A recent comprehensive survey has revealed that young Brits are increasingly turning to spirituality and religion, with a higher propensity to believe in God than their older peers.
The study, which involved 10,000 participants, found that an impressive eight in ten of Gen Z (those born after 1996) identify as spiritual, while only one in ten consider themselves atheists.
This is in stark contrast to the 22 per cent of Boomers and 25 per cent of Gen X who profess no belief in a higher power. The ‘Belief in Britain’ report was compiled to highlight trends in belief in God.
The report suggests that an increasing number of young people are seeking answers from God in an ever-complicated world, with nearly one-third stating they believe in God to feel a connection to something larger than themselves.
Notably, Gen Z were more likely to believe that God explains the universe’s origins and to believe in life after death.
The report was commissioned by journalist and Sunday school teacher Christopher Gasson, coinciding with the launch of his book, The Devils’ Gospels: Finding God in Four Great Atheist Books.
Gasson was inspired to delve into this subject after observing that the teenagers in his Sunday school showed more interest in debating atheism than in traditional Bible stories.
“When you dig into it, you see that most atheism is not so much an attack on God, but an elegant criticism of the Church’s mistakes,” Gasson remarked. “We can learn from that, and in doing so get closer to God.”
Despite a surge in spirituality among Generation Z, many are still disenchanted with structured faiths. Two-thirds of adults, believe Christianity will lose followers over the next ten years—a point Gasson suggests should serve as an alarm for religious leaders.
A third of individuals believe that religious figures should engage more deeply with community initiatives and harness social media to reach younger demographics, as well as to participate in discussions surrounding science.
Gasson contends that the Church has overly focused on combating secularisation rather than rectifying its own failings.