The Masked Saint

Book excerpt: Professional wrestler turned Baptist pastor turned vigilante superhero: A rousing, inspiring novel based on true events and made into an award-winning film. In the ring, Florida’s Chris Samuel is known as The Gladiator. Until a calling urges him to uproot his wife and two daughters and take up more spiritual challenges in theology. Yet the battles he won as a deathmatch champ are minor compared to those he must overcome at his struggling new church in Fort Worth, Texas: an overbearing congregant, failing attendance, much-needed repairs, and mounting bills. Then he meets Miss Edna, an elderly fan—of God and the Gladiator—who encourages Chris to go back to mat. After all, it could save his church from financial ruin. But when he stumbles upon a brutal fight in a seedy side of town, Chris’s blessed body slamming skills save the night. Donning his mask and tights, the good pastor is determined to take out the bad guys. Now, as his crime-fighting avenger The Saint makes headlines, Chris must reconcile his fearless secret identity with his real mission in life. And it’ll take his faith, his family and Miss Edna to remind him about grace, goodness and the truth.