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Helen Coffey’s report on the surge in Bible reading among young people sparked a wide-ranging response from Independent readers.
Many suggested that Gen Z’s interest in Christianity is part of a broader search for meaning amid uncertainty, with factors such as climate change, economic pressures, social isolation, and global conflict leaving young people anxious about the future.
Commenters observed that while some may approach the Bible aesthetically or performatively, many genuinely seek spiritual understanding, personal growth, and ethical guidance.
Several readers expressed concern over the co-opting of religion by political extremists, particularly the far right, warning that performative religiosity or Christian nationalism can distort authentic faith.
Others emphasised that true engagement with Christianity requires introspection and personal effort, and that religious communities can provide social cohesion and support without being exploitative.
Here’s what you had to say:
There’s a battle for what it means to be Christian
Great article, Independent. Not surprising young people are looking for something considering the state of the world at the moment, and if the local church community can be a source of tolerant, moderate views to counter all this far-right internet nonsense, maybe it can be a good influence. There's a battle for what it means to be Christian at the moment. I'm not, but coming from a religious family, these warped “Christian values” we're importing from America are utterly toxic.
Spirituality in general goes in and out of fashion
It really shouldn't be such a surprise. The Bible is tied to one of the world's major religions. Spirituality in general goes in and out of fashion over the years. Neopaganism had an upsurge in the 90s, then in the 2000s the pendulum swung the other way, and New Atheism was all the rage. If I had a fiver for every Dickie Dawkins fanboy who made atheism their personality for a while when ‘The God Delusion’ was fashionable at dinner parties...
Maybe it's a revival – they happen every so often. I certainly hope something rises up to challenge the horrendous attempt by the far right to claim Christianity as theirs again.
It's also possible there's been a revival in classical literature, and many of these young people have realised that, to truly understand a lot of that, you need to have a working knowledge of the Bible. As a law academic, there are often concepts baked into English law which rely upon culturally Christian assumptions, making a working knowledge of specific Biblical teachings necessary to comprehend those – Lord Atkin's Neighbour Principle being just one.
Political extremists are exploiting religion
Political extremists are exploiting religion for their own ends. Trump won many votes this way, though he was never a church-goer, a reader of the Bible, nor an exponent of Christian ethics, particularly in his treatment of women, the poor and minorities generally.
Fashions come and fashions go; today it's the Bible (though probably remaining unread) and tomorrow a new fad.
A lost generation
I am not surprised. We have messed this world up and the usual plan of ‘go to school, get a job, get a spouse, buy a house, have a family’ seems, for many, an unachievable or unwanted notion, leaving them searching for a purpose. Add in the environmental impacts, both social and physical, such as climate change and social media, and we are seeing a lost generation switched off by insane capitalism, loneliness and extremism.
We are a social species who seek each other out on many levels, and our world is becoming isolationist on a personal level and on a country level. Maybe religion can serve a purpose to bind the social fabric back together again. As an atheist, I won't hold my breath, as religion has been used as a means of control and division since time began and has not served us well. I just hope they find what they are looking for.
In negative times people search for meaning
Feels like two main things. First: American culture is taking over.
Second: these things ebb and flow. In positive times people get more left-wing and less religious. In negative times people get more right-wing and feel a need to search for meaning.
You don’t need to be religious to read the bible
You don't have to have a strong religious faith to read the Bible. It is considered a work of literature in its own right, especially the King James version.
Regarding atheism versus devotion, I've long felt these are two sides of the same coin. Dawkins's atheism comes across as fundamentalist as the most pious believer.
Decent Christians are worried
The recent outbreak of Christian nationalism promoted by the far right, with the encouragement and doubtless funding of US conservative evangelists pushing their own agenda on topics like abortion, “other” faiths and LGBT people, is not going to do much to win any sincere converts either.
Decent Christians are worried about what is happening to their brand and are saying not in my name.
Spiritual satisfaction cannot be outsourced
It is not surprising that in this decadent age of gross materialism the young seek spiritual satisfaction. Unfortunately, organised religions can at best provide some commendable values and the comfort of numbers. They are all competing with each other to sell their own brand of God as if one size fits all, and it doesn’t.
Those who truly want spiritual enlightenment must work on learning to know themselves, warts and all; if they work hard enough and long enough, they will eventually find the God of their understanding, which is not transferable.
More truth in Orwell
I've been an atheist since my teens, ever since I realised this loving, benign, omnipotent God was totally powerless, allowed all manner of horrors to take place, and that religious people seemed to be ‘mean’, especially to females. This alleged resurgence makes no sense. There's more truth in Orwell.
The atheist case has simply collapsed
There’s another reason for the revival of interest in religion, in my opinion. It’s the collapse of the arguments put forward for atheism by the likes of Hitchens and Dawkins. These have been comprehensively refuted and atheists are unable to put forward any convincing newer arguments for their atheism. Indeed, one almost never sees any positive arguments presented for atheism here. The atheist case has simply collapsed.
Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.
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