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

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

Nadia Bolz-Weber. Jericho, $22 (224p) ISBN 978-1-4555-2708-3

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)