Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning

Actors, politicians, scientists, and other public figures reveal how their faith has shaped them in these intimate interviews. Among other topics, Levenson (In God’s Grip), an Episcopal priest and former spiritual adviser to George H.W. Bush, discusses with his subjects how belief helped them endure loss. For example, reporter Brit Hume discusses how his son’s suicide—a loss that Hume likens to “an amputation”—inspired him “to try to be mindful of the love that God has bestowed on us all,” while sports announcer Jim Nantz recalls how he came to terms with his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis through prayer. Condoleezza Rice, Denzel Washington, and Nikki Haley likewise cite prayer as a central factor in their decision-making, and Admiral William H. McRaven discusses how he tried to live by Christian morals while coordinating military strategy. Of inevitable civilian casualties and the need to harm “evil people so that the good people can continue to be good,” McRaven acknowledges, “all I can do is pray that I get it right as often as I can, and do, also pray that God forgives me when I get it wrong.” While there’s not much here that’s surprising or potentially controversial (there’s little discussion of doubt, for instance), the sincerity with which each interview subject details their personal faith is refreshing, and the differing perspectives on complex issues like evil and altruism are enlightening. The result is an openhearted testament to the power of religious belief in a chaotic world. (Oct.)