop such matters as understanding the nature of evil/Satan in the modern context (thinking beyond Dana Carvey's Church Lady); the relationship between science and faith; the challenge of living faith-filled, counter-cultural lives in an affluent, comfortable society; end-of-life (and associated quality-of-life) issues; and death and resurrection. An expanded treatment of the Jesuit performing and visual arts would be welcomed. In any case, I'll be looking forward to whatever Father Martin should choose to write about, even if it's about sitting in the Colbert Green Room. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A readable religious book that still makes you think. *by D***9 on March 29, 2010* Religious, and specifically Christian, books can be a challenging lot. On the one hand there are plenty of great theological texts to read (Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Rahner, Barth, etc), but suffice it to say they are not the type of book you curl up with at the end of the day. On the other hand, there are too many "Christian-lite" books (I'll be nice and not name names) which touch on Christian themes, but lack the depth to really challenge the faithful. With his rather bold title, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, James Martin, SJ looks like he would fall in the latter category. But happily, what we find here is a treatment of the Christian faith (through a Jesuit lens) which is not difficult to digest, but will challenge the reader to reexamine their stance toward faith. This is not just wordplay when I say "stance toward faith." Martin honestly and respectfully engages readers who may be atheists or agnostics, as well as any Christian still examining their faith. He does note that much of what he offers from his Jesuit life could be adopted by non-Christians. But give Martin credit for not being embarrassed of his faith and making a strong case for Christianity. Martin acknowledges his own wordplay when he addresses his title. "It's not a guide to understanding everything about everything (thus the Almost). Rather, it's a guide to discovering how God can be found in every dimension of your life." The essence of the book is that every aspect of your life is spiritual -- faith is not just concerned with your thoughts on God, but what you say in those emails to a coworker. This is the first of four definitions that comes from Jesuit spirituality, namely, that everything in your life is important. The second idea is "contemplative in action," in which Martin outlines how a contemplative life translates into an active life. This theme plays a major role throughout the book as Martin explores how those of us who are not Jesuits can still actively incorporate spirituality into our lives. Third, not only is everything important, but God can be found everywhere. This carries the theological phrase of incarnational spirituality, but the idea is simple. Finally, many readers may be surprised to hear that people who pledge obedience see their spiritual life as one of freedom and detachment from distracting influences as opposed to a set of rules to follow. Martin spends a great deal of time looking at the role of prayer in our lives. Again he is not afraid to challenge, as he does with the conventional excuse of "busyness," when it comes to why we find prayer challenging. One of Martin's strengths is that he understands the challenges of the working world. He came to his own faith decisions after a, ahem, active collegiate experience and after having a successful business career. He knows what many people deal with daily, and although not the head of a family, he understands the stresses the life of a parent has to contend with in addition to finding prayer time. But he points out that all relationships need nurturing, and our relationship with God is no different. He offers several options, but his focus on "The Examen" is the most enlightening. This Jesuit prayer is central to the Jesuit way of life. Created by the Jesuit founder, St. Ignatius Loyola (and Jesuit spirituality is often called Ignatian spirituality), this prayer takes a person through five steps at the end of the day. The prayer focuses on the course of the day. In Martin's version (and we learn throughout that Jesuits are a pretty flexible lot on faith issues) we start with gratitude for what went well, and then review all actions of the day. When we recall events we are sorry for we have reached the third step, which leads naturally to seeking forgiveness, step four. Finally, we seek God's grace for the coming day. Simple as it sounds, and it is simple, the prayer reinforces that idea of all aspects of your life are important to God. All our actions should reflect our faith, and when we fail, we should seek to remedy our wrongs. Regardless of one's faith inclination, a thorough review of the day and an accounting for one's actions is bound to create opportunities to move forward. Martin's explanations of the vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty are enlightening in not only understanding what those vows mean, but what they have to do with the rest of us. No, he is not promoting worldwide chastity in the normal sense, but he does argue that loving chastely lets those even in sexual relationships realize there are many ways to express love. In a sex-obsessed culture, this rather obvious line of thinking is desperately needed. This is how Martin works throughout the book. He explains how Jesuit's think and why, and then looks to tie it in with everyday life for the non-Jesuits of the world. While it sounds simple, it is challenging in both content and translation to life. If you just want an easy "feel good" book or "10 steps to live like a Jesuit," look elsewhere. If you want to think about faith and how it underlies your life, this is the place to start. But not to worry, Martin does all this with a sense of humor. He knows when some thinking sounds funny, and he points it out. He loves to tell Jesuit jokes, almost always at the expense of Jesuits, and the book is filled with real-life stories to illustrate his points. How often do you get to read a priest talk about being overwhelmed by sexual obsession just weeks before ordination? Martin does, and he spares himself little in the telling of tales. But his honesty and humor make all this thinking that more fun. And after all, if we cannot enjoy our faith, we must be missing something. Martin also keeps a friendly, informative Facebook page where you can read about his other comments on life. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book changed my life! *by P***N on June 22, 2013* There are times in life when you enjoy a book, there are other times you relish a book and there are times when not only do you relish a book, but it profoundly changes your life. This is one of those times. I know this is a book review but I need to get a little into the background. Last month I was (and still am a bit) going through a challenging period of my life. I went out of town to a hillstation called Mussoorie in northern India to get away for a while. One day, I visited an antique store that sells old and used books. There I was drawn to a book called Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form . So, I bought it and read a bit of it. Out of curiosity, I checked if it was available on Amazon.com. It was. I noticed on the lower part of the page a list of 'Suggested Books' and my eyes fell on The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life . I bought it, downloaded it and kept on reading it. I couldn't stop! This is a book that appealed to me from page one. What I love is that James Martin, S.J. has written this book in very simple language (but he also taught me a lot of new words I never knew existed). There is humor spread throughout the book and this is a good thing. For this is one of the central themes of the book - joy and laughter are divine and holy! Jesus wasn't a serious and moody person, he was joy itself! It is so true that we take religion and spirituality to be full of seriousness and gloom. There's a reason they say, "gloom and doom!" The methods of St. Ignatius of Loyola like Examen, Ignatian Contemplation, Colloquy have taught me a new way to pray and contemplate on my own thoughts, words and deeds. The whole thing about Discernment and Presupposition are really helpful. I had heard a lot about Jesuits, but frankly didn't know anything about them before reading this book. I think the world needs more of this type of living - where worshipping God involves living in the real world and being 'contemplatives in action' and helping our fellow human beings in our day to day lives. The book also teaches you to love freely, without expecting anything back. This is so liberating! It also makes it clear that no matter how much you love anything or anyone in this world - God has to be #1. You have to love God and put your relationship with God before anything else. I recommend this book to everyone, whether Christian or not. Prashant Solomon New Delhi Author of Shadows of Truth and Being an Indian Citizen - A guide to our Fundamental Duties ## Frequently Bought Together - The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life - Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life - Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.it/products/3720271-the-jesuit-guide-to-almost-everything-a-study-of-ignatian](https://www.desertcart.it/products/3720271-the-jesuit-guide-to-almost-everything-a-study-of-ignatian) --- *Product available on Desertcart Italy* *Store origin: IT* *Last updated: 2026-05-06*