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List of born-again Christian laypeople

Disclaimer: The following individuals are listed on a self-determination basis. As not all Christians agree on just how a "born-again Christian" is to be defined, and as some individuals styling themselves "born-again Christians" may not be universally recognized as such by other self-styled born-again Christians, this article is simply a list of prominent people who call themselves born-again Christians, without passing any judgment on the claim one way or the other.

Note: This list also contains a number of individuals who have made a profession of being a born-again Christian, but who have since either recanted, joined another faith, or (in the view of some) not conducted themselves in accepted ways within the Born-again community. Again, this list passes no judgment on an individual's words or deeds one way or the other. The reader may make that determination if so desired on their own.

Note also that this list does not include names like Martin Luther or Billy Graham - it is a list of self-declared born-again lay-people, and as such excludes pastors, priests, evangelists, and missionaries.

Contents

Political leaders

United States of America

Other countries

Actors and media personalities

United States of America

International

  • Leigh Hatcher - Australian News Reporter (Sky News)[8]
  • Paul Jones - singer and radio presenter
  • Simon Mayo - British disc jockey
  • Jeremy Vine - UK TV/radio presenter/journalist

Musicians

United States of America

International

Sportsmen and -women

United States of America

International

Business people

Scientists and inventors

Prison converts

Others

The problems of fame and faith

When a well-known person claims to be a "Born again Christian", they can quite often be unprepared for the expectations of the Born again community, and the criticisms of the wider world. There is a temptation amongst the Born again community to look up to and view these people as leaders in the faith, when the fact might be that the famous person's faith might be subject to the same doubts and fears as ordinary people. Consequently, they may fail to live up to the expectations of the born again community, as well as be seen as hypocrites or opportunists by the wider community outside the Christian faith.

Perhaps the best known example of this is Bob Dylan. Dylan reportedly underwent a conversion experience during the 1970s, and some of his albums (such as Slow Train Coming) seem to reflect this new found faith. He was encouraged to use his fame to spread the gospel, and many of his concerts subsequently became de-facto evangelistic meetings. This prompted disparagement from critics and fans alike. Since the early 1980s, however, Dylan has no longer used his concerts for religious outreach, and many of his songs since then are no longer as explicit in Christian content as his late 1970s works. As a result, many Christians now see Dylan as having "fallen away" or, at best, as a "Carnal Christian". In recent times, however, Dylan has been seen as expressing Christian messages in such albums as 1997's Time Out of Mind where his lyrics state "God is my shield. He will not lead me astray" and "I know the mercy of God must be near" (Becky Garrison, The Door). These references, however, may also be attributed to his renewed interest in Chasidism since the 1980's. (God as the shield of Abraham is the final line of the daily Avot prayer.) To further complicate any reading of Dylan's true thoughts, in a 2004 autobiography he disclosed that he purposely took positions that he thought would stop people from thinking of him as a prophet or as "the voice of his generation".

Charles Colson is another example of a person who has used his fame to spread the gospel message, albeit a fame that is not necessarily approved of by all. Colson became a Christian before being sent to jail during the Watergate Scandal. Many critics saw this move as a cynical attempt to gain support from the Born Again community. There is no doubt that Colson's conversion did have an impact on his life, but the fact that he uses his position to support conservative political issues has helped to link the Born again community to right-wing politics (in the USA at least). Critics still believe that Colson has not come clean on Watergate, a belief that has hindered his influence in more liberal political circles. Colson's conversion experience came about before his plea of nolo contendere for his involvement in Watergate - and was ridiculed by several editorial cartoonists at the time. (Born Again) His conversion experience has also been parodied on The Simpsons.

This link (between the evangelical faith and conservative politics) is also present in the decision of actor Stephen Baldwin to announce that his supporting the Republican party is less about politics and more about religion. [20] It is not, however, unusual for Christians to associate with left-leaning parties, as proved by the examples of Keir Hardie, Peter Garrett and Jim Reiher above.

See also

List of Christian entertainers

Sources/external links

(Pertaining to the problems of Fame and Faith)

  • Garrison, Becky, "All Along Dylan's Watchtower." The Door Magazine, September/October 2004, pp. 19-20. Also obtainable via this site.
  • Colson, Charles W. Born Again. Revell, 1996 (20th anniversary edition) ISBN 0800786335
Last updated: 05-21-2005 02:19:01