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. He 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 of Theology (Th.M.).

James Martin was also a renowned Information Technology consultant and British author nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his book The Wired Society: A Challenge for Tomorrow (1977).