“I’ve defined my beliefs and lived according to them,” the actor says
Brad Pitt has found peace with his religious faith, though his journey hasn’t always been smooth. Reflecting on his high school years, Pitt, now 43, shares that he experienced significant crises of faith.
He would attend Christian revivals and feel deeply moved by the Holy Spirit, but he would also go to rock concerts and feel the same intensity. This conflict led to a lot of internal questioning, as he was told that such music was the work of the Devil and should be avoided.
Discovering Self and Faith
Pitt’s time at the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he studied journalism, marked a period of significant self-discovery. “It wasn’t a loss of faith for me; it was a discovery of self,” he explains. He believed that he was capable of handling any situation, which led him to question and redefine his beliefs.
A pivotal influence during this period was his college girlfriend, who was a Methodist preacher’s daughter. Although their relationship was brief, she helped Pitt find his own direction by challenging his romanticized notions about life. Her realistic perspective pushed him to think critically about his beliefs and values.
Faith in Family
Despite his conservative Southern Baptist upbringing, Pitt maintains that he is not against faith. “Religion works. There’s comfort there, a crash pad. It explains the world and tells you there’s something bigger than you, and it’s going to be all right in the end,” he says.
For Pitt, faith has become a personal code of values. “What’s important to me is that I’ve defined my beliefs and lived according to them without betraying them. One of those is my belief in family. I still have faith in that.”
Pitt, who has four children with Angelina Jolie, also places a high value on charitable work. However, he has no desire to enter politics, believing that he can serve better outside that arena. When asked if he sees any actors who should run for office, he mentions George Clooney and Ben Affleck as potential candidates who would do well in politics.
