New research paints a mixed picture of the ‘Quiet Revival’ among young people in the UK.

While one survey finds that evangelicals are more assured in sharing their faith, they are likely to encounter friends who think Jesus is a “problematic” figure, according to another study. 

It comes after a report by the Bible Society last year showed church attendance was growing across the country, with people having a greater openness to faith.

Confidence to share faith spikes

More than half of evangelical Christians believed their confidence had grown since the Bible Society’s report, according to communications agency Jersey Road.

This number rose to 68 per cent among 18-24 year olds and 84 per cent among 25-34 year olds, in the study of 2,000 British evangelicals. 

Nearly four in five black British evangelicals felt more confident, compared with two in five white British evangelicals. 

Gareth Russell, chief executive of Jersey Road, told Premier Christian News that the data backs up a lot of anecdotal evidence about the Quiet Revival. 

Young people “have seen these influential voices speaking about their faith, not in a diluted way, but in a very explicit way,” Russell said, “that’s given them confidence".

Footballers like Bukayo Saka and Jeremy Doku, and rapper Stormzy, were examples he gave of stars proclaiming the gospel.

“They’re seeing, as the quiet revival is spoken about, they’re seeing this openness amongst their friendship groups, that it's not something they're trying to convince people of. They're just trying to tell their story of what Jesus has done in their life, and therefore it's a more natural part of the conversation,” Russell added.

Teens accuse Jesus of 'mansplaining'

While younger people may be more eager in sharing their faith, their friends may have radically different reactions to reading Bible stories than might have traditionally been expected.

Teenagers are reading Biblical texts through modern cultural biases around power, according to the Youthscape Centre for Research. Their report “urges 'Quiet Revival' caution around Bible engagement".

Bible studies with a group of unchurched teens saw discussions of Jesus’ approach to the lone ‘woman at the well’ in John’s Gospel as being intrusive and suspicious, not as someone with compassion for the marginalised.  

Some accused Jesus of “mansplaining”. 

Researchers also heard how some teens were worried that Jesus had pressured Peter into changing his name and identity, as part of a study titled ‘Troubling Jesus’.

Rachel Gardner, Youthscape director of partnerships, told Premier that the research did not show teenagers rejecting Jesus, but instead spotting other characters first and identifying with them before understanding Jesus’ message. 

She said: “It was really helpful to pause and to think: if young people are bringing that lens to Scripture, a lens where they see power differently, they understand how power works, and people can be excluded, then how do we help them understand the context and understand what Jesus is really doing?”

With more young people “more open to spirituality”, Gardner believes Youthscape’s findings “helps us understand what openness looks like, and what it will require of us to be faithful witnesses to Christ".

“It reminds us that we can't make assumptions. We can't assume that young people understand these stories, or have read these before, we can't assume that they don't bring their own cultural lens to Scripture," she added. 

“Although the headlines might feel quite terrifying, I think this is a chance for us as a church to pause, to listen, to reflect deeply, and to renew our commitment to helping emerging generations meet Christ for the first time." 

Youthscape are releasing a suite of resources to help young people read and understand the Bible for the first time, accompanied by a podcast series co-hosted by Gardner.

Enabling young people to have 'good conversations'

These two realities can be held together, according to Oak Hill Theological College lecturer Dr Robin Barfield, with more young people being open to faith conversations while having no preconceptions of Jesus.

“We have reached a post-Christian point where young people are growing up with no preconceptions about Jesus. I grew up thinking that Jesus was a good moral teacher, because that's what I was taught at school,” he told Premier.

“Now, if you're coming without that baggage, then the Jesus you're presented with in Scripture is troubling. He does challenge the culture that you've grown up in, and therefore that's not a bad thing. I hope that this enables young people to have good conversations around it.”

He suggested that youth leaders should be listening to their Christian young people to understand what Bible stories resonate with them most, given Youthscape’s selection of passages in which leaders thought the gospel message was clearest, and ask them about the resources they would need to share passages with friends.