Speaking in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), actor and podcaster Russell Brand explained that he will soon be baptized, with the baptism to take place on Sunday the 28th of April. The huge announcement comes after Brand spoke about praying the rosary in another recent video, saying that he’s working on learning the prayers as he prays more.
In the video announcing his baptism, Brand said, that he sees baptism as the opportunity to become a different person, saying that it is, as he sees the Bible as describing it, as “an opportunity to die and be reborn; an opportunity to leave the past behind and be reborn in Christ’s name like it says in Galatians — that you can live as an enlightened and awakened person.”
Continuing, Brand referenced views of death and life from separate, non-Christian philosophers, namely the famous Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Speaking about those views of life and death, Brand said, “All of these things seem so inviting and beautiful.”
Brand then commented on the growing movement of returning to Christianity, saying that he finds the reason why people want to do so “obvious,” as the modern world lacks meaning of the sort Christianity provides. “I know a lot of people are sort of cynical about the increasing interest in Christianity and the return to God, but to me, it’s obvious,” Brand said.
Continuing, Brand explained why more people will return to the faith as things around them get bleaker and bleaker, saying, “As meaning deteriorates in the modern world, as our value systems and institutions crumble, all of us become increasingly aware that there is this eerily familiar awakening and beckoning figure that we’ve all known all of our lives, within us and around us. And for me, it’s very exciting.”
Brand also joked about getting baptized in England’s Thames River, joking that while he will be leaving his past life of sin behind, he might be picking up the toxoplasmosis and E. coli is known to be in the river. He said, “I may be leaving behind the sins, but I might be picking up some pretty serious viruses.”
Watch Brand here:
Speaking with Tucker Carlson in 2023, Brand explained that he leaned far too heavily into the degenerate life of a celebrity and so needs spirituality as he attempts to get out of that hole. Brand told Tucker, “Like many desperate people, I need spirituality. I need God, or I cannot cope in this world. I need to believe in the best in people.”
Continuing, he explained that when he became famous and his career took off, he “didn’t have enough self-discipline to resist the allure of stardom.” He add that, as a result, he “fell face-first into the glitter, and I’m only just pulling myself out now.” It would appear that he has decided on placing his faith in Christ as a way of digging out of that hole.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video