Is America Newly Open to Christianity?
Making sense of a new survey and the opportunity for the church
There is new research on the state of religion in America. My latest column for World discusses some reason for measured optimism:
Has the rise in secularism waned? That’s one conclusion to draw from the findings of the annual Pew survey, which gathered the religious views of over 35,000 people from across the country. Sixty-two percent of Americans identify as Christians. This number is consistent with surveys going back to 2019, when the precipitous decline in Christianity began to stabilize. What’s more, adherence and interest in non-Christian religions has started to rise.
These findings seem consistent with anecdotal evidence, such as high-profile conversions and new conversations about religion in popular media formats, suggesting a new interest in the transcendent and a rejection by many of secularism. Nobody should mistake these numbers for revival, but followers of Christ can find slivers of hope in a society seeming to question the atheism of what Charles Taylor labeled “The Secular Age.” Perhaps a world riven by war, natural disaster, an epidemic, and political upheaval has caused people to confront their own mortality and seek the divine.
There is opportunity here for the church, especially among younger cohorts, where Christianity is still lagging significantly behind older generations. While 28% of Boomers share no religious affiliation, 42% of Gen Z are among the so-called “nones.” While disavowing religion, many describe themselves as spiritual. Eighty-two percent of Americans believe humans have souls, while 76% believe in a universal God or spirit. Christians can boldly and beautifully share, like Paul on Mars Hill, about the “Lord of Heaven and Earth” to those who “seek him and reach out for him (Acts 17).
The church should not hesitate to embrace our mission field. In Romans, Paul reminds us: “And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news" (Romans 10:15). To a world around us freshly put off by the false promises of secularism, by the dissatisfied pleasures of modernity, and by the lies of the sexual revolution, Christians must joyfully proclaim that there is a better way to orient our lives. We must show that a relationship with God through his Son is the gateway to fulfillment and true spirituality, not the cheap substitutes on offer.
You can read the whole thing here.
Getting Ready for Easter
This week, Lenten season began. In many Christian traditions, this involves marking the forehead with a cross and pledging to give up something this season. Your tradition may or may not participate in all the rituals of Lent, however, all Christians need to move their hearts slowly toward the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. My book, The Characters of Easter offers some help, by profiling some of the most prominent people in the story of Easter. Here’s an excerpt on the life of Peter:
Peter's Resurrection Story
One of the things that struck me when I was researching and writing The Characters of Easter was the fact that the story of Peter’s denial is in all four gospels. It made me think a bit about how his story became known in the early church. Let’s remember, the gospels began as oral histories and then were written down as books. Thi…
The full book (including the Kindle version for a good price) is available here.