England, once a hub for the spread of Christianity, has seen a decline in religious belief due to secularism and materialism. However, there are signs of a resurgence in faith.
In this episode of The Stand Radio, I talked with Justin Brierly, a UK broadcaster, author, and host of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God podcast. Justin told me about the shifting attitudes toward Christianity he’s seen among the biggest names among the new atheists.
In my interview with him, he mentioned several reasons to back up his view that the era of the new atheists, dominated by figures like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, has come to an end.
First, the New Atheism was never able to give people satisfactory answers to the big questions of life. In addition, disagreements over issues such as social justice and political ideology led to its fragmentation. The professed conversion of famed atheist Ayan Hirsi Ali, who was once a staunch ally of Richard Dawkins, was one more signal of the disintegration of the New Atheism.
Christians understand that ideologies such as those in the New Atheism can never satisfy the human quest for love, meaning in life, and ultimate truth. As Justin pointed out to me, the church must now focus on addressing the spiritual questions that resonate with younger generations.
Is there a true spiritual revival based on faith in Jesus Christ in the works in the UK? Only time will tell. In the meantime, I hope you’ll take a few moments to listen to my fascinating conversation with Justin Brierley on The Stand Radio. I think it will encourage you to pray that God will free those trapped in the hopelessness of atheism and move them to embrace Christ through biblical repentance and faith.
Click HERE to listen to the podcast on AFR or click below for YouTube.
