The idea that a television news anchor would collect stories about miraculous answers to prayer and publish a book with theological references might seem far-fetched – until you talk to the author.
Harris Faulkner, Fox News Channel veteran and host of the daily programs “The Faulkner Focus” and “Outnumbered,” is not your everyday newscaster. And her new book, “Faith Still Moves Mountains: Amazing Stories of the Healing Power of Prayer,” to be released Nov. 15 by Fox News Books, is no pedestrian prayer manual. (She said a special about the book will air on the Fox Nation streaming service two days earlier.)
In a video call, Ms. Faulkner explained that compared to the 1950s, when a Gallup poll showed more than 90% of Americans believed in God, “not only have we slipped there, but … we no longer believe that God intervenes.” in everyday life.
“I’m not saying we all have to believe the same and be the same, but I’m saying we have to be the best version of ourselves,” she said. “And treat each other with love and respect. I just don’t think we can do it on our own. I think we need guidance and a higher calling.”
The book includes stories of miraculous answers to prayer, such as the rescue at sea of Florida teenagers Tyler Smith and Heather Brown, each 17 years old, in 2019 by sailors on a ship called the Amen. Mr. Smith and Ms. Brown were pulled into the Atlantic while swimming off St. Augustine; sailors miraculously swam into the area during a storm and saw two treading water. The teenagers said they prayed throughout the hours-long ordeal.
Another story involves a prayer that a chaplain assigned to General George S. Patton wrote about a calm sky and a break in the rain just as the Battle of the Bulge began during World War II. This prayer, she writes, helped turn the tide of the battle — and the war.
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There’s also the story of Ernestine Reese, who was 72 when a 2019 tornado destroyed her home in Lee County, Ala., except for the “prayer closet” where she regularly talked to God, Ms. Faulkner said.
The news anchor wrote: “Ernestine’s gratitude and faith are striking in their purity. How many of us could lose everything and still glorify God?”
Ms. Faulkner said in a video call that being in an interfaith marriage — she attends Community Baptist Church and her husband, Tony Berlin, is Jewish — means prayer can be a bridge between religious cultures.
“We share every meal,” Ms. Faulkner said of her family, which now includes two teenage daughters. “We share a prayer. There are things that are common between us and our faith that go far beyond any kind of division.”
Ms. Faulkner, 57, maintains a poise in front of the camera, the product of years of reporting and living in Greenville, North Carolina; Kansas City and Minneapolis. But she can also show a personal side as she discusses the aftermath of the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The host was on air during the aftermath and told viewers that 26 people had died, including 20 children.
“I broke down [on air], and Sandy Hook was tough,” Ms. Faulkner said. “I think I’ve gotten used to the feeling of all eyes on me, when I tell a story, I relate to people seeing the truth about me. As long as they know, I will tell them the truth.’
Ms Faulkner said: “I don’t think anyone expects us to be so violent that we’re not even human anymore.”
