Photo by Sarah Owens
Mountain Brook native Russell J. Levenson Jr. released his new book, In God’s Grip: What Golf Can Teach Us About the Gospel, on April 1.
Reverend Russell J. Levenson Jr. has dedicated his life to faith, service and storytelling. With a 32-year career in ministry, he has guided congregations across the country, offering wisdom, compassion and leadership in pivotal moments. Now an established author, Levenson continues to share his insights beyond the pulpit, using books to explore the intersection of faith, daily life and unexpected sources of inspiration—his latest being In God’s Grip: What Golf Can Teach Us About the Gospel.
Levenson grew up in Mountain Brook and earned a business degree from Birmingham-Southern College before obtaining a Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Beeson Divinity School. He has spent his career leading churches, most recently serving for 17 years as the rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas—one of the nation’s largest Episcopal congregations.
“I always enjoyed writing, though. I wrote stories as a kid, wrote some poetry that I wouldn't want anybody to see,” Levenson said. “And obviously, when you go into my line of work, my vocation, it requires a tremendous amount of writing. … And at some point I thought, ‘Well, I've got enough in my head now that I want to start kind of playing around with it. I can do a book.’”
He published the first in a series of four devotionals in 2014 before releasing his most successful book, Witness to Dignity: The Faith and Life of George H.W. and Barbara Bush, in 2022. Spending over 11 years as their pastor at St. Martin’s, Levenson became a close friend and spiritual mentor to the couple.
In 2018, he officiated and preached at former first lady Barbara Bush’s funeral in Houston. Later that year, he spoke at the state funeral in Washington, D.C., and the final memorial service in Houston for President George H.W. Bush. He also presided over both of their private graveside services.
Levenson’s writing blends theological insights with personal and cultural narratives. Witness to Dignity chronicled his experiences with the Bush family and their life devoted to faith, earning praise for its heartfelt storytelling and authenticity.
“I did not think about writing a book about it all until I think the public square of politics got to be as poisonous as it has been,” Levenson said. “And I'm not talking about a person. I'm talking about the whole shebang. I thought, in getting to know the Bushes – and I knew them for 11 and a half years – I've never heard them say a negative word about anybody, regardless of party or position. They had friends from across the aisle, and I thought, ‘I'd really like to light that light rather than curse the darkness.’ We can all curse the darkness, it’s easy to spot. But if I just tell a story about them and how wonderful they were and how they lived their faith, then I felt like that would help.”
In God’s Grip, now available on Amazon and in stores, continues this approach by drawing parallels between Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons—the grip, stance and posture, the first part of the swing, the second part of the swing and the summary and review— and elements of Christian faith. Through inspirational reflections, biblical passages and Hogan’s wisdom, Levenson invites readers to examine their spiritual journey with patience and grace.
Levenson and his wife recently returned to Mountain Brook, remaining active in retirement with the belief that it is "better to wear out than to rust out." He continues to speak at area churches and has another book in the works.
Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning, set for release this fall, features conversations on personal faith with figures such as Denzel Washington, The Honorable James A. Baker III, The Honorable Condoleezza Rice, Amy Grant, Gary Sinise, Sam Waterston, Dr. Francis Collins, Dr. Jane Goodall, The Honorable Nikki Haley, Admiral William McRaven, Jim Nantz and Brit Hume.
