"Lord of the Rings" Actor Talks About His Faith Journey

by Staff Writer

 

Sean Astin, an actor featured in memorable films for the last decade, recently opened up about his Christian faith and the path that brought him there. Astin, 42, played such critically acclaimed characters as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as the leading roles in Rudy, The Goonies and Memphis Belle. Astin's newest project is a faith-based family comedy titled Mom's Night Out, directed by the brothers who directed October Baby, Jon and Andy Erwin.
Astin's faith journey has brought him through the religions of his parents, actors John Astin (The Addams Family) and Patty Duke, who were a Buddhist and Catholic, respectively. According to The Blaze, Astin has said in the past that he doesn't wear his faith "on his sleeve," but he affirmed his Christianity during an interview with BeliefNet. Today, Astin is a Lutheran, having been officially baptized along with his wife at a church in Indiana.
Astin told BeliefNet about how his stepfather influenced him to "pick something" as he was leading an agnostic lifestyle.  “'What do you mean?'" Astin asked his father. "There are a lot of Jewish people in our community. My daughter, when she was 13, she went through the Bat Mitzvah circuit (of her friends) which is an extraordinary thing to behold and I assumed that he meant pick Judaism. (My stepfather) said 'Judaism, Christianity, Hindu, Muslim,' he goes 'you need community. Pick something and stick with it.'  So, I think we arrived at a Christian posture."
Astin continues to participate in faith-based projects, such as Mom's Night Out and providing the voice of Matthew in the "Truth and Life Dramatized New Testament."

“I don’t actually walk around wearing my faith on my sleeve or anything but I went to Catholic school for three years," Astin said in a 2011 interview about the voiceover project. "You get to certain passages about the Last Supper or the Crucifixion and I’ve heard them a lot in church and they were spoken by a priest.

“And now the words that were being uttered by a priest to a congregation are coming through my eyes and sound! These massive ideas are being poured out and it gives you goose bumps sometimes. You’re portraying revealed truth!”
Mom's Night Out will also star Patricia Heaton, Trace Adkins and Alex Kendrick in a story about three women who leave their children with their somewhat inept husbands for a much-needed night out.

Photo credit: Featureflash / Shutterstock.com