David Brooks Shares About His Faith Journey

New York Times columnist and best-selling author, David Brooks shares about his journey into faith and how he creatively courted his wife, Anne Snyder Brooks, through his column.
Taken from the Geneva Lecture Series at The University of Iowa. Moderated by Dr. Lori Branch. Recorded on January 23, 2024.

[@katman042]

I thought he was writing to me! Actually, I read David’s columns in The NY Times religiously. I find them to be very thought provoking.

[@phillipellis2119]

I love how David's life journey is open to us. He is such a good person and so fallible. So human. His being startled by the divinity of the beatitudes is moving. And who couldn't be happy for reconciliation? Show us the way, David!

[@mjw12345]

Yeah! He's brilliant on the Gaza genocide. Read his infamous OpEd 'The Age of Bibi'. He's complicit in crimes against humanity, a genocide.

[@dougdellwo3274]

I do not believe but am happy for him as he goes through this life searching. All the best David.

[@michaelcatalano6950]

"The Road to Character" is a great book. Would definitely recommend it.

[@gratefultube]

may I learn how to forgive as God forgives

[@Logiconfire]

He talks about faith, but faith in what?

[@SoFloCo-ne4rk]

He's an atheist but he adheres to jewish religious rituals because he feels it helps him maintain a higher standard of personal conduct.

[@richardvandermolen1405]

He's a Christian, a convert. He attends Sunday worship and takes Holy Communion.

[@gr8dvd]

👍👍👍 Dunno how he’d respond but to avoid debilitating despair, especially in these challenging times (most in my 70y), having faith in anything is like embracing optimism and an act of self-preservation and altruism. Perhaps similar to David, trying hard to maintain "faith" that there’s more good than bad and the ark of history will bend toward justice & equality… then I wake-up, watch the news and think, damn! At least I no longer fear death 😀

[@offthegoldstandard]

So I guess this was filmed after he left his wife for his assistant

[@carolynmack4017]

He divorced in 2013 and married his second wife in 2017. Sad that a marriage over 25 years in length broke down, but the fact that she moved away and cut off communication with him suggests that they made an effort rather than commit adultery.

[@michaelbrickley2443]

Because you find moral failings beneath you?

[@offthegoldstandard]

@@michaelbrickley2443I don't make a living claiming to be a moral purist. Nor did I publicly advocate for the invasion of Iraq, so I don't have the blood of millions on my hands, as David Brooks does. He should hide himself in shame.

[@donaldsteese5362]

Your comment shows your complete misunderstanding of the Christian faith. This is not anything to be ashamed of because most people share your misunderstanding.

[@user-ou9jb7ni5n]

Put your faith in yourself, your family and friends. There is no God to ever help you

[@michaelbrickley2443]

God exalts the humble & hides from the arrogant

[@user-ou9jb7ni5n]

@@michaelbrickley2443 you know nothing of God because God does not exist and there hasn't been a shred of evidence for any God that has ever been worshiped in all of antiquity. People who speak like they know the mind of God and study from that horrible book that promotes slavery, are about as arrogant as you can get. More unnecessary suffering has been caused by God and religion than for any other reason.

[@nathanbranson9149]

I've found that it is a good idea to put your faith in family, friends, strangers, co-workers and God. God is there, so are people.

[@user-ou9jb7ni5n]

@@nathanbranson9149 I've never seen a shred of evidence for any of the 5,000 gods that have ever been worshiped in antiquity. Religion has caused more suffering than anything else ever, in the name of God. The amount of suffering that happens every day is proof of that. But God is mysterious? Nonsense

[@michaelbrickley2443]

@@nathanbranson9149 amen. Put God first