"Full of wonder, encouragement, and nerdy sci-fi and fantasy references, Kessler does a bang-up job of delivering ancient truth to a modern world. Whether you are cautiously curious about Christianity or a long-time weary traveler of the faith, these bite-sized reflections are sure to become your favorite way to spend a few quiet moments." * KC Davis, author of How to Keep House While Drowning * "Jesus knew the power of stories to challenge, motivate, and transform. So does Rachel Kessler, and in Nerd Faith,she brings diverse stories together in ways that will make you engage your favorite shows and novels devotionally and approach your faith with fervent fandom. The book is simultaneously fun and profound, lighthearted, and movingly insightful. It is an invitation to grow, to reflect, and to celebrate the stories and imaginary worlds that we sometimes compartmentalize off somewhere separate from our faith, and yet which are calling out to be integrated as part of our worldview and our walk." * James McGrath, Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature, Butler University, author of Theology and Science Fiction and Beyond Deconstruction * Most Christian devotionals function as spiritual aspirinprescriptive drugs to help the hurried, hurting, believer to hustle through their day. Not this one. Nerd Faith is a feast of thoughtfully curated, theologically rich, delectables, lovingly served to tired, disenfranchised, followers of the Way. No matter where you are in your faith journey, Rev. Dr. Rachel Kesslers words will find you as lanterns in a fog, pointing to new worlds of hope, meaning, and justice. This will be the first book I will recommend to anyone desiring an intelligent, inclusive, accessible, entry point to recapturing anew the wonder of following Christ in a chaotic world. * Kevin Wilson, Founder of Cross Culture Chai and author of The Way of Chai * Rachel Kessler meets faith with curiosity, kindness, and joy. Playful without being shallow, this book offers concise spiritual reflections and somehow makes space for all of usbelievers, doubters, and everyone in between. Page by page, she reminds us that wonder is not something we grow out of and is a beautiful reminder that faith can be curious, generous, and delightfully uncool. * Irene Sankoff, Olivier awardwinning writer and Tony and Grammy nominee * "Nerd Faith is a delightful and playful way to explore faith and beliefs. I think there is something for everyone to find in Rev. Kessler's cultural references and her experiences of the divine. Her passion and humor shine through her meditations and reflections. * Elizabeth Ashman Riley, author of Rage Prayers * As a rabbi, Ive long appreciated Rachel Kesslers TikToks for their honesty and depth. This book is a testament to what it means to be a person of faith with deeply held commitments who also understands that faith is, at its core, a mystery. Drawing on her love of sci-fi and popular culture, Kessler offers a generous and imaginative invitation to approach God with curiosity, humility, and wonder rather than certainty. * Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice * "Reading Nerd Faith is like reading the best kind of sermon: every chapter, every vignette, contains theological depths and intellectual rigor, all while being couched in accessible language and relevant cultural references. As a reader, I was taken in by the fun and the fandom; as a priest and preacher, I loved the wisdom that so clearly reveals the good news of our faith. I'll be coming back to Nerd Faith again and againto inform my preaching and pastoring and to form my own spiritual practice." * Leyla King, Canon for Mission in Small Congregations, Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, and author of Daughters of Palestine: A Memoir in Five Generations * One might think that transcriptions of 60-second sermonsfrom TikTok of all placesmust be trite or simplistic. One would be wrong. In this collection of reflections, Dr. Kessler dives deeply into the wisdom of the Christian tradition, offering parables from geek culture much the same way Jesus used the culture of his day, to give readers the good news and call them to participate in it. * The Rev. Dr. Heather McCance, President, Atlantic School of Theology * "Reverend Kessler elegantly demonstrates how good science fiction, fantasy, and pop culture are not just escapes, but rather illustrations of our understanding ofand responsibility toour world, our community, and ourselves. Nerd Faith will launch many reflections and conversations, bringing deeper meaning to binge watches and moments of delightful connection to sermons; and, readers may discover that both nerd and faith can sometimes be synonyms for joyful." * Sean Decatur, President of the American Museum of Natural History, New York City *
