When Beth agrees to raise their children Jewish, it is she who gives up her religion (not her faith) in order for David to find his. Ironically, the chapter about “Sacrifice,” which had me marking its pages, was not so much his as his wife’s. In the end, his noble quest is not to be a better Jew, but to be a better person by strengthening his relationship with God. Jewish practice may be the road he chooses, but he learns that detours must suffice. All the while, he brings his skills as a journalist, raising questions, seeking answers, citing sources, sharing insights, and in the process, finding faith. Along the way, he interviews Jews, Muslims, Christians, atheists, rabbis, ministers, and a cardinal. Bush, he experiences “transformation,” and so on. When he shares how he rose and fell at NBC, he learns “humility.” When he confronts memories and feelings about his mother’s alcoholism, he grows in “forgiveness.” When he reminisces about encounters with then-president George W. Raised with a Jewish identity, he marries a devout Christian only to realize that his relationship with religion, and ultimately with himself, needs attention.Īs in many memoirs, David’s personal life propels his spiritual search. How’s Your Faith? – An Unlikely Spiritual Journey is a courageous testimony by an adult child of intermarriage, whose own interfaith marriage sparks his spiritual journey. I don’t watch Meet the Press or television journalism, so I didn’t recognize David Gregory’s name when his memoir appeared on my desk.

The Last Christian by David Gregory