The Rev. Dr. Russell Jones Levenson, Jr.
Dr. Levenson was an ordained Episcopal priest for nearly thirty years. He served his faith and his ministry in various roles at churches in Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida, he and his wife Laura lived in Houston, Texas, where he was the rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church for fifteen years. Dr. Levenson retired from the priesthood in May of 2024, but will continue to write. He is currently working on two books, including his first fiction novel.
"Jesus invited His followers to remain in Him," Levenson told "Your World" on Wednesday. "They said the chief way you... remain in our Lord is by loving one another, and so I do think that the chief expression of the Christian faith — Judeo-Christian faith — is that we love one another, and when people walk into churches these days, I think they need to feel loved not only by God, but by those who are there."
"Golf is a skill that requires practice and that can bring you hours of joy. The Rev. Dr. Russ Levenson shows that faith is a skill that requires practice and that can bring you hours of joy. He is a gifted apologist, pastor, and preacher. All three gifts are apparent in this compelling and beautiful book. Buy it for your friends, family, and for that person you know who just happens to play golf!"
—Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary
"Russ Levenson has done a masterful job of showing how the game of golf is a metaphor of living a good life through the Gospels and that when we are in 'God's Grip', anything is possible!"
—Joe Sweeney, Author of Networking is a Contact Sport