While there is talk of a renewed spiritual openness in society, it is not just the Christian faith people are exploring. A new guide is encouraging Christians to Biblically engage with the growing world of so-called new age spirituality, of crystals, tarot cards and ‘WitchTok’.
The Evangelical Alliance has released its free resource, explaining alternative spirituality and offering practical ways to help share faith with the spiritually curious.
Part of its Being Human initiative, the guide unpacks its influence on popular culture and provides a Biblical response.
Katherine Brown, who co-leads the initiative, told Premier Christian News that she hopes the guide can equip Christians who “can get fearful of sharing our faith with people who are exploring practices that are dark and a bit scary”, to see an opportunity to help people find meaning in Christ.
It comes as there is a growing witchcraft community on TikTok, dubbed ‘WitchTok’. Videos teaching users how to cast their own spells, do rituals and create potions reaching millions of views.
An Evangelical Alliance survey of Christians aged under 35, 60% of women said they had been shown this alternative spirituality content without searching for it.
Brown told Premier young Christians found themselves in conversations with friends who compared prayer to manifesting, a practice of repetitively thinking or speaking aloud intentions as a way to bring about desired outcomes and show that someone is in control of their destiny.
She said: “You can see how this is a counterfeit version of prayer, because manifesting is all about my wants, my desires, my will, and doing enough to make that happen, and somehow the universe bends to your will and your ways and what you desire. Whereas prayer for a Christian is coming in line with God’s way and his will; saying, ‘Lord, I desire this for my life, but actually change my desires if it's not right. It’s your kingdom come, your will be done.’”
“The cravings of this generation are met by this spirituality, but it’s counterfeit. It will never satisfy. We have a real opportunity as Christians to point them to the one who will.
The guide also explores tarot card reading, psychedelics and crystals; sharing personal testimonies of those who have left these practices and turned to Christ.
It suggests that Christians can respond to people with these backgrounds by getting to know their motivations and longing behind the practices, welcoming them into community, and commit to praying.