Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint

Outrageous, rich, and remarkable, Pastrix turns spiritual memoir on its ear in this sardonically irreverent and beautifully honest page-turner. Nadia Bolz-Weber takes no prisoners as she reclaims the term "pastrix"(pronounced "pas-triks," a term used by some Christians who refuse to recognize female pastors) in her messy, beautiful, prayer-and-profanity laden narrative about an unconventional life of faith.

Heavily tattooed and loud-mouthed, Nadia, a former stand-up comic, sure as hell didn't consider herself to be religious leader material — until the day she ended up leading a friend's funeral in a smoky downtown comedy club. Surrounded by fellow alcoholics, depressives, and cynics, she realized: These were her people. Maybe she was meant to be their pastor.

Using life stories — from living in a hopeful-but-haggard commune of slackers to surviving the wobbly chairs and war stories of a group for recovering alcoholics, from her unusual but undeniable spiritual calling to pastoring a notorious con artist — Nadia uses stunning narrative and poignant honesty to portray a woman who is both deeply faithful and deeply flawed, giving hope to the rest of us along the way.

Wildly entertaining and deeply resonant, this is the book for people who hunger for a bit of hope that doesn't come from vapid consumerism or navel-gazing; for women who talk too loud, and guys who love chick flicks; for the gay man who loves Jesus, and won't allow himself to be shunned by the church. In short, this book is for every thinking misfit suspicious of institutionalized religion, but who is still seeking transcendence and mystery.

"Bolz-Weber (Salvation on the Small Screen?) has such a distinctive voice and outlook, it's amazing she hasn't written more books. Perhaps it's because she's been too busy living the checkered and fascinating life that is the subject of her theological memoir. She was a standup comic and an alcoholic before getting sober and becoming a Lutheran pastor and founder of House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver. Bolz-Weber narrates that transformation, larding her story with theology and plenty of truck-driver language. She's honest about her past and her present: it's easy to love tattooed transgender hipsters but not so easy to welcome suburban spiritual seekers. Cranky is a fair self-description, but Bolz-Weber's sardonic humor (her blog is called Sarcastic Lutheran) covers many sins. Here's hoping her authentic voice continues to preach in more books. Agent: Greg Daniel, Daniel Literary Group. (Sept.10)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Nadia Bolz-Weber is the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, an ELCA mission church in Denver, Colorado. She's a leading voice in the emerging church movement and her writing can be found in The Christian Century and Jim Wallis' God's Politics blog. She is author of Salvation on the Small Screen?: 24 Hours of Christian Television (Seabury 2008) and the "Sarcastic Lutheran."