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.

本作は、信仰と暴力という対極の概念を、レスラー兼牧師の数奇な運命を通して融合させた点に真髄があります。最大の魅力は、神の慈愛と闘争本能の狭間で揺れる主人公の葛藤です。正義のためにマスクを被る彼の姿は、現代の聖者が抱く倫理的ジレンマを鮮烈に描き、読者に「真の救済とは何か」を激しく問いかけます。 映像版のアクションは圧巻ですが、原作にはテキスト特有の深い精神性が刻まれています。主人公の孤独な祈りや思索は、映像の華やかさを超えたリアリティを与えています。視覚的な躍動感と活字による洞察。この二つが重なる時、不器用な男が辿り着いた「恩寵」の形が、より重厚に読み手の胸へと迫るはずです。