MISFIT FAITH

A former Protestant pastor chronicles his journey to become Catholic, and he offers not only original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what Catholicism is all about but provides practical suggestions on how to defend Catholicism in a secular world while better developing your relationship with Jesus. Though the popularity of Pope Francis has aided a shift in the positive perception of the Catholic Church in America, many American Catholics still consider themselves outsiders in today's culture. No one understands this better than Jason Stellman, a former Presbyterian minister who left his old church and looked to Rome for a new one.

Embracing Catholicism, Stellman converted, but his shift in faith came at a high cost. He lost many friends and a way of life he'd known for decades. In his spiritually charged, raw, honest, and deeply affecting examination of both the Church and his choice, Stellman provides controversial, but scripturally sound, answers to a simple question: If Protestantism is correct, then why did the early followers of Jesus act so Catholic? Looking at a number of early practices of the Church from two thousand years ago, Stellman presents a fresh picture of Catholic belief for those who struggle with the modern portrait represented by today's media.

JASON STELLMAN, cohost of the podcast Drunk Ex-Pastors, was born and raised in Orange County, California, and served as a missionary with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in Uganda ('91-'92) and in Hungary ('94-2000). After graduation he was ordained by the Pacific Northwest Presbytery of the PCA and called to plant the Exile Presbyterian Church in the Seattle area, where he served from 2004-2012. On September 23, 2012, he was received into the Catholic Church.