Russell Brand Expresses Interest in Attending Church and Getting Baptized

The comedian asked his followers for advice on which church he should attend.

Russell Brand takes part in a discussion at Esquire Townhouse, Carlton House Terrace in London, England, on Oct. 14, 2017. Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

British actor Russell Brand is considering embarking on the next step of his spiritual journey: getting baptized.

Mr. Brand, 48, has previously been affiliated with a brand of Hinduism colloquially known as the Hare Krishna movement. However, on March 20, he shared a video on Instagram asking his nearly four million followers for advice about which denomination of church he should attend.

“HEY! help! do I get baptized? What church shall I join?” he captioned alongside the reel.

The comedian said he has been frequenting a church that offers Alpha courses, a series of evangelistic talks that explore the fundamental elements of Christianity. He also noted that he has attended a Catholic church and is considering going to an Eastern Orthodox Church.

“Do you think the different denominations and distinctions are important when you look at God and the figure of Christ from, as best as one might claim, a universal perspective?” he queried in the video.

“If you feel that you can be universal on a subject like kindness, or service, or surrender, or gratitude, or overcoming the self, or understanding that what you’re experiencing in the moment even if it is suffering is God’s will,” he added for reference.

“I know that there are numerous distinctions ecclesiastical and ontological, but I feel that at the moment, I’m moving towards a kind of moment of baptism,” he said before asking his followers if they’ve been baptized.

“Did you get baptized as an adult? Like, would you do it in a river? Would you do it in a font? Do you wanna get fully under there? ‘Cause me, I want River Jordan or River Thames, at worst. I want proper plunging,” he declared.

“Tell me, what is the importance of the church, and tell me is it important what church you go to because I’m just learning, man,” he continued.

“I’m just learning, and you know, if I don’t get clear guidance, I have to make a decision just sort of based on what petal I’m on,” he said while pulling petals off of a rose. “Let me know what you’re into in the Holy Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen.”

Interest in Christianity

Mr. Brand, who is currently mired in sexual assault allegations, has been outspoken about the struggles he faced in the past, which include alcohol and drug abuse as well as sex addiction.

During a March 2023 interview with political commentator Tucker Carlson, the actor discussed the positive influence that his faith has had in helping him overcome his addictions.

“Like many desperate people, I need spirituality,” he said. “I need God, or I cannot cope in this world. I need to believe in the best in people.

“In a way, I’ve simply remained connected to the conditions I’m from,” he added, acknowledging that he is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict.

“As much as I might enjoy the feeling of privilege and luxury … I remember what reality is. I remember that my wellness is contingent upon spiritual connection, upon certain values and principles, and they involve sacrifice and self-scrutiny about my own conduct and behavior, which often falls short, and I’m working on improving myself,” he shared.

Earlier this year, Mr. Brand took to X, formerly Twitter, to share that his “heart is open” to Christianity,  noting that he has been reading the Bible more and has begun wearing a necklace bearing a cross as an outward expression of his faith.

“The reason I wear a cross is because Christianity, and, in particular, the figure of Christ, are—it seems to me—inevitably becoming more important as I become more familiar with suffering, purpose, self, and not self,” he said in a video posted to the social media platform on Jan. 21.

“When I grew up, Christianity seemed like it was either really irrelevant and old-fashioned ... or they tried to modernize it,” he said, explaining that this made the religion very unappealing to him.

“And I suppose it takes a certain amount of adulthood—and it might be different for all of us—for me, it seems that it’s taken quite a lot to recognize that you need—I need—a personal relationship with God,” he remarked.

“It occurred to me that if instead of always talking to myself inwardly, I could replace one of those voices with an indwelling God,” he continued.