Pastrix - Book Review

Book Review - Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint (2013) Nadia Bolz-Weber - ISBN-13: 978-1455527083 - List price: $22.00

This book would benefit anyone who wants to read a memoir about an unconventional pastor. This book is especially helpful for individuals who would benefit from pastoral formation or other forms of spiritual formation. One should take heed if one is easily offended by language considered foul because the author does not dance around her words. She says what she means and how she feels, which adds to the overall mood and flow of the memoir.

Nadia is articulate and explains the plight of a pastor, but more importantly Nadia sheds light on the plight of every human person. The problem with sin and suffering in our world, our inability to work to God, and humanity’s utter dependence of the grace and mercy of God. Over and over again the author comes back to the theology of the cross in which her entire narrative is grounded. Nadia’s chapter entitled, “Clinical Pastoral Education” was especially helpful to understand how the theology of the cross really affected her life and ministry. Another place where Nadia talks explicitly about the theology of the cross is in her narrative concerning the earthquake in Haiti. Nadia states, 

“We choose to believe Jesus was there in Haiti. We know he was there. He was there. He was there. We will not keep silent (132).”

Nadia begins the journey through her recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, and moves quickly to her search for meaning. She searched for meaning in different religious expressions and schools of thought--Nadia eventually met a Lutheran Pastor, married him, and wound up in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Nadia searches deep within herself. She pulls stories out of her deepest being. Stories of not only accomplishment, but she recollects stories of utter failure and seeming disaster. This further drives Nadia to her ultimate point. She, and the rest of humanity, are utterly dependent of God and God continues to come to humanity through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ.

I recommend this book with high regard--not because Nadia is a celebrity pastor in my own denomination, but because Nadia is entertaining, truthful, honest in diction, and completely captivating.

* Theology of the cross is a term defined by Martin Luther referring to humanity’s ability to know God through the cross--through the suffering of Christ, death of Christ, and resurrection of Christ.

-LB