Is Something Shifting in Our Secular Age?
Exploring the Rise of New Conversions: Generation Z's Renewed Search for Faith and the Church's Role in Spiritual Revival
In Amsterdam, there has been a growing interest in the Christian faith among young people, as reported by several news outlets. The Dutch National News Organization (NOS) noted that young people are increasingly drawn to Eastern Orthodoxy. Regularly, we hear about individuals from the New Age movement finding faith and liberation in Jesus. Several prominent conversion stories are also circulating in the TikTok world, such as Dutch influencers Glen Fontein and Zaar Goedemans, who openly share their newfound faith and joy in Jesus with their large followings. Interestingly, The Times, a British newspaper, published an extensive article in February about the reappropriation of Christian faith among Generation Z. Similar reports are emerging from Scandinavia, the United States, and Australia.
And what about DJ Sefa, a well-known figure in the hardstyle music scene, who has now created a podcast series with the Dutch Reformed Church (PKN) about his faith and life in the music world? Just last week, an article appeared in the media about the ‘significant’ rise in Bible sales in the Netherlands. Every day, about five people—mostly young people—buy their first Bible. Are these ‘signs’ indicating a turning point in our time? What is happening?
Philip and TikTok
One of the most beautiful episodes in the biblical gospel, in my view, is the exchange between Philip and Nathanael. At the start of his gospel, John tells of Nathanael, who dismisses Philip’s enthusiasm for Jesus with skepticism. We know very little about him—a young person living in a turbulent time who is suddenly seen by Jesus. Yet his skeptical question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) has been preserved. Apparently, it is possible to live in a time of crisis, to long for change and renewal, and yet, when a turning point presents itself, to shrug it off.
The digital world of social media has proven to be a surprising field of work for the Spirit, where people are unexpectedly drawn to Jesus. And honestly, I sometimes feel like Nathanael: “Can anything good come from TikTok?” At the same time, I see a horizon where a new search for and openness to the things above becomes more imaginable. The larger story of late modernity is grinding to a halt. Young people are increasingly getting stuck in the individual search for their authentic self, devoid of any guiding framework or support. What good are slogans like ‘Dare to dream’ and ‘You can be anything you want, as long as you believe in it,’ when you're struggling with the question of what makes life worthwhile?
Pressure on the Individual
What was once preached as freedom is now experienced by new generations as suffocating. Not only because future prospects have become bleak and dull due to ecological and geopolitical developments—though that’s certainly part of it—but also because the story of individual freedom offers no support to stay mentally afloat in a time when the pressure on the individual has grown so great. The sources of life fulfillment that have been pointed to (such as work, status, wealth) are disappointing or prove unattainable.
The increasing interest in supernatural support, spiritual direction, and connection is not only directed toward the Christian faith. Islam, New Age, and other spiritual movements also enjoy enormous interest. Think of ecstatic dancing, ayahuasca, and cacao ceremonies, for example.
Whether or not there is a turning point in our time, the big question is how church communities deal with this. Secularization, to use that term after all, has also not left Christians untouched. Not only do we notice how much our focus on God is being replaced by other things that demand our attention, but it also affects our view: Do we still expect a turning point? Can anything good come out of Nazareth? And if it does come, will we recognize it?
A Stagnant Time
Recognition requires a certain receptivity, space to be surprised, and the ability to move with it. Recently, I have often thought about Jonathan Edwards' essay, known as A Narrative of Surprising Conversions (1737).
In it, he describes how a renewed “seriousness” emerged among young people. They, too, lived in a time of stagnation in colonial North America, a place that once began with new hope and the promise of opportunities for everyone, regardless of rank or class. But in Edwards’ time, poverty, unemployment, social inequality, disease, and enormous unrest were part of daily life, partly due to conflicts with the indigenous people and the looming struggle with the French.
When you read Edwards' pessimistic cultural reflections, the promised land seems like an illusion. Yet, it was precisely among young people that a remarkable change began. In April 1734, after the sudden death of a young man in the prime of his life, the focus on the here and now turned into a deeper question about God.
Perhaps the question “Is there a turning point in time?” is not the most important after all. Given all the signals mentioned, perhaps it is more important for Christians to ask themselves whether they can offer a place for new believers. This is, in any case, what Edwards had set out to do even before the turning point occurred.
“If a turning point in time comes, will these new believers find churches that can embrace them and teach them the faith?”
Jurjen ten Brinke, who hosts the podcast De Leerlingen (‘The Students’) with which I am involved, spoke about TikTok influencer Glen Fontein. He came across Jesus through Instagram, bought a Bible—the Dutch Statenvertaling of 1637—and began his faith journey. A beautiful translation, but for someone entering the Christian faith ‘cold turkey,’ “it’s a bit hard to understand.” This example shows, on the one hand, the wondrous and surprising character of a first step of faith, but on the other hand, the vulnerability of a faith life without a supportive and formative community.
Purity Culture
The digital world of social media has proven to be a surprising field of work for the Spirit, where people are unexpectedly drawn to Jesus. At the same time, this world, as a faith community, is unstable and unbound, making young believers vulnerable to a strongly dualistic theology, purity culture, and moralism.
This leads to black-and-white thinking that focuses on sexual purity and a compulsion to meet the demands of a new Christian life. It makes sense, given the lack of any framework, except for the sharp contrasts of New Age, our performance culture, or the polemical zeitgeist.
Grace must be learned. And where does a newcomer start with their first Bible? How do you make sense of a text, let alone 66 books? As the Ethiopian in Acts asked, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31).
Desire for Peace
If a turning point in time comes, will these new believers find churches that can embrace them and teach them the faith? In the Gospel of John, Nathanael is more than a random individual. He represents a renewed Israel, an embodiment of faith, sincerity, and a desire for peace and security (Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10). He is a descendant of Jacob, without deceit.
A turning point in time calls for churches without hypocrisy and pretense, churches that have previously closed their doors to generations. It calls for communities where young people with their often disordered lives can land, and where they can find rest, space, and direction.
A Dutch version of this article was previously published by Nederlands Dagblad on Thursday, January 2, 2025. See here.
Very valuable thoughts on a very interesting development!