Melanie Cave speaks with Justin Brierley about the surprising shift from New Atheism to renewed openness toward Christianity. Justin shares how his own faith journey began in a churchgoing family and became personal as a teenager, before intellectual questions at Oxford and years in broadcasting led him deeper into Christian apologetics. Together, they explore why the culture has changed, why thinkers like Tom Holland and Jordan Peterson have helped reopen the God question, and why many people now seem less interested in arguments alone and more drawn to meaning, identity, and belonging. The conversation also looks at Gen Z’s spiritual openness, the limits of cultural Christianity without Christ at the center, and how churches can respond with confidence, imagination, and real community.
Key words
New Atheism, Christianity, Gen Z, faith, evangelism, culture, identity, meaning, belonging, church community Key topics Justin’s journey from church background to personal faith The rise and decline of New Atheism Why Christianity is gaining credibility again Cultural Christianity vs real discipleship Gen Z, identity, and spiritual hunger Why churches should lead with imagination and community
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:32 Justin’s faith journey
04:02 Why New Atheism faded
09:33 Christianity’s renewed appeal
14:32 Cultural Christianity vs real faith
17:35 Why Christianity should be desirable
23:15 Why Gen Z is more open
26:03 Identity and social media pressure
30:45 How churches should respond
33:39 Keep Christianity weird
38:29 Church as real community
45:07 Belonging before believing
Show notes
Justin's article in the Roots Reimaginging Evanglism series
https://justinbrierley.com/
www.rootsforchurches.com
