Christianity is on the wane in modern and secular Europe, but at least one expert believes that there is a turnaround on the horizon — at least for the United Kingdom.
Justin Brierley is the author of “The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God” as well as the host of the “Unbelievable” podcast. He wrote in The Spectator that the momentum toward secularism in the U.K. may be reversing after decades of declining Christian faith.
The writer noted the mostly young audience he recently encountered during an Evensong service at St. Bartholomew the Great.
The oldest church in London welcomed an enthusiastic congregation, part of a growing trend across the country. Brierley observed a different audience than he saw elsewhere.
He recalled, “In contrast to the usual aging demographic of many Anglican churches, the congregation at St. Bart’s seems to mainly consist of young professionals, both male and female.”
Brierley encountered a famous politician among the gathering along with a “well-known melancholy rock star.”
Good to see there is a Christian revival in some big cities of Western Europe! https://t.co/xRXK2foOrV
— This is Christian Syria (@Christian_Syria) November 15, 2020
He referenced the wave of “New Atheists” that emerged some 20 years ago, including Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. They proclaimed the dawn of a new world based on science and reason, but what has this trend produced?
According to the author, post-Christianity brought with it “confusion, a mental health crisis in the young and the culture wars.” This is hardly the utopia humanity was promised when it turned its back on God.
And there are many major influencers, including Joe Rogan and Douglas Murray, who warn of the dangers of abandoning faith and ignoring its value.
Experts increasingly point to the emptiness left behind when society rejects its foundations and tries to plunge ahead into the void. Former New Atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali now preaches that secular humanism is failing the West while he extols the virtues of Judaeo-Christianity.
But Brierley warned against merely utilizing the traditions of the faithful without the belief that should accompany them. Christianity is not, he said, “just a useful lifeboat for stranded intellectuals.”
Rather, it is the driving force in advancing Western civilization, and that is underpinned by the absolute conviction that Jesus rose from the dead to save humanity. And that process is gathering the momentum of a revival, Brierley asserted, in the unlikeliest of places — the U.K.
