A Jesuit Off-Broadway

by James Martin, Stephen Adly Guirgis (Foreword)

Many of us have questions about the Bible: Can we believe the Bible? What was Jesus’ mission? What is sin? Does hell exist? Is anyone beyond God’s forgiveness? In A Jesuit Off-Brodway, James Martin, SJ, answers these questions about the Bible, and other big questions about life, as he serves as a theological advisor to the cast of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

Grab a front-row seat to Fr. Martin's six months with the LAByrinth Theater Company and see first-hand what it's like to share the faith with a largely secular group of people . . . and discover, along with Martin, that the sacred and the secular aren't always that far apart.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Plays, Memoir, Theology, Theatre, Catholic

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 31, 2007

About the author

James Martin, SJ is a Jesuit priest, writer, editor at large of the Jesuit magazine America, and consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.

Fr. Martin grew up in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, United States, and attended Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in 1982 and worked in corporate finance at General Electric for six years. Dissatisfied with the corporate world, he entered the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits) in 1988, and after completing his Jesuit training (which included studies in philosophy and theology, as well as full time-ministry) was ordained a priest in 1999. He received his Master's in Divinity (M.Div.) and Master's in Theology (Th.M.) from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (now part of Boston College).

During his Jesuit training, Martin worked in a hospital for the seriously ill and a homeless shelter in Boston, with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Jamaica, with street-gang members in Chicago, in a prison in Boston, and for two years with East African refugees in Nairobi, Kenya, with the Jesuit Refugee Service. In addition to his work at America magazine, Fr. Martin has written or edited more than 15 books, most of which are about spirituality and religion. He is a frequent commentator on religion and spirituality and has appeared on all the major networks, served as an expert commentator for ABC for the papal conclave that elected Pope Francis, and has written for many outlets, including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Father Martin's best known books The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything (2010) and Jesus: A Pilgrimage were both New York Times bestsellers; My Life with the Saints was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book; and all three were winners of the Christopher Award.

He has received over 15 honorary degrees from Catholic colleges and universities, and in 2017 Pope Francis appointed him as consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give it 6 stars if I could. Beautifully written for anyone of any faith or none at all and everyone in-between.

[M Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Jesuit Off-Broadway" is the record of the original production of "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" as seen through the eyes of the play's "theological consultant," a Jesuit priest with no theatrical background other than a role in a long-ago high school musical. James J. Martin, SJ, pulls off the not-inconsiderable feat of making the complex theology of guilt, atonement and despair surrounding the betrayer of Jesus comprehensible to the non-Churched playwright, director and acting company but also of writing an insightful portrait of those artists and their colleagues for the non-theatrical reader.

As one with a foot in both worlds (theology and theatre), I found this book delightful and moving. Like the script itself, "A Jesuit Off-Broadway" made me wish that I was back in harness in the world of theatre -- so I lay down until the fit passed. Martin treats both sides of his temporarily split world with great affection. As I read, I could feel his passion for the Body of Christ as revealed in Scripture and in theology as well as his deep love for his new friends and the theatrical community that has now claimed him as one of their own.

If you are a Christian who would like to learn about the theatre, I recommend this book. If you are a Christian who would like to learn about Giurgis' play but would be put off by the profanity in it, I recommend this book (Martin's edited versions of quotations from the work are PG). If you are a theatre person who is curious about Christianity, I recommend this book. Or if you know nothing about either worldview and are curious about either, I recommend this book. I don't think anyone could be disappointed by the insights and love that Martin supplies here.

[Tim McIntosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Martin is a Jesuit priest in New York; he is contacted by a playwright (Stephen Adly Guirgis) to serve as a "theological consultant" for the development of Guirgis's play The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

Martin arrives at the LAByrinth Theater Company in New York to meet a series of now-decorated actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Sam Rockwell. Martin is consulted during the play's development by the playwright and cast. Martin gives an account of the biblical, historical, and theological debates surrounding Judas. (i.e. How could Judas be considered guilty if God had selected him to play the role of betrayer? Is the biblical account accurate, etc.)

This book combined two subjects that I'm passionate about: Theology and theatre. And it combines them in a winsome way — sometimes through informal conversations between Martin and the actors; sometimes as a late-night debate with Guirgis, sometimes through recollections of sermons.

I appreciated Martin's gentle spirit of compassion (com + pati = "with" + "to suffer") as he attends the difficulty of Guirgis' writing, the anguish of rehearsals, and the joy of performances. An excellent book.

[allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book that chronicles the development of Stephen Adly Guirgis' play The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, told from the point of view of a Jesuit priest, James Martin. Martin served as the "theological advisor" on the production, and through the course of the book, he addresses the historical and theological questions surrounding Judas' betrayal of Jesus, while at the same time offering a very compelling account of the play development process. It was particularly interesting to me, because I don't think I've ever read an account of a full development process on a play--particularly not one that directly addresses the spiritual crises that (in my experience) attend the creation of most new plays. Martin's a good writer, and his theology is both rigorous and generous to the human spirit. He also offers confirmation of something I have observed frequently: that even though many "theater people" do not actively participate in religion, they are frequently genuine spiritual seekers.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly lovely book. It had such a genuine earnestness and quiet grace to it.

I picked it up because I was interested in reading something by Father Martin. I've seen him on The Colbert Report a few times, and I know he's chaplain of the show, and I've been curious what his work is like. But I was a bit hesitant to actually read any of his books--especially since they've got that "inspiration/spirituality" label in big letters on the back cover. I love a good historical and/or secular discussion of religion, but books about spirituality or self-helpy inspirational books are really not my cup of tea.

But this was a really thoughtful, nuanced look at a lot of different subjects--God, Christianity, the theater, human nature, forgiveness, despair, theology, humanity. It's wonderfully written and very readable. I'm really glad I read this book and I'm looking forward to requesting Martin's My Life with the Saints at the library.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fr. Jim (a Jesuit priest)is one of my favorite spiritual writers. He consistently is able to present complex theology in a very approachable way. In this book, he recounts his experiences as a theological consultant to an Off Broadway play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. The play explores the fate of Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus...could he be forgiven? Is he in hell?

Fr. Jim becomes more than a story consultant and befriends the actors. This is an interesting look at life in the theater along with some biblical history and theological discussion.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the start of the COVID-19 stay at home orders I've found a lot of solace in listening to Fr. James Martin read and reflect on the the gospel reading each day on Facebook Live. During Holy Week he often mentioned his work as a theological consultant with the cast of the play The Last Days of Judas Ischariot and shared passages from this very personal reflection about his experience and the experience of the cast as they reflected on the gospels. Next up, I'm looking forward to reading the play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis

[Marie Fouhey · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the play "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" I wondered that it seemed to follow what I considered basic christian theology. This book, "A Jesuit Off-Broadway," answers my questions about why I didn't find the play blasphemous. The author of this book, Fr. Martin, a Jesuit priest, served as a consultant to the playwright during the writing and staging of the play. This book explains Fr. Martin's role and also describes the actors and their spiritual journeys - some were Buddhists, some were lapsed Catholics, others were agnostics - and tells how working with the play changed their perceptions of religion and of God. Fr. Martin also includes some musings on various concepts such as Thomas Merton's concept of spiritual poverty which allows a person to continue their work when there are perhaps no lasting results and to not despair. I found it very interesting.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little heavier on the theology than the theatre, but a very sweet book. I really enjoyed it, though it's probably not for those that didn't spend 11 years in Catholic school like I did!

[Maria Longley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father James Martin is independently approached by the playwright of a new play called 'The Last Days of Judas Iscariot' and the actor who is going to play Judas to see if he could answer some of their questions about Judas. He ends up being the theological consultant for the play and recounts the wide ranging topics covered by the cast as they work their way through the material. I am less familiar with the theatre land so was really fascinated by Fr Martin's descriptions of life behind the stage and the work that goes into creating and producing a play. A play like this does touch many deep topics such as despair and hope and forgiveness and it was really interesting to hear some of the conversations that the cast had on these. And there was a rather intriguing side note on the history of Jesuit theatre - I had no idea about that! This sounds a very interesting play, and this was an interesting angle to explore it from.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who's not really a "theater person," I learned a lot and really appreciated this book. I didn't realize until I got started how much an actor's perspective could really open up some Biblical narratives. If you're portraying Jesus/Judas/etc for an audience, you have to embody the character as well as you can, and it leads you to ask all kinds of fascinating questions about your character's motives, priorities, and inner turmoil. It makes for great Bible study, and it fits in well with the Jesuits' "Ignatian Contemplation" of imagining yourself within a Bible story to better understand it.

A fairly quick read, but thoughtful and warm. Recommended if you like, theater, the New Testament, or James Martin.

[Alyssa Foll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as a deep meditation on Judas and all the questions that invites. What does it mean to despair? What motivated Judas to betray Jesus? Is Judas in hell or purgatory?

James Martin tells a compelling story of his time as a theological advisor to the cast of the off-Broadway play, "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot." However, he sometimes gets caught up in name-dropping and ham-fisting Ignatian themes into the material, rather than allowing the story to simply unfold.

I would recommend this book while-heartedly, but on the basis as a meditation on Judas and various theological themes, rather than insights on the theatrical community or the Jesuit order.

[Chip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teach for a living primarily as a literature teacher. But my outlet is both acting and directing on stage. This book offers a fascinating glimpse into the performance world and the process of the actors involved as well as an exploration of fundamentally important religious questions to the Christian or Christian interested lay-person.

It is a book about faith for those either without it or struggling with it. And even for those with it. It’ll make you
Confront what you believe and think and do. And never will it preach — it respects your worldview.

[David Szatkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jesuits have a long theatre tradition, which this book reminds us of. The work also helps the reader get a sense of the play "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot." Along the way, Martin opens up the casts humanity, the theatre world, and the power of the saints intercession. This is not intended to be a work of systematic theology, but it is theology. If nothing else, it shows one way to engage in the theology of encounter, where both are enriched.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book kept delving into the Bible without a larger context to make it more interesting. It also got into details that I did not find particularly interesting as an agnostic who grew up with a Bible. It was mildly interesting but I could not enjoy sticking with this book for longer sittings because it seemed like miniature anecdotes about the Bible and the creative process for a theatre playwright in a way that seemed disjointed. It just had no plot.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me understand and appreciate The Last Days of Judas Iscariot much more, though I can imagine I would have been pretty bored if I weren't so intimately familiar with the play.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had been sitting on my shelf for over and year, and I finally got to it. Glad I did. A perfect mix of theatre shop talk, intimate profiles of well-respected theatre practitioners, and some theology to boot. Right up my alley.

It's been almost a year since my last rehearsal, and this book made me long for this terrible year to end and things to get back to normal...

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author manages to combine a backstage look at the making of an off-Broadway play with deep theological insights. He gives insights into Judas Iscariot, Jesus and various saints. He touches on some old theological arguments like the nature of Jesus. He also lets the main actors share their spiritual journey. For me this combination works.

[Austin Carroll Keeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read from a great Jesuit. The narrative is occasionally muddled and contrived, but the essence rings true. Fr. Martin weaves his enduring love of people into the Gospel as revealed in an off broadway play. My favorite section was his chapter on the historical Jesus and Father Martin’s take on Jesus’ growing understanding of his divine nature.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story of a brand new play opening in NYC, and how Fr Jim Martin played a pivotal role. Also, amazing to hear of some famous actors from his perspective (Sam Rockwell, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, etc).

[Jill M Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never tire of reading this book or the play at the center of it

I've read this book a few times and I always gain some new insight from reading Jim's words as, well as this of the cast. I hope the same for you.

[Alexander Kwok · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent balance of Fr. Jim's experiences with the cast of "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot", coupled with thought provoking ideas and a general discussion of various theological topics.

[Epeeblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could only read a few pages of this book at a time. Lots of interesting things to unpack here and a lovely little memoir.

[Leonard Heerensperger]

What happens when theater and theology share the stage? A chronicle of the stage play "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot"

[Emily]

“I hoped the play would make people feel closer to Gd, and make it easier for them to see things about Gd, and maybe not be so skeptical.” -PSH ❤️

[Simon Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look behind the scenes at the production of the off Broadway play, The Last Days of Judus Iscariot.

[Balbert Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really spoke to me. Some of the theology I disagree with or wish he explained with more nuance, but his pastoral approach to these folks was just so beautiful to see.

[David Worrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. The author is a Jesuit priest who was serving as a religious consultant for an Off-Broadway play about Judas Iscariot. He became a confidant to the actors and writer on spiritual matters. The cast included some noteworthy names like Eric Bogosian, Philip Seymour Hoffman (who directed, if I recall correctly), and Callie Thorne. The book follows the play from writing to rehearsals to closing, the spiritual ruminations and struggles of the cast, and the author's thrill of being involved in the project. I enjoyed seeing the play evolve, reading how the spiritual issues affected the actors and writer, and seeing how Martin grew in the process. Recommended.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a non-actor or theater person, this book brought to life the serious work that goes into creating a new play. The fact that this play is about big questions like "would Jesus have forgiven Judas if he had not despaired as he did Peter makes the story that much more interesting and profound.
Quite profound

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's disappointing to see a Jesuit priest question the resurrection, say that only 4 or 5 people are in hell, and that Judas may just be a "story" invented by gospel writers. He thinks he's being fair to all by making sure to raise all the different possibilities of why the gospels aren't true instead of standing up for the truth that's there.

The book is about a Judas play that is hip with all sorts of profanity. It's an attempt to make Judas look like a good guy who was just trying to push Jesus into the deep end of the pool in order to force him to promote His kingdom--but to do that it has to ignore what's actually written in the Bible about Judas (which the author/priest happily glosses over). This book's approach is typical progressive Catholic--so readers that are liberal or agnostic or atheist or just hold a grudge against the Church will like it and feel comfortable with the confusing words of comfort from the priest. The book, like the show, is filled with questions and doubt but provides very little in the way of answers and faith.

Some of the behind-the-scenes information about the theater is interesting but there should be no surprise that the play's writer and star and other performers are not doing this show to promote faith or even really explore faith. They seem to be doing it to justify their own rebellion against God and use Judas as their patron saint. Unfortunately it was all too easy for them to find a Jesuit priest to help them toward their goal.