The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God

by Justin Brierley

I recently received an email from a podcast listener saying that they’ve begun to call themselves a ‘lapsed atheist’ and a ‘reluctant Christian’. Ever since launching ‘The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief In God’ book and podcast series, I’ve received a stream of similar comments. I believe something has changed in our culture. There’s a new receptivity to faith.

Some eighteen years ago I began to host weekly radio conversations between Christians and non-Christians at a time when ’New Atheism’ was a dominant cultural force. Anti-God books were topping the bestseller lists. The ‘Atheist Bus Campaign’ emblazoned red London buses with the slogan ‘There’s Probably No God, Now Stop Worrying And Enjoy Your Life’. For several years it became fashionable to be an atheist and to dismiss religion.

But as the years wore on, more and more of the non-believers I met distanced themselves from this aggressive form of non-belief. New Atheism grew old pretty quickly. As well as being somewhat fundamentalist itself, the movement suffered an internal implosion.

In ‘The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief In God’ I chart the rise and fall of New Atheism and the growth of a new conversation among secular intellectuals who are reconsidering the value of Christianity.

People like Jordan Peterson, a psychologist whose lectures on the Bible are reaching millions of people. The historian Tom Holland whose book ‘Dominion’ tells the story of how the Christian revolution shaped the West’s moral imagination. Louise Perry, a secular female rights advocate who came to startlingly Christian conclusions in the course of writing her book ‘The Case Against The Sexual Revolution’.

Perhaps you’ve also noticed some high profile influencers like Russell Brand and former new atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali coming to faith? There is a new conversation on God happening in our culture and I am encountering a surprising number of people who, having been let down by the empty promises of secularism, are willing to give Christianity another try.

We’re often told that Christianity is in irreversible decline in the West, but I believe the tide of faith is turning and we are standing on the edge of a possible revival. People need a story to live by, and the church still has the most beautiful and compelling story that has ever been told.

If you know someone who is burned out by the 24-hour news cycle, suffering from social media-induced mental health problems and asking what the future holds… then you know someone who is ready to hear a better story. A story about the God who came in person to be good news to a broken world.

It’s time for us to tell our story confidently again. Let us be as imaginative as the Spirit allows and as loving as the Jesus we follow, as we create space for people to ask their questions and explore the journey of faith. There is a tide approaching of new meaning seekers who are willing to explore faith again. Will we be ready to meet it?

Check out our interview with Justin Brierley on SBE here!

Justin Brierley is an author, speaker and broadcaster. The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief In God podcast and book is available from www.justinbrierley.com.