From Justin Brierley:
“If conservative-leaning intellectuals only ‘cosplay’ at Christianity (Tom Holland’s phrase) without really believing it, then this ‘New Theist’ movement will inevitably fade away. Co-opting Christianity in the cause of an anti-woke agenda or in order to fend off radical Islam turns it into a useful political tool, but drains it of any life-giving power. A Christian nationalism of the right will become as pallid and pointless as the Christianity of the progressive left that parrots the latest politically correct talking points.
“However, they say God moves in mysterious ways. As a believing Christian, I see signs that he is moving in the minds and hearts of secular intellectuals. Many of them are recognising that secular humanism has failed and, against all their expectations, seem to be on the verge of embracing faith instead…
“Where this movement is headed remains to be seen. The statistics show an overall picture of continued decline of religiosity. Churchgoing in some denominations has been in free fall for decades. Yet one recent piece of research has given me pause for thought. In Finland, church attendance among 18- to 29-year-old men more than doubled between 2011 and 2019. The same uptick applies to their prayer habits and belief in God. The stats might just be a weird anomaly (this hasn’t been recorded in other Nordic countries), or it may be a canary in the coal mine.
“As a Christian I believe things that are dead can come back to life. That’s the point of the story after all. As G.K. Chesterton wrote: ‘Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave.’”
Read the rest of the article here: “A Christian Revival Is Under Way in Britain.”
It would be WONDERFUL if revival is, in fact, underway. I'm open to that possibility, but am concerned the renewed interest may not be what the Lord is really looking for. Some of the things Brierley references (and other similar things I've read recently) indicate people are definitely hungry, but perhaps less for truth than for sensations, feelings, experiences. Don't people believe in the Book of Mormon ("After I read the Book of Mormon, I asked God if it was true, and He gave me a 'burning in the bosom.'") and a host of other false things, based on such subjective things? Saving faith comes from hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). Christians are "brought forth (born) by the word of truth" (Jas. 1:18). I am very glad New Atheism has lost its popularity, and that people are looking for something beyond the material, but I'll be more heartened when there is a heightened interest in the word of God. May it comes to pass!