James Martin: Seven Last Words
As for my own place of work we’re now called America Media, so we include not only the magazine but video and a great deal online. Today we are a “multiplatform media ministry.” Founded in 1909, the editors—now both Jesuit and lay, men and women, have commented on issues of faith and culture in ways that would probably surprise people who don’t know us. If you look back in our issues (all online now), we’ve covered the sinking of the Titanic, the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, the sexual revolution, the Second Vatican Council, Watergate, and every issue that any secular magazine would—but from a Catholic and Jesuit point of view. I love working here and hope to be here for a good while.
Victor Fuhrman: Many of us have gotten to know you through your media appearances and also as the “Chaplain of the Colbert Nation” on the Colbert Report. What was that experience like?
James Martin: In a word, fun! Stephen Colbert is a delightful person and who wouldn’t want to mix it up with him on his show? I was always happy to go on. From start to finish it was fun.
Victor Fuhrman: You also are a best-selling author of several books including The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, Between Heaven and Mirth, Jesus: A Pilgrimage and your first novel, The Abbey: A Story of Discovery. These amazing books run the gamut from hysterically funny to deeply moving and inspirational. What moved you to start writing these?
James Martin: The main mission of the Jesuits is to “help souls.” So I hope that each book does that in its own way. A lot of writers say that they write for themselves, but for me, it’s precisely the opposite. I ask myself, “How will this book lead the reader into a deeper relationship with God?” But they do them in different ways. One is an introduction to Ignatian spirituality; the next is an exploration of the value of humor; the next a look at the life of Christ; and the final one a meditation on Jesus’s last words on the Cross. So I hope each of them “helps souls.”
The Abbey, the novel, was something of a departure for me. The story of Anne, a fortyish woman who is grieving the loss of her son, and questioning her faith, came to me in the dream.
I never thought about writing a novel, but the dream made me want to. And I’m glad I did! In its own way, I hope it too helps people—especially seekers—to encounter God.
