Pete Hegseth is a prominent figure in American media, known for his roles as a Fox News host, author, and veteran. While he often discusses political and cultural issues, a deeper look reveals that faith is a cornerstone of Pete Hegseth’s life. Understanding what Pete Hegseth’s religion is provides crucial context to his perspectives and values, shaping his views on family, freedom, and education. This article delves into the faith journey of Pete Hegseth, exploring the development of his religious beliefs and how they permeate his personal and professional life.
Hegseth openly identifies as a Christian, and more specifically, his background and current affiliations align with Baptist Christianity. His upbringing, his personal testimony, and his public statements consistently point to a deep-seated Christian faith that is not merely a label but an active and guiding force in his life. To truly understand what is Pete Hegseth’s religion, we need to explore his journey from a faith-based childhood to a mature and deeply personal commitment to Christianity.
The Foundation: Faith-Based Upbringing
Pete Hegseth’s religious foundation was laid in his childhood. He was raised by Christian parents who instilled in him values that were rooted in their Baptist beliefs. While his home wasn’t overtly political, it was deeply centered around faith and family. This early exposure to Christianity was formative for Hegseth, setting the stage for his later, more conscious embrace of faith.
As a teenager, Pete Hegseth made a personal decision to dedicate his life to Christ. This marked a significant step in his faith journey, representing a conscious choice to embrace the Christian beliefs he had been taught from a young age. Looking back, Hegseth acknowledges a separation between his church life and his secular education during this period. He describes having a “Christian veneer but a secular core,” suggesting that while he identified as Christian, his understanding and integration of faith were still developing.
Princeton and the Challenge to Faith
Hegseth’s faith faced a significant challenge during his time at Princeton University. Enrolling in a class about Christianity, expecting to deepen his understanding of the Gospels, he encountered a professor who was an atheist and scholar of gnostic gospels. This professor presented views that directly contradicted core Christian beliefs, even suggesting the resurrection of Jesus was a myth.
This academic encounter became a pivotal moment for Hegseth. He realized that his faith, while sincere, lacked a robust intellectual foundation to defend against such challenges. Instead of abandoning his faith, Hegseth embarked on an “academic endeavor” to defend it. He immersed himself in theological literature, seeking to understand the historical and intellectual basis for the veracity of the Gospels. This period of questioning and seeking deepened his understanding of Christian doctrine and strengthened his commitment to his faith.
A Deeper Conversion at Colts Neck Community Church
While Hegseth had a Christian upbringing and a teenage conversion experience, he describes a more profound and transformative faith journey later in life. Around 2018, he and his wife began attending Colts Neck Community Church, a Baptist church in New Jersey. Initially, his wife was hesitant, but within minutes of attending, they both felt at home.
The pastor’s message resonated deeply with Hegseth. The pastor spoke openly about personal brokenness and the universal human condition of imperfection. This message challenged Hegseth’s perception that he needed to be perfect in his faith. Instead, he embraced the idea of surrendering to Christ, acknowledging his own brokenness, and allowing Jesus to be the true leader of his life.
This experience at Colts Neck Community Church marked a significant shift from intellectual assent to a heartfelt and lived faith. Hegseth describes it as “truly inviting Jesus into my heart—to command my life.” This deeper conversion has been “edifying and liberating,” shaping his daily life and his approach to raising his children.
Faith in Action: Family, Freedom, and Education
For Pete Hegseth, faith is not confined to personal belief but actively informs his values and actions in key areas of his life, particularly family, freedom, and education. He sees these three pillars as interconnected and essential for a thriving society.
Family: Hegseth views faith as the bedrock of family life. He and his wife Jenny have seven children, and their shared desire is to raise them in a home where faith in God and love for country are paramount. Hegseth emphasizes the vital role of fathers in leading families on a path that “should lead to Jesus Christ.” He believes that a lack of strong father figures is a significant problem in modern American families. His commitment to faith directly translates into his commitment to his family and his role as a father.
Freedom: Hegseth’s advocacy for freedom is also deeply connected to his religious beliefs. He believes that freedom is not granted by government but is a God-given right. This theological perspective underpins his patriotism and his concern for preserving American freedoms. He sees America as “an experiment in self-governance and human freedom” that must be perpetuated by each generation, rooted in the foundational principles of faith.
Education: Hegseth’s concern for education is also interwoven with his faith. He advocates for Classical Christian education, believing it is essential to counter what he sees as a secular and often anti-American direction in modern education. He and his family chose Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy for their children, seeking a school that integrates Christian faith with academic rigor and a focus on virtue and excellence. Hegseth believes that education should equip future generations to understand and defend freedom, grounded in a Christian worldview.
Public Platform and Sharing His Faith
Pete Hegseth uses his prominent public platform to openly share his Christian faith. Whether on Fox News, in his books, or in public speaking engagements, he integrates his faith into his commentary and discussions. He sees “using my platform to share my Christian faith” as “the most valuable use of my time and resources.”
His FOX Nation series, The Life of Jesus, co-hosted with his pastor, Chris Durkin, is a clear example of this commitment. In this series, Hegseth explores the life of Jesus Christ, aiming not to prove the scriptures but to bring them to life by visiting the locations where Jesus ministered. This project reflects his desire to make his faith more tangible and accessible to a wider audience.
Hegseth’s books, particularly Battle for the American Mind, also reflect his Christian worldview. In this book, he critiques the direction of modern education and advocates for a return to a philosophy of education rooted in virtue and excellence, implicitly drawing upon Christian principles.
Conclusion: Faith as the Core of Pete Hegseth’s Identity
In conclusion, Pete Hegseth’s religion is a deeply held and actively practiced Christian faith, specifically within the Baptist tradition. It is not merely a cultural background or a political stance but a foundational aspect of his identity that shapes his values, worldview, and actions. From his faith-based upbringing and teenage conversion to a deeper, transformative experience as an adult, Hegseth’s faith journey is ongoing and evolving.
Understanding what is Pete Hegseth’s religion is crucial to understanding his perspectives on family, freedom, education, and his role in public discourse. He consistently emphasizes the importance of faith as the bedrock of a healthy society and the guiding principle for his own life. For Pete Hegseth, faith is not just a belief system; it is the lens through which he views the world and the driving force behind his commitment to family, country, and the principles he holds dear.
