John Legend is a renowned American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. He has won many awards over his decades-long music career, including 11 Grammy Awards. John Legend is also known for publicly speaking about social issues like criminal justice reform and equal rights. But what does he believe spiritually and what religion does he associate with?
John Legend’s Upbringing and Family Background
John Legend was born John Roger Stephens on December 28, 1978 in Springfield, Ohio. He was raised by his mother Phyllis Elaine Lloyd, who was a seamstress, and his grandfather. His father Ronald Lamar Stephens was a drummer and singer who struggled with a drug addiction and was frequently absent from John’s life as a child.
John Legend has described his upbringing as middle-class and “pretty ordinary.” His family life centered around the Pentecostal faith. John’s maternal grandfather was a pastor at their local Pentecostal church in Springfield. As a young boy, John Legend attended church services multiple times a week and participated in Bible quizzes.
| Parents | Phyllis Elaine Lloyd (mother) |
| Ronald Lamar Stephens (father) | Drummer and singer with drug addiction issues |
| Key Relative | Maternal grandfather who was pastor at Pentecostal church John attended |
| Childhood Faith | Pentecostal Christianity |
So while John Legend’s father was less involved in his religious upbringing, his mother and maternal grandfather steeped him in Pentecostal Christian tradition as a young child. But did he maintain those beliefs as an adult?
John Legend’s Current Religious Views
As an adult, John Legend no longer strictly identifies with Pentecostal Christianity or any specific church. However, he still considers himself to be a Christian believer in God.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2015, John Legend stated:
“I wouldn’t call myself a devout anything. I was raised in the church, went to Sunday school, was in the choir. But I didn’t stick to one particular religion through my childhood and adolescence. I learned about different denominations. I know enough about different religions to feel comfortable having a conversation.”
So while John Legend values his Christian background which helps shape his morals and worldview, he also appreciates learning about other faiths. He does not adhere to a strict church doctrine as an adult.
So in summary, while John Legend is not devoutly religious, he maintains a spiritual faith rooted in Christianity mixed with appreciation for other religious traditions as well. He occasionally attends church services but is not formally affiliated with any particular church or denomination.
John Legend’s Spiritual and Social Views
Though not strictly devout, John Legend’s religious background continues to shape his spiritual worldview and approach to social issues. Key aspects include:
- Belief in God – Still identifies as a believer in God, though not tied to a specific doctrine
- Christian Values – Appreciates Christian ethical and moral teachings on justice, forgiveness, service of others
- Social Gospel – Supports using faith and wisdom traditions to motivate social action
- Interfaith Appreciation – Interested in learning about multiple religions and supports interfaith dialogue and cooperation
So while John Legend has drifted from his Pentecostal upbringing’s strict adherence, it still influences his spiritual values and worldview, blending with an appreciation of multiple faiths to impact his advocacy for justice.
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s Choice to Have Child Baptized
Though John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen do not regularly attend church services, when they had their daughter Luna Simone Stephens in 2016, they chose to have her baptized in the Catholic Church.
Both John Legend and Teigen posted photos of baby Luna’s baptism on their social media accounts. The baptism appeared to take place at a Catholic Church in Italy while the couple was traveling abroad.
| Daughter | Luna Simone Stephens |
| Baptism Location | Catholic Church in Italy |
| Baptism Denomination | Roman Catholic |
The couple faced some criticism online for baptizing their daughter as many fans believed John Legend was raised as a Baptist. But the choice aligns with how John Legend describes his current flexible spiritual views appreciating both his Christian background and other faith traditions.
The baptism appeared to carry more cultural or spiritual meaning for the couple rather than strict religious doctrine given their lack of regular church attendance. But they seemed moved by the occasion and wanted to share images from their daughter’s baptism publicly.
Discusses His Broader Spiritual and Social Views
While John Legend maintains Christian roots and baptized his daughter as an infant, he also takes a thoughtful approach to discussing faith that goes beyond doctrine. He engages with moral questions about how to make the world a more just place.
In an interview at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, John Legend explained:
“All of our religions talk about treating others the way you want to be treated, the golden rule concept. I think the point of religion is to teach us how to live in community with one another, how to commune with one another, understand each other and respect each other and to figure out what morality is and live morally.”
So while John Legend does not closely associate with a specific organized church, he expresses an expansive, compassionate approach to faith. He focuses on the moral wisdom that religions can share rather than strict catechisms – prioritizing community, communication, empathy and ethics.
This universal view of religion aligns with his activism in support of political candidates like President Joe Biden who represent compassion on issues like immigration reform and racial justice. It motivates his philanthropic support for criminal justice reform organizations.
At the SBND festival, John Legend further explained that religion overlaps with his work as an activist and artist:
“Part of my music career has been about love and struggle and part of it has been about my own spiritual journey and growth. Those things intersect…I’m on this journey to become a better person all the time and be more thoughtful, conscious, and conscientious in the way I live my life.”
So while John Legend does not currently identify with a specific organized religion, he continues to cherish and grow from his spiritual roots, which in turn nurture his musical artistry and passion for justice.
John Legend Aligns with Social Gospel Philosophy
In these discussions of morality and justice, John Legend’s perspective aligns with the “Social Gospel” movement that emerged in the late 19th century amongst Protestant Christians.
The Social Gospel encourages focusing less on strict theological debates or moral condemnation. Instead, it urges believers to apply Jesus Christ’s teachings to solve real-world humanitarian issues like poverty, inequality, crime, racial injustice, labor rights struggles, and more.
So while John Legend does not explicitly identify as a Social Gospel adherent, its concepts likely resonate with his blend of spiritual faith and social consciousness. The Social Gospel movement prioritizes making faith an animating force for social action – which describes John Legend’s approach.
John Legend Discussed Experiencing Discrimination Within Christianity?
As a Black man raised in a predominantly Black Pentecostal church, John Legend has not directly discussed experiencing any racial discrimination from within that community growing up. His choice to move away from strict religious affiliation appears rooted more in seeking an expansive spirituality rather than negative racial experiences in the church.
However, Legend has mentioned facing discrimination in predominantly white Christian spaces as an adult. In a 2020 interview when asked if he experienced discrimination within Christianity, he shared:
“There are spaces where when I enter into them as a Black person, I can feel that I’m in a minority status and that the space was not necessarily made for me. You feel like an outsider and like you’re being viewed through a different lens.”
While not detailing specific incidents, this answer acknowledges facing marginalization at times as a Black man participating in certain Christian environments. It likely motivates his desire to focus more on the unifying spiritual lessons faith offers rather than politics or racial divisions within religious institutions.
By speaking out about facing discrimination within some Christian circles, John Legend raises awareness on the need for greater inclusion and belonging – so faith communities can fully practice the universal compassionate values he admires.
John Legend Utilizes His Platform to Promote Social Progress Within Christianity
And when American Christianity intersects with politics in ways Legend views as antithetical to compassion and justice, he leverages his platform to advocate change:
“When I think about the cultural meaning of Christianity in America, there’s a form of it that violated everything I believe in. And that supported slavery, racism, bigotry, xenophobia. The human rights violations that have happened in this country were often justified by that cultural Christian ethic.”
However, Legend remains hopeful faith communities can change, continuing:
“I also know that the same faith tradition was used to justify abolition, civil rights, fighting poverty and hunger, giving to the least among us. I want us to wrest that tradition back in the public sphere away from the people who have abused it.”
So John Legend continues to grapple with the intersections of faith, power, discrimination and social justice – using his voice to call the American church to live up to its highest values equitably.
Identify as Religious and Spiritual or Spiritual But Not Religious?
Given that John Legend maintains a belief in God and Christian identity while not following formal church doctrine, his faith orientation likely best aligns with identifying as “Spiritual but not religious” (SBNR).
The SBNR identity describes people who:
- Believe in higher supernatural power/reality beyond the material world
- Practice spirituality including things like prayer, meditation, appreciation of nature, quest for purpose and meaning
- Do not closely associate with organized religion or strictly follow religious institutions/authorities
This contrasts with those who consider themselves “Religious and spiritual” – who closely adhere to traditional religious doctrine and participate regularly in an organized faith community.
So based on John Legend’s statements and known spiritual practices like prayer, he fits more with the SBNR identity – maintaining core spiritual beliefs while not conforming to one institutional faith tradition.
Describing how his song “Light” aligns with this orientation, John Legend told Billboard magazine:
“It’s a spiritual song but not necessarily tied to a specific religious tradition. It’s more about that feeling that the light is always there.”
This captures Legend’s broader SBNR worldview – honoring spiritual light across traditions beyond one specific dogma.
John Legend’s Religious Identity
In summary:
- Upbringing: Pentecostal Christian background
- Current Identity: Spiritual believer in God but not religiously devout or tied to a denomination/church
- Orientation: Best described as “Spiritual But Not Religious” with appreciation for multiple faiths mixed with ongoing Christian beliefs that inform his values/worldview
- Key Priorities: Applying spiritual values like compassion, justice, morality and oneness to motivate activism, music, and social consciousness/progress
So John Legend maintains Christian roots while embracing a universalist spiritual perspective that respects many faiths and ethical worldviews aimed at justice and liberation for all.
Conclusion
John Legend has drifted from his childhood Southern Pentecostal roots to claim a more flexible spiritual identity appreciative of multiple faith traditions. However, the Christian ethical foundation continues shaping his worldview – prioritizing compassion, justice, morality, and spiritual growth.
Rather than adhering to strict church doctrine or politics, Legend focuses on humanity’s shared quest for purpose, meaning, love and mutual understanding. These spiritual goals motivate both his musical creativity and passionate activism for social causes like criminal justice reform, healthcare equity, political inclusion and more.
While not overtly “religious,” John Legend’s spirituality nurtures his fight against discrimination in all its forms – as he strives to wrest Christianity itself away from the forces of bigotry towards its highest values of service and liberation for all. This lays the bedrock for Legend’s songs and advocacy equally.
So in his journey to “become a better person” as he describes it, John Legend role models utilizing inclusive spiritual views, rather than exclusive dogma, as the wellspring supporting artistic innovation, dedicated activism, and the creation of a more just global community.
Frequently Asked Questions About John Legend’s Religion
Was John Legend raised Baptist?
No, John Legend was raised Pentecostal Christian, attending his maternal grandfather’s church regularly growing up. He has never identified as Baptist. Some confusion may stem from the fact that Pentecostal tradition emerged from the Baptist and Holiness-Methodist movements. But Pentecostal Christianity is its own denomination emphasized Holy Spirit manifestations like speaking in tongues.
What church does John Legend belong to?
As an adult, John Legend does not belong to any specific church. He was raised attending his grandfather’s Pentecostal Christian church but does not closely affiliate with that or any denomination currently. However, he maintains a general Christian identity.
What denomination do John Legend’s parents belong to?
John’s maternal grandfather who helped raised him was a Pentecostal pastor. His mother likely attended the same Pentecostal church growing up but her current affiliation is unclear. John’s father Ronald struggled with addiction issues and was less religiously affiliated.
Is John Legend religious?
John Legend identifies broadly as Christian but does not consider himself devoutly religious. He maintains spiritual beliefs but does not regularly attend church or strictly follow religious doctrine. His faith orientation aligns more with identifying as “spiritual but not religious.”
What gospel song did John Legend perform?
Early in his career, John Legend recorded a cover version of the gospel traditional “I’ll Fly Away.” He performed the song live including appearances on shows like American Idol and the popular gospel music program, BET’s Celebration of Gospel. Legend also covered Marvin Gaye’s gospel-styled ballad, “Wholy Holy.”