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

Heavily tattooed and loud-mouthed, Nadia Bolz-Weber, 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 humorous 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 loudly 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 still seeking transcendence and mystery.

In the years since this book was first released, Nadia has grown into a leading voice of the progressive Christian left--hosting conferences for thousands, launching a leading podcast, acting as a flashpoint for discussion of issues of sexuality and gender identity--and she is committed to using her platform and the support of her influential friends to promote the new edition of this classic book.