celebrity

Chris Pratt is one of Hollywood's biggest stars, he's also a member of a controversial church.

When Chris Pratt announced his engagement to Katherine Schwarzenegger on Instagram, fans noticed something a little unexpected.

“Sweet Katherine, so happy you said yes! I’m thrilled to be marrying you. Proud to live boldly in faith with you. Here we go,” he wrote.

In an interview with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, the 39-year-old shared details about his recent 21-day ‘Prophet Daniel’ fast, which he was inspired to undertake by his pastor at the Los Angeles’ Zoe Church.

Watch Chris Pratt talk about how his religion has helped him manage his fame here:

Video by MMC

When asked about the pressures of fame, Pratt shared a “great quote” he heard in church.

“If the spotlight that is shining on you is brighter than the light that’s within you, it will kill you,” he said.

“Sometimes just having a self to share is what kills you, because there’s nothing left. So you have to have a light to share. A light that’s just a bright as any of these lights.

“Then you can survive and then you can save some of yourself and not give it all away. It’s true.”

ADVERTISEMENT

However actress and LGBTQ advocate, Ellen Page, took issue with the Zoe Church, who, while not openly dismissive of LGBTQ rights, have stated they are “not a church that affirms a gay lifestyle,” reports news.com.au.

“Oh. K. Um. But his church is infamously anti-LGBTQ so maybe address that too?” she originally tweeted.

“If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organisation that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed,” she continued in a later post.

“Being anti LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe. Full stop. Sending love to all.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Neither Pratt nor his management have responded to Page. Here’s everything we know about Pratt’s relationship with Christianity.

ADVERTISEMENT

Has Chris Pratt always been Christian?

Although the Lego Movie actor was raised Lutheran, it doesn’t seem like religion impacted his life until he converted to Christianity.

Speaking to Esquire magazine in 2014, Pratt said he was introduced to the faith by a chance encounter at the age of 19.

He was with his friends in Maui, Hawaii, trying to buy alcohol as under-aged teenagers, when a man approached him.

“This guy came by and was like, ‘What are you doing tonight?’ I was like, ‘Oh, I dunno. I was just gonna wait out here, my friends are gonna buy me a bottle of Carlo Rossi and a sixer of Milwaukee’s Best Ice,” described Pratt.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) on

ADVERTISEMENT

“So he’s like, ‘Will you fornicate tonight?’ I was like, ‘I hope so.’ ‘And drugs and drinking?’ It’s like, ‘Most likely, yeah. Probably all three of those things. I mean, at least two of them, possibly all three.’ He was like, ‘I stopped because Jesus told me to stop and talk to you. He said to tell you you’re destined for great things’.”

“My friends came out, and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go with this guy.’ I gave my soul to Jesus within, like, two days.”

A few days after discovering religion, Pratt said he ran into a friend who was addicted to meth and “whoring around,” however after he told her of his newfound involvement with Christianity, she told him to “get her to church”.

She would go on to become a Youth with a Mission pastor.

Reflecting on the moment, the actor said he felt him becoming Christian, and helping his friend were inextricably linked.

“I feel a little bit like my entire purpose was to get her,” he said.

What else has Chris Pratt said about his religion?

While Pratt is by no means shy about sharing his faith, there haven’t been many moments where he’s publicly spoken about Christianity on ‘the record’.

ADVERTISEMENT

One other time was during his acceptance speech for Choice Sci-Fi Actor at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards, when Pratt said: “I would not be here with the ease and grace I have in my heart without my lord and saviour, Jesus Christ”.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

HAPPY EASTER!

A post shared by chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) on

He also told the Associated Press in 2018, that while he understands his religious views aren’t “for everybody,” he hopes they might inspire others who are interested in Christianity.

ADVERTISEMENT

“There is a group of people for whom that message is designed. And nothing fills my soul more than to think that maybe some kid watching that would say, ‘Hey, I’ve been thinking about praying. Let me try that out,'” he said.

Pratt also regularly shares bible quotes and images of crucifixes and plaques with scripture verses on his Instagram.

Was Chris Pratt’s ex-wife, Anna Faris, also Christian?

While this hasn’t been confirmed by either Pratt or Faris’ representation, it doesn’t seem like his ex-wife was Christian, and the New York Post stated this as a major factor in the breakdown of their eight-year marriage.

“He’s also very, very religious, and she’s not religious,” they reported, quoting a source close to the couple.

ADVERTISEMENT

Since their separation in August 2017, the couple have remained on good terms and co-parent their six-year-old son, Jack Pratt.

When Pratt proposed to his new girlfriend, Katherine Schwarzenegger, last month, her shared the news with Faris in a text message. Her response was lovely.

“And I was like, ‘Ah! That’s amazing,’” she shared with fans in her podcast, Unqualified.

“And I texted him back, ‘Just want to remind you, I’m an ordained minister.’”

Is his fiance, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Christian too?

While Faris didn’t share Pratt’s religious views, his wife-to-be, Katherine Schwarzenegger certainly does.

According to People, the actor frequently attends church with the oldest daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, and their shared faith played a key part in why they got engaged after just seven months of dating.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) on

ADVERTISEMENT

“They have the same outlook on the world, and their faith ties them together. He’s really impressed that she’s vocal and unashamed about her beliefs in God, because that’s how he is,” shared a source.

“He’s constantly around other people who have no faith or are apologetic about it, but not her. She is willing to talk about it to anyone who will listen.”

Eagle-eyed fans will also notice that Schwarzenegger regularly wears a cross necklace in Instagram photos. 

Did you know this about Chris Pratt’s personal life? Tell us in a comment below.