Young men in Finland have found meaning in their lives through Christianity, according to a new study.
The research also revealed that the growing interest in Christianity can’t be explained by a single factor; instead, the phenomenon is linked to a wider search for meaning, community, and identity.
These findings come from the work of Professor of Practical Theology Kati Tervo-Niemelä at the University of Eastern Finland and University Lecturer of Practical Theology Pietari Hannikainen at the University of Helsinki.
The researchers interviewed 30 men, aged between 16 and 30, from diverse religious and non-religious backgrounds who were interested in Christianity.
The aim was to examine the aspects of the faith that appealed most to young Finnish men.
According to the participants, models of manhood are often polarised: they are either overly masculine or vague and weak. Christianity, therefore, is seen as offering a model of manhood that is decent, ordinary, and balanced.
Published in Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, the research showed that young men see Christianity as a counterculture to society that was perceived as superficial, fragmented, and individualistic.
Tervo-Niemelä said: "The young people among whom this change is visible are the same ones whose formative years have coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, and numerous other major incidents that are generating uncertainty within society.”
“According to several studies, such crises have the strongest impact precisely on young people and young adults," she added.