Signs of Revival: Is the West Returning to Christianity?

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We’ve heard a prevailing narrative that Americans are drifting away from faith in general and Christianity more specifically. For a long time, we’ve seen interviews with celebrities who grew up in Christian homes but now consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Surveys make a big deal out of how many Americans consider themselves “nones.”

Europe and the rest of the West have seen a decline in religious faith even longer than we have. So much of what we used to call “Christendom” is irreligious, except for the infiltration of Muslims.

Earlier this year, I wrote about how we’re seeing signs of revival in the West. I quoted author and podcaster Justin Brierly, who cited the recent phenomenon of “cultural Christianity” — nonbelievers who understand the value of Christianity and its effect on Western Civilization — specifically looking at historian Tom Holland, who seems to be on a path toward belief.

Noted atheists like Russell Brand and Ayaan Hirsi Ali have become Christians, and other non-religious people like Richard Dawkins and the UK’s Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch publicly speak of the value of Christianity to the culture. Does that mean that the tide is changing?

Brierly thinks so. In an article he wrote last week in The Spectator, he cites the reaction to the reopening of Notre Dame in France as proof positive that Westerners are seeking faith.

“Ever since revolutionaries began decapitating priests and nuns in the 1790s, a precipitous decline in Catholic faith has been underway in the country,” he wrote. “The ‘Last Supper’ debacle of last summer’s Olympic opening ceremony only served to cement the country’s famously secular reputation.”

However, the resurrection of the famous cathedral might be the spark for a renewed faith among the French. As Brierly pointed out, God “enjoys surprising us.”

“An even more remarkable story seems to be unfolding within France’s Catholic church itself. Over 7,000 adults were baptised during the 2024 Easter vigil, a rise of 32 per cent on the previous year,” he wrote. “It was the largest intake of adult converts in France in living memory, and notably included many young people – over a third of the converts were aged 18-25. The trend looks set to continue into next year.”

Moreover, Church of England attendance has crept up 5% in 2024. That may not sound like a lot, but in light of the decline in church attendance in the UK over the past decade, it’s encouraging. That stat doesn’t take into account non-COE churches in Britain that are growing.

We’re seeing similarly encouraging signs in the U.S., including one unique trend. Even as the publishing world has seen flat sales in 2024, there’s been one notable exception. Bible sales are up 22% this year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ report quotes people who have turned to the Bible to relieve feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and hopelessness. Bible studies and paraphernalia that helps people study the scriptures are on the rise, too.

The WSJ notes that “Bible sales rose to 14.2 million in 2023 from 9.7 million in 2019, and hit 13.7 million in the first 10 months of this year. Readers are also stocking up on related titles that provide guidance, insights, and context—even sets of stickers to flag particularly meaningful passages.”

Believers can cling to God’s promise that His Word “shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11b, ESV). Hopefully, these new Bible readers will do more than just read but choose to find faith in Jesus as a result of their study.

We must pray for people to turn back to faith. This, of course, is something that Christians and Jews should be doing every day, and it’s even more poignant at Christmas and Hanukkah.

“As Chanukah approaches, Jews and Christians alike must absorb its true message. We must reject secularism and ideologies that pull us away from our beliefs,” writes Elie Mischel at Israel365News. “Like the Maccabees, we must stand fearlessly and publicly for our faith… The Maccabees fought not only for their faith but for the return of their misguided brothers and sisters. If they are ready to come home, we will welcome them with open arms.”

It may take a while to turn this nation back to God, but we should never give up. After all, like the father in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, God always stands ready to welcome the prodigals back home.

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