Jesuit jokes stand out in the realm of religious humor, so it’s no surprise that a new book on holy mirth is written by a Jesuit.  He’s Fr. Jim Martin, and his new book is Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life.

There are lots of jokes in the book–Buddhist, Jewish, and Lutheran jokes as well as Catholic ones–but Fr. Martin is serious about humor.  He thinks that a little laughter can enhance one’s spiritual life.  He says, “I don’t think that there’s a problem with Catholics not being serious enough during Mass; I think there’s a problem of Catholics being too serious during Mass all the time. It’s obviously a place for reverence, but it should also be a place for joy, too, and occasional humor and laughter.”  Go here to watch Fr. Martin explain the book.

I’ll end with a joke from Catholic blogger Simcha Fisher:

The Jesuit is Fr. Jim Martin.

Fr. Jim Martin, SJ, is sure he did.   He explains why to NPR’s Scott Simon.  He also talks about religious humor that goes over the line.

Thanks to reader Bill Daugherty for our first Jesuit joke in verse form.

Jast month we featured Jesuit jokes in the dotMagis weekly feature The List.  I recently found some new jokes on the Ultimate Blog of Jesuit Jokes.  Here’s one of them, told from a Dominican perspective.

What is similar about the Jesuit and Dominican Orders?

Well, they were both founded by Spaniards, St. Dominic for the Dominicans, and St. Ignatius of Loyola for the Jesuits. They were also both founded to combat heresy: the Dominicans to fight the Albigensians, and the Jesuits to fight the Protestants.

What is different about the Jesuit and Dominican Orders?

Well, have you met any Albigensians lately?

The List is a weekly feature highlighting something remarkable, offbeat, or otherwise noteworthy from the world of Ignatian spirituality.

“A Franciscan, a Dominican, and a Jesuit walk into a bar . . . “

People tell jokes about rabbis, lawyers, blondes, Irishmen, Poles, and nuns among others.  And Jesuits.  Jesuit jokes are “niche humor.”  You don’t have to be Catholic to enjoy them, but it helps to know something about the Jesuit mystique. The jokes usually portray Jesuits as brilliant, worldly, ambitious,  cunning, and not very “spiritual.”

Get started with this video of a short Jesuit joke told by Fr. Jim Martin (a Jesuit, naturally).  Then enjoy some more Jesuit jokes.