The Daily Populous Tuesday March 25th, 2025 morning edition
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How celebrities like Mark Wahlberg and Gwen Stefani are monetising spirituality through the Hallow app

Hallow, the app backed up by celebrities like Gwen Stephani and Mark Wahlberg, promises to deepen your faith—but with a subscription model that raises some questions. Is this the feature of spiritual growth, or is it just a clever way to monetise religion?

The most popular app on Google Store right now isn’t a social media platform, a dating app, or even Candy Crush, it’s an online service specialising in all things prayer. Yes, you read that right. The app at the top of the global charts is Hallow—a platform designed to help you find peace and connection with God, one meditation at a time. As Hallow continues to grow in popularity, it has also begun attracting some of the most famous faces in entertainment. But with these high-profile celebrities endorsing Hallow on a major scale, some are left wondering: is this truly about spiritual growth, or is it simply a savvy business model preying on faith for profit?

if I see one more ad for that goddamn hallow prayer app I’m gonna lose it — syd ◟̽◞̽🍉 (@sydjae28) March 19, 2025

The birth of Hallow, the world’s most popular prayer app

Developed by Alex Jones, a former McKinsey consultant, along with co-founders Erich Kerekes and Alessandro DiSanto, Hallow was launched in December 2018 to bring peace and mindfulness into our chaotic, distraction-filled lives. Now the #1 Catholic app in the world, Hallow has been downloaded over 18 million times and used by more than 500 million people across 150+ countries. But here’s the kicker—if you want to access the full spiritual experience, you’ll need to open your wallet.

Prayers prayed on Hallow to date. Glory to God. Almost half a million people downloaded the app…just yesterday. pic.twitter.com/EMuSSuiqDd — Alex at Hallow (@alexathallow) March 6, 2025

While Hallow is free to download and offers a selection of content, unlocking the full range of prayers, meditations, and songs requires a paid subscription. There are two main options: a yearly individual plan for $69.99, which works out to about $6 per month, or a Friends & Family plan for $119.99, which covers up to six people. Both plans start with a free trial, giving users a taste of the full experience before committing financially.

Who is Alex Jones, the creator of Hallow?

Let’s talk about Alex Jones, the co-founder and CEO of Hallow. Jones is the man who’s taken the age-old practice of meditation and prayer and turned it into a booming business. Before the app took off, Jones was working at McKinsey & Co. as an Engagement Manager, but it wasn’t enough. The businessman quit it all and dove headfirst into the startup world with one goal: to create the ultimate app for spiritual growth.

But don’t let Jones’ path to success fool you. Like any modern entrepreneur, he didn’t exactly follow the conventional route to spiritual enlightenment. Instead of traditional religious methods, Jones leaned into his startup instincts. It was during a year of corporate contemplation that he crafted the foundation of Hallow—a prayer app that’s become, dare we say, almost cult-like in its devotion.

Hallow founder Alex Jones shares how he doubted building the most influential prayer app but pressed on, trusting in the Lord. pic.twitter.com/R0NKdgQCYA — lilaroseshow (@lilaroseshow) February 28, 2025

When prayer and faith mix with business

Now, Let’s be clear: there’s no denying that Hallow is making a real impact on some users. It’s helping them find peace, re-centre their faith, and forge a deeper connection with God. But when the app claims to have transformed the lives of its users—some of whom have quit their jobs to fully dedicate themselves to prayer and meditation—it raises the question: is this about true faith, or is there a more insidious agenda at play?

Cause you see, when you download Hallow for free and start engaging with its prayers, it feels fulfilling—at first. But as you finish your first few sessions, you’re greeted with a notification saying, “You’ve completed your prayer, but for just $6.99 a month, you can unlock more prayers or enjoy unlimited access.” So, it makes you wonder—is Hallow truly fostering spiritual growth, or is it subtly creating a new form of dependence, encouraging users to spend more in pursuit of personalised devotion?

And it’s not just the app’s monetisation tactics raising concerns. Some TikTok users have started raising concerns about their FYP page suddenly being flooded with content from Christian conservative accounts—even though they never followed any of them.

From Mark Wahlberg and Chris Pratt to Gwen Stefani and Russell Brand, meet the Holy influencers

If you think Hallow is just for everyday people seeking peace, think again. The app has attracted major celebrity endorsements from the likes of Gwen Stefani, J D Vance, Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt, and Russell Brand—each publicly expressing their admiration for the app’s prayer-focused features. However, this hasn’t spared them from scrutiny, as many netizens have raised doubts about their motives, particularly when celebrities are encouraging users to pay for access to the app.

Take Pratt, for example. The guy’s practically in every ad these days, making you wonder if his Hallow endorsement is more about cashing in than spiritual enlightenment. And then there’s Brand, who was recently baptised in the River Thames by Bear Grylls—because nothing says “genuine faith” like wading through sewage with a reality TV star. With both of them promoting Hallow, you can’t help but wonder if it’s a spiritual awakening or just another lucrative business venture.

As a @HallowApp user myself, I was excited to chat with @alexathallow, Hallow’s CEO, to hear the story behind the company. pic.twitter.com/cJxKnhdwjl — Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) March 8, 2025

This Christmas, join Gwen Stefani on Hallow, the #1 prayer app in the world. — Hallow (@HallowApp) November 20, 2024

Meanwhile, Stefani is also facing criticism for promoting the app, with some calling her a savvy Bible salesperson. One TikTok creator pointed out the mixed reactions to the singer’s involvement, especially after she shared a Tucker Carlson clip endorsing the app. The creator also highlighted how the singer’s first post promoted the “Pray 25” challenge, which quickly turned into the “Pray 40” challenge for Lent. The catch? Hallow isn’t a one-time purchase; it’s pay-to-play. You start with a 25-day challenge, then a 40-day one, all while subscribing for ongoing access. It’s a business that turns spiritual devotion into a never-ending cycle of payments, and Stefani’s clearly profiting from it.

@jacksonstrike Replying to @Berg8687 This situation is actually really fascinating because the only reason it’s not blatantly obvious that this app is run by right wingers is that they managed to find someone with a slightly creative eye to do their social media and make it look like any other SF wellness startup #markwahlberg #hallow #lent #blakeshelton ♬ original sound - Jackson Strike

Navigating the fine line between faith and consumerism

Hallow has become a financial powerhouse, while exact yearly revenue figures aren’t publicly released, the app has raised over $55 million in investments.

As the platform continues to soar, it’s becoming increasingly clear that monetising spirituality is no longer a distant concept. And it’s not just limited to apps; the commercialisation of faith is creeping into every corner of our culture. Take, for instance, Reverend Lorenzo Sewell, the preacher who delivered a benediction at Donald Trump’s inauguration. On that day, Sewell launched his own crypto memecoin called Lorenzo, urging people to invest in it in the name of Jesus. The coin has since suffered a dramatic crash, losing 93 per cent of its market value in just one day.

The crypto community was kind enough to send me $Lorenzo, so I have permanently locked my tokens into a Liquidity Pool, so that I will never sell on the community but rather just earn fees as our token continues to flourish! Amazing day, all the Glory to God! CA:… pic.twitter.com/kAZFL3mMmb — Pastor Zo (@pastorzosewell) January 20, 2025

While it’s easy to look at Hallow as just another success story—an app that capitalises on the widespread desire for inner peace and connection—it’s impossible to ignore the underlying implications. Is this the future of faith? An app that not only tracks your spiritual progress but actively encourages you to upgrade for a VIP holy experience? All in the name of Jesus, of course…

branflake777 on March 24th, 2025 at 14:25 UTC »

> But don’t let Jones’ path to success fool you. Like any modern entrepreneur, he didn’t exactly follow the conventional route to spiritual enlightenment. Instead of traditional religious methods, Jones leaned into his startup instincts.

I’m not even religious and this makes me wanna barf.

zodiackodiak515 on March 24th, 2025 at 14:15 UTC »

I can’t think of anything I want to pay for less than an app where a celebrity preaches gospel to me

Weightcycycle11 on March 24th, 2025 at 13:49 UTC »

Gross! Everything is a grift!