The SkyePod: Justin Brierley

Date: August 22, 2025
Host: Skye Jethani
Guest: Justin Brierley
Main Theme: Is there real evidence of a "revival" of Christian faith among Gen Z, particularly in the UK and Europe? A deep dive into surprising trends, statistics, and cultural shifts in religious belief, with reflections on Justin’s recent book and podcast documenting these changes.

Episode Overview

Skye Jethani welcomes media personality and author Justin Brierley back to discuss the intriguing religious dynamics among younger generations in the UK and Europe. Drawing from Justin's recent projects ("The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God" book, podcast, and the "Re-Enchanting Podcast"), they probe emerging research and anecdotes reflecting an unexpected resurgence of faith, particularly among Gen Z men. The conversation critically examines the data, generational reactions to secular upbringing, the allure of "weird" Christianity, and the complexities behind these trends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Justin’s Latest Work and the UK’s Evolving Religious Landscape

• Justin discusses his transition from the "Unbelievable?" podcast to his new focus:
  • The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God (book and podcast)
  • [02:12] “The book … was a snapshot of what was happening at that moment. But then things have actually progressed quite quickly in the last two years.” — Justin
  • Emphasis on capturing real-time shifts through documentary podcasting
  • Plans for new conversation-based shows connecting Christians and non-Christians

2. Contrasting Trends: US vs UK Revival Narratives

• Skye references recent US data (via Ryan Burge) indicating no hard evidence of revival among young Americans, despite media stories.

  • [03:00] “Based on the data, [Ryan] essentially said there may be something happening anecdotally, but it’s not yet appearing in the numbers.” — Skye

• Skye asks if the UK and broader Europe show different patterns.

  • Justin confirms emerging UK trends suggest real change, contrasting past narratives of church decline.

3. Data & Research: "The Quiet Revival" and Surprising Gen Z Interest

• Cites the Bible Society’s large-scale UK research ("Quiet Revival" report):
  • [10:56] “That’s a quadrupling, you know, in six years, which is really strange now ... even more stark among young men … now 21%.” — Justin
  • 18–24-year-olds church attendance: 4% (2018) → 16% (2024)
  • Young men: <4% (2018) → 21% (2024), a more than five-fold increase
• Surge in Bible sales and Scripture engagement by Gen Z
  • [11:41] “Young people 18 to 34 … are far more likely in the UK to read their Bibles than Gen Xers or Boomers.” — Skye
• Justin’s anecdote: Gen Z’s openness in faith expressions, group Bible studies among teens, “wearing their faith on their sleeve”

4. Shapes and Spaces of Revival—"Keep Christianity Weird"

• Growth found in unexpected places:
  • Traditional, liturgical churches (Catholic, Anglo-Catholic, Eastern Orthodox) attracting young men
    • [15:10] “There is a real interest in the weirdness of Christianity. … They’re looking for a different story, something out of the ordinary.” — Justin
  • Pentecostal/charismatic churches also thriving due to supernatural emphasis
  • Stagnation or decline in the "mushy middle"—churches trying too hard for cultural relevance

5. Generational Rebellion & the "Meaning Crisis"

• Explores whether the trend is a generational swing back from secular upbringing
  • [18:44] “Atheism was the default, which made atheism boring. … Becoming religious, exploring spirituality is the new cool.” — Justin (relating a Gen Z perspective)
• Justin emphasizes deeper existential factors:
  • Dislocation and “meaning crisis” are propelling spiritual seeking
    • “It’s a spiritual hunger almost and thirst for a better story is actually driving a lot of these young people to try out Christianity again.”

6. Acknowledging Pushback & Research Limitations

• Some statisticians and secular organizations (e.g., David Voas) question the polling methods and data validity
  • Concern that spikes in survey data aren’t reflected in official church attendance records
  • [21:40] “Not everyone’s satisfied there’s a kind of Gen Z revival underway … further research [is needed] to confirm or contradict.” — Justin
• Both sides prone to confirmation bias—Justin cautions against accepting only data that matches our hopes or worldviews

7. The Endurance of Religion in Human History

• Skye remarks on the resilience of religion through history

  • [26:05] “It’s a really hard thing to get rid of. … I think it’s a little bit short-sighted to think that [the decline of religion] is the trajectory.” — Skye

• Justin adds: Religion’s longing re-emerges in secular or political movements when suppressed

  • [26:16] “Even when New Atheism did its best to stamp out the religious instinct, it just pops up in a different form …” — Justin

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [00:47] Humorous banter on British accents:
  “My American friends always tell me it adds at least 10 or 20%, you know, IQ points automatically ...” — Justin
  “There’s something about a UK accent that makes Americans want to submit. … Latent guilt over the revolution.” — Skye

• [09:05] On new data:
  “I was still surprised at the numbers because this is such a big change.” — Justin

• [16:54] On churches missing out:
  “It’s kind of what I’ve called the mushy middle. … They’re not really offering anything that feels that different to what’s already on offer in the culture.” — Justin

• [18:44] On generational reaction:
  “All of me and all of my friends were raised in a completely secular culture. Atheism was the default, which made atheism boring. … Becoming religious, exploring spirituality is kind of the new cool.” — Justin

• [23:34] On confirmation bias:
  “We’ve all got our own forms of confirmation bias, haven’t we? So we’re all in the same boat in that way.” — Justin

• [26:16] Religion’s persistence:
  “Even when new Atheism did its best to stamp out the religious instinct, it just pops up in a different form, basically. ... We’ll put something in the God-shaped hole, basically.” — Justin

Important Timestamps

• 02:12 — Justin describes real-time developments since his book’s publication
• 04:27–09:00 — Emergence of new data supporting increased faith activity among UK Gen Z
• 10:56 — Major increase in young adult church attendance; breakdown of polling results
• 11:41–13:46 — Young people’s Bible engagement outpacing older generations
• 14:42–16:54 — Liturgical and charismatic churches attracting young people; decline in “culturally relevant” models
• 18:44 — Explaining Gen Z revival as generational reaction and meaning-seeking
• 21:40–23:34 — Limitations of research, confirmation bias, and statistical debate
• 26:05–26:29 — Endurance of religion and resurgence in secular contexts

Summary

This lively and nuanced conversation centers on the surprising resurgence of religious interest among Gen Z in the UK—a trend reflected in new large-scale data, church attendance, Bible sales, and anecdotal stories. The episode explores multiple explanations: cultural rebellion, spiritual hunger in a context of meaninglessness, the particular draw of "weird" liturgical traditions, and the limits of polling methods. Both Skye and Justin stress caution about confirmation bias, recognizing that data alone doesn’t capture the rich, complicated ways people are re-engaging (or not) with faith. The discussion ends on an open note, suggesting ongoing research and debates will continue to shape our understanding of whether this is a fleeting anomaly or the start of a broader transformation.