What Religion Is Ariana Grande: Ariana Grande’s Quiet Devotion to Her Beliefs

Ariana Grande is one of the most popular and successful pop stars in the world today. With massive hits like “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings,” she has amassed a huge global fanbase. Her singing talent is undeniable, but many fans are also curious about her personal life, including her religious beliefs. So what religion is Ariana Grande? Let’s take a closer look.

Ariana Grande’s Religious Upbringing

Ariana Grande was born in Boca Raton, Florida in 1993. Her parents are Joan Grande and Edward Butera, and she has an older half-brother named Frankie. The Grande family is of Italian descent, and Ariana was raised Catholic.

She attended Pine Crest School and North Broward Preparatory School, both private Catholic institutions. In an interview with Complex, Ariana said this about her religious upbringing:

“We read the Bible a lot. My mom always encouraged my faith. When I was really young, we attended a Catholic church because my grandma’s Catholic. Once we sort of got into our own routine, we stopped going every Sunday. But I still enjoy the ritual of church. I love church!”

So while Ariana is not a regular churchgoer anymore, she still connects to her Catholic background and appreciates the traditions. Religion seems to have provided an anchoring foundation for her in her youth.

Does Ariana Grande Still Consider Herself Catholic?

In recent years, Ariana has not spoken too directly about her current religious identity. However, there are a few signs that she still connects with her Catholic upbringing on some level.

For example, Ariana has been known to pray before her concerts, especially after the traumatic bombing at her 2017 Manchester show. She told Radio.com: “Before every show, I say a prayer with my band and my dancers. It’s really beautiful and it brings us together.” Prayer is, of course, an important Catholic ritual.

She also posted on Instagram about celebrating Easter in 2019, attending church on the holiday and captioning a photo “Happy Easter everybody, the Lord is risen! thank u God for ur unbelievable plan, Easter is for u.”

So while Ariana does not outright proclaim herself as an actively practicing Catholic these days, she does still occasionally partake in religious rituals and holidays. Her spirituality seems to be an ongoing part of her identity, even if her exact beliefs have evolved.

Does Ariana Grande Identify With Any Other Religions?

There is no definitive evidence that Ariana Grande has embraced any faith other than Catholicism. However, some fans have speculated about whether she may be open to exploring other spiritual paths as well. A few observations:

  • In 2014, Ariana was spotted wearing a bracelet featuring the Hindu “Om” symbol. This sparked some discussion online about whether she was interested in Hinduism or other Eastern religions.
  • Ariana has commented many times on her love of meditation. Some forms of meditation originate from Eastern spiritual traditions like Buddhism.
  • The aesthetics and themes of her “God Is a Woman” music video were noticeably inspired by Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. This biblical imagery could reflect an ongoing affinity for Judeo-Christian stories from her Catholic upbringing.
  • In 2020, Ariana received a gift from her mom related to Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism. She posted a video of herself unwrapping the gift on social media. While likely just an interesting gift choice rather than a direct embrace of Kabbalah itself, it does speak to an openness towards metaphysical spirituality.

So in summary – no direct evidence points to Ariana adopting any new religion outright. But she does seem to have an evolving spirituality that incorporates aspects of her Catholic background with an interest in meditative practices and metaphysical ideas. Her faith life remains an intriguing, open-ended journey.

What Are Ariana Grande’s Religious Beliefs?

Given that Ariana Grande has not explicitly labeled her current religious affiliation, we can only speculate about the specific details of her beliefs. However, we can make some educated guesses based on her comments over the years.

  • She likely still believes in the Christian God she prayed to as a child. But her relationship with God has probably matured into a less traditional, more expansive concept of divinity.
  • Concepts like heaven, hell, salvation, and an afterlife from Catholic teachings may inform her worldview on some level still. Though she probably also has more mystical notions of the soul and spirit realms from studying meditation and metaphysics.
  • She almost certainly believes in the power of prayer, given her comments about praying with her team. She seems to pray not just out of tradition, but because she believes in its spiritual efficacy on some level.
  • Grande probably believes in moral principles instilled by Christianity like love, kindness, and forgiveness. Though she may differ from strict church stances on some social issues like LGBTQ+ rights.
  • Having been raised attending church regularly, she probably still respects institutional religion overall. But she likely disagrees with rigid, dogmatic religious worldviews.
  • Concepts like karma, reincarnation, divination, and mysticism could be part of Ariana’s evolving personal “theology” as she explores spirituality broadly.

Ultimately, Ariana Grande appears to be on her own spiritual path that synthesizes aspects of her Catholic upbringing with universal concepts from world religions and metaphysical traditions. The details are hard to pin down conclusively, but her faith life remains fascinatingly fluid and non-dogmatic.

How Does Religion Influence Ariana Grande’s Music?

While Ariana Grande herself may keep the specifics of her religious beliefs private, spiritual themes and concepts do work their way into her music on occasion. Here are some noticeable ways that religion has influenced the pop icon’s artistry:

Direct religious references – Some Ariana Grande songs feature overt religious terms and imagery, like “God Is a Woman” with its Eden-inspired video or “Be Alright” with a lyric like “Hands up like the sky, Surrender to the Lord.”

Gospel influences – The church choir is in Ariana’s blood, as she’s cited gospel music as a core influence. You can hear subtle nods to that gospel style in tracks like “Breathin.”

Purity and innocence – Ariana’s early music especially played up purity culture with songs like “Baby I” about desperately wanting to stay innocent and uncorrupted.

Sin and redemption – Later Ariana songs deal with mistakes, temptation, repentance, and learning to accept oneself like “Miss Y” and “Everyday.” These redemption-themed tracks reflect a religious sensibility.

Divine love – The joyful pop hymns on her 2020 album Positions suggest that Ariana sees spiritual dimensions in romantic love. The lyrics touch on soul connections and love’s miraculous healing powers.

Ethics and morals – Tracks like “Be Alright” and “Get Well Soon” promote virtuous principles like kindness, resilience, and empathy that align with many faith traditions.

So in summary, Ariana Grande’s Catholic childhood, spiritual curiosity, and vision of pop music as uplift all intertwine to create art with hints of religiosity. The influences aren’t always blatant but reflect her nuanced, evolving relationship with faith.

Controversies Over Ariana Grande and Religion

While Ariana Grande has been vocal about her Catholic upbringing, she has faced some controversies from religious critics over the years as well. A few of the notable issues that have sparked debate:

“Blasphemous” music video – Ariana’s “God Is a Woman” video featured depictions of Ariana in the Garden of Eden as Eve with suggestive imagery. Some religious commentators saw this as disrespectful to sacred biblical themes.

LGBTQ+ support – Conservative religious voices have condemned Ariana for embracing and championing her LGBTQ+ fans, since traditional doctrines often oppose homosexuality and gender fluidity.

“Anti-Christian” lyrics – Some have highlighted provocative Ariana Grande lyrics like “break up with your girlfriend” as morally regressive and clashing with Christian values of commitment.

“Imbalanced” religious imagery – Critics argue Ariana appropriates religious and spiritual visuals like crosses and incense in the “God Is a Woman” video without proper reverence for their meaning.

“Sexualized” persona – The role of a pop star involves selling sex appeal for some. But this conflicts with the de-emphasis on sexuality in conservative religious ideology.

Ariana has not responded directly to most of these criticisms. But the debates do highlight the complex push-and-pull between traditional religious morality and modern pop culture. Ariana ultimately seems to walk her own personal line between faith and art.

Conclusion

In closing, while Ariana Grande has been relatively private about her personal religious beliefs in recent years, her Catholic upbringing still seems to influence her spiritual life and artistry in subtle ways.

She appears to have an open-minded approach that pulls from different faith traditions without adhering strictly to one.

Ultimately, religion provides a moral foundation for Ariana Grande but does not dictate her every decision or artistic choice. She navigates faith on her own terms, maintaining traditional elements like prayer while also exploring new metaphysical ideas.

Fans will likely continue speculating about Ariana’s exact beliefs, but the hints of spirituality in her music offer some insight into her relationship with the divine.

FAQs About Ariana Grande’s Religion

What religion were Ariana Grande’s parents?

Ariana Grande’s parents Joan Grande and Edward Butera were Roman Catholic. They raised Ariana with Catholic traditions and sent her to Catholic schools growing up.

Does Ariana Grande believe in God?

Though details of her current beliefs are unclear, Ariana likely still believes in the Christian God she worshipped as a child. But her concept of God has likely grown more expansive and mystical as she explores spirituality.

Has Ariana Grande been baptized?

Ariana Grande would have almost certainly been baptized as an infant into the Roman Catholic Church, in keeping with tradition. Many of her family members were likely baptized as well.

Does Ariana Grande go to church regularly?

Ariana no longer seems to attend Catholic mass or services weekly these days. But she still participates in some religious holidays and appreciates church traditions.

What does Ariana Grande think about the Pope?

Ariana has not spoken specifically about her opinions on any modern Popes and the Catholic church hierarchy. But she appears to take a progressive, flexible view of organized religion in general rather than strict adherence to authority.

Is Ariana Grande religious or spiritual?

Ariana seems to be more spiritual than conventionally religious – she has a personal relationship with faith that is outside formal institutions and doctrine. But traditional religious principles still influence her values.

Has Ariana Grande been criticized by religious groups?

Some conservative religious commentators have criticized Ariana for issues like her LGBTQ+ support and sexually suggestive music videos. But she has not responded to or acknowledged most of these faith-based criticisms directly.

What religions influenced Ariana Grande’s “God is a Woman” music video?

The video had strong Biblical themes influenced by Genesis and the Garden of Eden. But the mystical, goddess imagery also tied into other faith traditions outside of Christianity.

Does Ariana Grande believe in heaven and hell?

Her current beliefs are uncertain. But concepts of salvation and the afterlife from her Catholic upbringing may still carry into her modern spiritual worldview on some level.

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