Introducing Nancy & David French
Nancy French and David French have long lived their lives as an open book. Together, they have built a public witness marked by faith, intellect, and courage—a testimony that will resonate deeply when they visit the University of Virginia on March 22, 2026, as the Scoper Lecturers in Christian Thought, a signature program of Theological Horizons. (Learn more here).
The Frenches’ story begins at Lipscomb University, where David—a Harvard-trained attorney—met Nancy, a young writer from Tennessee with a mind for philosophy and a heart for storytelling. Their friendship quickly became a partnership, and their shared life has unfolded as a conversation between conviction and compassion.
From David’s early years defending free-speech cases for college students to Nancy’s award-winning journalism, both have woven faith deeply into their vocations. When David enlisted to serve in Iraq out of moral conviction, Nancy wrote from home—together crafting Home and Away: A Story of Family in a Time of War. That collaboration began a public journey of faith and storytelling that continues today.
Now a respected opinion writer for The New York Times, David speaks with clarity and courage about conscience, politics, and faith in public life. His commentary—often exploring the fractures of American civic life—has helped readers think critically and compassionately about the moral imagination required for democracy to flourish.
Nancy’s work has also grown in reach and depth. In her recent memoir, Ghosted: An American Story, she tells the truth about her own experience of trauma, faith, and healing while confronting the church’s complicity in silencing abuse survivors. “The most important work I’ll ever do,” she says, “is to help people feel seen.” Her writing—across memoir, journalism, and investigative reporting—gives voice to those at the margins and calls the church to integrity.
As Lipscomb’s profile notes, the Frenches are “a pair of nationally known writers and thought leaders” who refuse to separate faith from daily life. “We’ve never compartmentalized our Christianity,” David reflects. “It’s just who we are.”
Their lives testify to the power of faith integrated with intellect—a theme at the very heart of Theological Horizons. When the Frenches come to Charlottesville this spring, they will invite us to consider what it means to live truthfully in a divided world: to write, speak, and serve with grace, conviction, and love.