Answer: Maybe
Disclaimer: It is not our role to determine whether or not somebody is a Christian. We just use our discernment based on the evidence we have found on the internet to come to a likely or best-guess answer. Our answers do not actually determine who is or is not a Christian and it is ultimately between the person and God. Not us.
After his portrayal of “The Messiah” in the 2018 film “Jesus Christ Superstar” coupled with his connection with religious-themed songs, his innumerable fans have raised debates on the fine artist being a Christian.
John Rogers Stephen, whose stage name is “John Legend” was born in December 1978 in Ohio, U.S. He is a singer, actor, songwriter, and pianist that started his career in the late 90s. He was introduced to Lauryn Hill while in college and was made to play piano behind the scenes on her song “Everything is Everything.” Upon graduation, John began writing and recording some songs and independently released two demo albums, his self-titled demo in 2000 and “Jimmy’s Uptown” in 2001.
John Legend’s breakthrough came when he was introduced to Kanye West. He released his debut album “Get Lifted” under Kanye’s GOOD Music record label in 2004. The album peaked at no. 7 in the US Billboard 200, sold over 500,000 copies in the US alone and received a RIAA gold certification. That album alone occupied top spots in the music charts of other countries; occupied the no.1 spot on the Norwegian music chart, won a Grammy for best R&B album in 2006, and had John nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.
The Grammy Award winner who is married to Chrissy Teigen has now released 8 studio albums, 4 Live albums, 2 Video albums, 3 EPs, and several singles. He has also starred in many TV series and movies, winning several awards including; 12 Grammys, BET, Academy Awards, MOBO Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and several others. This article will answer the question: Is John Legend a Christian?
Is John Legend Religious?
John Legend grew up in a religious home. The artist revealed that his father was a drummer in their church, his grandfather was a pastor, his mother was a chorister and choir director and his grandmother was the church organist. At age 7, John was already groomed to play the piano and he was also a part of the church’s choir, which means that the family was very dedicated to the service of God. His religious roots had influenced his life and it still reflects today.
In a 2018 interview with the New York Times, before the release of “Jesus Christ Superstar” where he played the role of a religious figure, John Legend told the interviewer that he is no longer religious.
According to him, “I grew up in a Pentecostal Christian Family, pretty fundamentalist. My grandfather was my pastor growing up. My dad is a pastor himself and played drums in the church choir, my mother was a choir director and my grandmother was the church organist. My dad would even play ‘Jesus’ in some of our passion plays in church. I’m not religious now, I would say, but there is no way that you are raised in that environment, and also grew up singing that music, without it having an impact on your life.”
John Legend has disclosed that all the religious attributes he imbibed while growing up are still with him and they deeply inspire his songs. In 2020, John posted on his official Instagram account that his song “Preach” was inspired by some biblical teachings. Here are some lines from the 2019 hit:
“And heaven knows I’m not helpless, yeah
But what can I do?
I can’t see the use of y crying
If I’m not even tryna make the change I wanna see
I can’t sit and hope, I
Can’t just sit and pray, that
I can find love, when
All I see is pain
Falling to my knees
And though I do believe”
Relevant Magazine also reported that John Legend is no longer religious. In an interview with the media organization, the artist explained the reason he distanced himself a bit from religion.
According to him: “You know I have my issues with faith nowadays. I grew up in a religious home, but I’m not religious right now. But I’m trying to get back in touch with the things that were good about the faith that I grew up with….What I’ve tried to do is shed some of the less desirable sides of religious upbringing as well. I saw a lot of hypocrisy. I felt like religion, in a lot of ways, was used to control and subdue people rather than to bring out the best in them sometimes. And so I’ve tried to shed some of those restrictions, but still keep the moral compass and the character development aspects of religion that I think were important for me.”
Does John Legend believe in God?
John Legend grew up in a Christian home and was groomed to love and believe in God. The artist mentioned recently that though he is not religious anymore as compared to his days back in Ohio with his parents, all he was taught in Christianity still lives with him and has been a huge drive in his career.
He believes in God and other Christian teachings and this is reflected in some of his songs, movie roles, and lifestyle. When he mentioned that he was no longer religious, he stated that he shed just some of the less desirable sides of his religious upbringing. This means that he still upholds many Christian teachings, including the belief in God, his son Jesus Christ and other pillars of the religion.
The Pentecostal church where John Legend grew up holds the belief that the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers and that the presence of God can be seen in the believer’s eye through faith. Since John said that he didn’t discard all the Christian principles he imbibed and is now trying to balance his religious life, it could mean that the Grammy award-winning artist believes in God.
Is John Legend a Christian?
John Legend has deep Christian roots and some Christian beliefs are still a part of him today. He said, “All of that is still with me.” The music star has admitted that he was deeply influenced by his Christian upbringing but growing up, he hasn’t explicitly labeled himself as a Christian and also mentioned that he is no longer religious.
When he landed the role of the Messiah in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and was invited for an interview later with Distractify, John disclosed that it was his Christian upbringing that helped him excel in such a role. He mentioned in the 2020 interview that almost all his family members were very active in the church and the service of God. The music star revealed that he attended a Pentecostal church in Ohio and his grandfather was a pastor, mum was the choir director, dad played the drums, grandma was the church organist and some uncles served as ministers and pastors in the church as well.
John Legend also mentioned that he was steeped in the church and was even able to speak in tongues which was a doctrine or rite of passage in the Pentecostal church. Apart from learning how to speak in tongues, John also learned the attribute of loving and giving from the church.
In 2018, he told Fox News that “The message I took from growing up in church was the idea of loving your neighbor, giving to others, and treating people as you would want to be treated.” He added that “You can learn those things in any religion or without religion, but that’s where I did.” This attribute has made him involve himself in a lot of philanthropic activities, one of which is donating $500,000 to Springfield City School District for renovation.
Apart from being a philanthropist, John has also been recognized as a gospel artist. He started singing in his church at the age of four. He and his family members were also very active in the church, formed a part of the church choir, and also took other roles in the church. The Grammy winner mentioned that they all loved to sing about Jesus and it has been one of the driving forces of his career.
In a 2014 interview with Religious News Service, he said: “And that was my first extensive exposure to the music of any sort during that time, and it was what inspired me to want to sing, because I was around all this singing, and I wanted to be part of it.”
He also told Distractify in 2020 that, “I was in choir rehearsals every week as a kid, and I took over the choir when I was older. That was the foundation of my career; I wouldn’t be where I am without playing gospel music in church.”
Some years back, John Legend served as a choir director at Bethel AME Church in Scranton and his connection with the church has also been a huge inspiration. The artist has released a lot of songs with religious undertones that have been used in Churches and other Christian gatherings. An example is “Glory”, a gospel song recorded by John Legend and Common. Below are a few lines from the song:
“One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh, glory (glory, glory).
Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon
Formed against, yes glory is destined
Every day women and men become legends
Sins that go against our skin become blessings
The movement is a rhythm to us
Freedom is like religion to us
Justice is juxtapositionin’ us
Justice for all just ain’t specific enough
One son died, his spirit is revisitin’ us”
Is John Legend Baptized?
John Legend was a very active member of the Pentecostal church as a child. He upheld the beliefs and doctrines of the church, but what we don’t know for sure is if the artist was baptized into the church because he has not outrightly stated this.
What did John Legend say about Jesus?
John Legend is deeply rooted in Christianity and holds beliefs about Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity. When he was given the role of Jesus Christ (Messiah) in Jesus Christ Superstar, he told PEOPLE Magazine in 2018 that,
“I think Jesus in real life was a bit of a revolutionary – he was somebody who was disrupting the status quo and provided an example of how we could all love each other, how we think about people who have been looked down upon, and what it means to sacrifice oneself for something that you believe in.”
Conclusion
John is very fond of his Christian roots and has always talked about it. The artist portrays his Christian beliefs in his songs and even accepted to act as “Jesus Christ” in a movie. However, he disclosed that he is no longer religious but is now open to learning new things apart from what he learned in his church. It is obvious the artist has not forgotten or discarded all he learned in the church but is now open to different views. He has not outrightly mentioned that he is still a Christian but still holds some Christian values and because of these, we are not certain of his status as a Christian.
Think we were wrong? Write your reasoning in the comments and prove us wrong!