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Over the past year, the comedian has been doing a deep dive into the Bible.
« Finished the entire Bible, » « The Santa Clause » actor wrote on X recently. « it’s been a 13 month word by word page by page no skimming journey. »
The 71-year-old said he was « Humbled, enlightened and amazed at what I read and what I learned. I will rest and meditate on so much. I will begin it again. »
But the « Home Improvement » star hasn’t always been so sure of his beliefs.
Learning about life’s cruelties at an early age
He struggled with it for years after his father was killed by a drunk driver when he was a child.
« My father was killed by a drunk driver when I was 11 years old, » Allen told Mike Rowe on his podcast last fall. « Luckily, he was the only one killed. But he died in my mother’s lap. My other two brothers were thrown around the car, a lot of kids were hurt. »
Allen, who hadn’t been in the car during the crash, said he went back to his house after spending the day with a friend « knowing something terrible had happened » and he was praying and bargaining with God over it.
« I said, ‘I will eat vegetables.’ Whatever as a kid. ‘Just make — whatever’s going on — this is terrible. I will do my homework,’ or whatever, » he explained of his attempt to bargain with God at such a young age. « And none of that happened. I get to the house. There’s police and my uncle was there and said, ‘Man up. You know, your mom needs you right now. So, no crying. None of that.’ »
« My first reaction was, ‘Then why are we in this s—hole? Why don’t we just start there?’ And it never got answered. »
Allen explained that his « pain » and « discomfort » over his father’s death and faith « never stopped » because of that.
« For many years I didn’t care, » he said. « That whole process started me on asking questions and generally getting no answers. »
But his shop teacher at school told him to stop asking questions and figure out what he could do. « ‘That’s all you can do,’ » he said of his teacher’s advice to take control of his life. « I used to love that about shop teachers. »
« I don’t know what political, religious persuasion I really am because the more I look at the emanator, I tag it, I make names, and then I go through this whole thing, » he explained of the way he perceives God. « It’s in a big chair, and it’s got a beard for some reason. It looks like Father Time. »
He joked he feels like this emanator tells him, « ‘You have no idea how big I am. How insignificant you are and yet you have the capacity to go, ‘Nah, I think I got it.’ »
In 2011, Allen told ABC News he’d felt like he’d had a « curious » relationship with God following his father’s death.
Tim Allen in « The Santa Clause »
Tim Allen in a scene from 1994’s « The Santa Clause. » (Walt Disney Pictures/Getty Images)
He said that for years he wondered if he had prayed harder or if he’d done something else, his father might still be alive.
« For years, I just did not like this idea of God, church, » he admitted. « (I was) still a churchgoer, but constantly a cynic. »
But he said he soon began to think of God as « The Builder. »
« I always do ask…The Builder, what did you want me to do? » Allen said. « And I do ask it. But you got to be prepared for the answer. »
He added that he doesn’t believe humanity could be a coincidence.
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« Whoever built me, this is too much, too weird that it happened by accident, » he said. « It didn’t happen by accident. »
Tim Allen at « Toy Story 4 » event
Tim Allen said he struggled with his faith for years after his father’s death. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
A wake-up call
His arrest for selling cocaine when he was in his 20s was also a wake-up call in his life.
« When I went to jail, reality hit so hard that it took my breath away, took my stance away, took my strength away, » he told Esquire in 2011.
He said at that moment, when he was feeling suicidal, the « comic » in him appeared and « saved » his life.And last September, inspired by Charlie Kirk’s widow’s ability to forgive her husband’s alleged killer, Allen said he wanted to forgive the drunk driver who killed his father.
« When Erika Kirk spoke the words on the man who killed her husband: ‘That man… that young man… I forgive him. That moment deeply affected me, » he wrote on X. « I have struggled for over 60 years to forgive the man who killed my Dad. I will say those words now as I type: ‘I forgive the man who killed my father.’ Peace be with you all. »
In August 2024, Allen admitted he had never taken the time to « really read the Bible. »
At the time, he said he was nearly done « reading the Jerusalem Bible Old Testament and almost done with the Prophets. Next up to New Testament. So far amazing and not at all what I was expecting. »
Tim Allen with Jimmy Carter and Richard Karn on « Home Improvement » in 1995
Tim Allen in a scene from « Home Improvement » in 1995. (American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
By October 2024, he updated fans on X, by saying he had finished a « rather intense » Ezekiel and was moving on to Daniel. « The challenge in reading this Book is how I translate words that the Eternal expresses to the temporary. I need a Snickers, » he joked.
One year ago, he said he had finished the Old Testament.
« After nearly a year I have finished entire Old Testament and the experience of re reading, dedicated focus and no drifting has made this a humbling overwhelming experience, » he admitted. « What a treasure. Three days into New Testament. »
By June, he revealed he was now reading the Gospel of Paul. « A Roman Jew familiar with Plato, Stoicism, and other Greek schools of thought. I am amazed in seven pages! »
Recently, Allen told Bill Maher on his podcast that he was studying what Paul said about law having been invented to « develop sin. Without law, you don’t know what sinful is … And what you’re going to find is the cycle of ignorance with philosophy. »
He admitted, « That’s where I’ve been in the last 20 years. »
