Playing Star-Lord or Peter Quill in the blockbuster films “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers”, Chris Pratt is undoubtedly one of the most popular actors around the world. But aside from his good looks, killer body, and successful movies, Pratt also made headlines for his faith and religious affiliation. So in this article, we’ll talk about who he is, what he is known for, his religion, and answer whether or not he is a Catholic. 

Christ Pratt is not a Catholic, though it’s reported that he attends a Catholic Church his wife goes to. He is more affiliated with the Zoe Church, which is known to be tied with the Hillsong Church. That said, he is a Christian. So like Catholics, he also believes in Jesus Christ and God. 

Pratt’s association with the Zoe Church and the Hillsong Church has been widely criticized by the public. Continue reading to find out why and what he says about his religion below. 

Who Is Chris Pratt?

Chris Pratt is an American actor who gained fame on television before stepping into the big screen. In 2002, he was cast in the TV drama series “Everwood” as the high-school jock Bright Abbott and portrayed it for all 4 seasons until 2006. 2006-2007, he was then given a recurring role in “The O.C”. 

Pratt’s breakthrough role came in 2009 through the comedy “Parks and Recreation”, which ran until 2015. He played Andy Dwyer, a clueless, miserable, yet lovable character. He was supposed to be a temporary character but since he was such a hit with viewers, producers asked him to stay as a regular. This gave Pratt attention, fame, and a big boost in his career, which then led to his memorable role as Star-Lord / Peter Quill in the “Guardians of the Galaxy”. From then on, he was cast for many more notable and successful movies. 

Aside from having a successful career, Pratt is also a father. He has three children, a son with his ex-wife Anna Faris and two daughters with his current wife Katherine Schwarzenegger. 

What Is Chris Pratt Most Known For? 

Chris Pratt is best known for his roles in the following blockbuster movie series: Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers. He has also voiced several animated movies, such as “The Lego Movie”, “Onward, and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”. Plus, he took part in the following notable movies:

• Moneyball (2011)
• Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
• Her (2013)

Pratt has become quite popular online, too. There are plenty of memes and commentaries that turned him into a joke, specifically depicting him as homophobic and mocking his beliefs. “Umbrella Academy” actor, Elliot Page, even shared his ire about Pratt through X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Oh. K. Um. But his church is infamously anti-LGBTQ so maybe address that too?” 

Two days later, Page tweeted again: “If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed. Being anti-LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe.”

All this negative attention to the actor is due to his religious affiliation. To help you understand better, let’s delve deeper into his religion below. 

What Religion Is Chris Pratt? 

As I’ve mentioned, Chris Pratt is a Christian. He is a member of the Zoe Church, a non-denominational Christian church in Los Angeles that’s popular with other celebrities, including the Biebers, Jenners, Kardashians, and Selena Gomez. He admits this in a 2022 interview with Men’s Health, adding that he also attends a Catholic Church that his wife used to go to as a kid. However, he denies ever attending Hillsong Church, contradicting Entertainment Tonight’s 2017 report. 

That said, Zoe Church and the megachurch Hillsong aren’t very different. In fact, Zoe was modeled after Hillsong. This is because its founder, Chad Veach, used to preach in Hillsong. Both churches offer a modern and trendy form of evangelical Christianity, involving music, fashion, and, of course, celebrities. 

Now, before becoming a Christian and having a successful career, Pratt was a college dropout who lived out of a van and waited tables at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Maui, Hawaii. According to his 2014 interview in Esquire, he found religion when a stranger stopped by in front of him and asked what he was doing that night. Pratt admitted that he might fornicate, do drugs, and drink. 

The man then told Pratt that he stopped because Jesus told him to and to inform him that he was “destined for great things”. He then came with the guy and within two days, he gave his soul to Jesus and became a member of the organization, Jews for Jesus. Soon after, while working at the restaurant, he met a director who asked him to take part in the comedy horror film “Cursed Part 3”. 

Chris Pratt, Zoe Church, and Hillsong Controversy

Now, why is Chris Pratt’s association with Zoe Church and Hillsong so controversial? Well, because Hillsong is involved in many scandals, including being anti-LGBTQ+. 

In an article in Time, Carl Lentz (former Hillsong pastor) admits that while the megachurch welcomes everyone, they maintain a traditional belief. Josh Canfield also shared his experience, saying that he was denied his position from the church after announcing his relationship to his partner. Furthermore, EP Collins shared that he stepped away from the church because a staffer denounced his alleged LGBTQ+ parental household. 

According to the Daily Beast, LGBTQ+ members of the megachurch were allegedly made to go through conversion therapy for years. Moreover, former pastor and leader Brian Houston also once said: “We do not affirm a gay lifestyle”. 

So with many issues and scandals, it’s not surprising why anyone who’s connected with the church is criticized. It’s also not surprising why many celebrities, such as Chris Pratt, felt the need to publicly announce that they don’t attend such a church. 

That said, even as Chris Pratt denied attending Hillsong and admitting his involvement with Zoe Church, why is he still mocked and criticized? Well, because Zoe Church – while not exclusively – is described and considered by many as a “Hillsong-adjacent” and “Hillsong affiliate”. Aside from Chad Veach saying that he modeled his church after Hillsong, he was also involved in “The Heart of Man”, a 2017 film about “sexual brokenness” and how same-sex attraction is connected to infidelity and porn addiction. Thus, seemingly showing that he shares the same belief as that of Hillsong. 

It should be noted, however, that Chris Pratt has never publicly said anything bad about the LGBT community nor has he done anything sinister. He is only judged and criticized solely because of his religious affiliation – and his proclamations about Jesus, God, and his belief. However, in more recent news, he is trying to step away from his image, saying that he is “not a religious person”.