Is A Christian Revival On The Horizon?
If I were to tell you that a Christian revival seems to be on the horizon, you might think I'm biased. And you'd have a point. My frequent searches for Christian content mean that algorithms push more of it onto my timeline, creating a potential echo chamber. It might appear that Christians are more numerous than they are, but this could just be the effect of social media, and the reality is that Christians might still be a minority.
The official national statistics from 2021 reveal the religious composition in England and Wales. For the first time, less than half of the population (46.2%, 27.5 million people) identified as “Christian,” down from 59.3% (33.3 million) in 2011. Despite this decrease, “Christian” remained the most common response to the religion question.
“No religion” was the second most common response, rising to 37.2% (22.2 million) from 25.2% (14.1 million) in 2011. The number of people identifying as “Muslim” increased to 3.9 million (6.5%) from 2.7 million (4.9%) in 2011, and those identifying as “Hindu” rose to 1.0 million (1.7%) from 818,000 (1.5%).
It doesn't take an expert to see that the mass influx of immigrants from non-Christian countries contributes to this trend. However, recent statistics reveal interesting developments in neighbouring countries. For instance, France has seen a 31% increase in catechumens preparing for baptism into the Catholic Church. In Finland, church attendance among men aged 15 to 29 has more than doubled in eight years—a trend not observed among women or in other Nordic countries. Research by IPSOS indicates that in Europe, Gen Zers pray and attend church more than their grandparents. While most Europeans do not believe in God, those born after 1997 in countries like Sweden, Germany, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Hungary exhibit greater faith than those born earlier.
There has also been an interesting shift within the New Atheist movement.In 2007, Richard Dawkins noted his enjoyment of singing carols and recognised the historical and cultural significance of Christianity in Britain. His view hasn’t necessarily changed since he appeared on LBC to proclaim that he feels at home with the “Christian ethos” and how he would pick Christianity over Islam “every single time”, but the New Atheist movement has seen some of its members significantly revise their positions.
One prominent example is that of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who immigrated from Somalia in 1992, renounced the Islamic faith of her childhood, identified as an atheist, and joined Dutch politics. She became a writer and advocate for “reformed Islam”, and recently shocked the New Atheist community by converting to Christianity.
In a recent event, Richard Dawkins pressed Ali on her new conversion to Christianity to which she replied, “I think you’re coming from a place of there is nothing, for me the God that turned me around, it no longer sounds nonsensical, it makes a great deal of sense.”
Another intellectual, Alex O’Connor, who originally came to prominence with a YouTube channel named ‘Cosmic Skeptic, made intriguing statements about Christianity and the decline of New Atheism in a recent UnHerd panel discussion. In this discussion, O’Connor admitted that he wants to believe - a significant step for an atheist. My hunch is that, if this interest is genuine, O’Connor possibly doesn’t know how to take the next step. Despite our political disagreements, he strikes me as the kind of polite individual with whom I’d enjoy discussing the world's problems over a drink.
Another sentiment I’ve encountered with increasing regularity is something along the lines of, “Well, there must be something” Such expressions often arise in discussions about the existence of God or the afterlife, reflecting a form of spiritual agnosticism, with individuals reluctant to fully embrace either atheism or traditional religious beliefs. This ambivalence at the very least suggests a search for meaning and certainty in a society where such certainties are increasingly questioned.
This is not to say that all of this is unquestioningly positive. I am somewhat sceptical regarding recent mass conversions, especially to Roman Catholicism, with high profile conversions in this direction such as Candace Owens and Russell Brand. My doubts centre in great measure around the sincerity of such conversions, and though it is challenging to discern true intent without personal interaction, the risk of fruitless faith professions is real. I sincerely hope and pray that they have genuinely encountered Christ. I am pleased that Brand, in particular, has shown more signs of conviction and faith than most, despite his association with Tarot cards which seemingly Brand has ditched.
That said, it does appear that something really is changing, not just in Britain but across the West. As our societies have become more secular in which people do not worship—or, rather, worship materialism, esotericism, gnosticism, and identity-centric ideologies—many are starting to notice the fruitfulness of Christian worship. The 'Oxford Handbook of Religion and Health' provides a comprehensive meta-analysis of studies on the association between religious involvement and medical and mental health. Its findings are both astonishing and challenging: 78% of more than 300 studies report a positive association between religiosity and well-being. 73% of 40 studies report a positive association between religiosity and hope. 81% of 32 studies report a positive association between religiosity and optimism. 93% of 45 studies report a positive association between religiosity and one’s sense of purpose and meaning. 82% of 74 studies report a positive association between religiosity and one’s sense of social support. 61% of 413 studies report lower rates of depression or faster recovery from depression in religious individuals. 75% of 141 studies report that religiosity is associated with less suicidal ideation, fewer suicide attempts, or fewer completed suicides.
Many individuals, myself included, who previously had no connection to religious faith, have undergone profound transformations. I have received numerous testimonies from people who have found new purpose and meaning in their lives by coming to faith in Christ. Could this shift be attributed to the aftermath of COVID-19? Possibly. Could it be due to broader cultural changes? Perhaps. Or maybe it’s something else entirely. Regardless, it should provide us with optimism, and encourage us to pray that these early signs may in fact be the beginning of a widespread Christian revival.