The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again

by Justin Brierley, N.T. Wright (Foreword)

Could We Be Witnessing a Return of Belief in Our Generation?

Justin Brierley is convinced that in our time we are witnessing a growing wave of faith.

Famously described as the “long, withdrawing roar” of the “Sea of Faith,” the Christian narrative that shaped the West has been replaced by sweeping secularism. But is that the end of the story?

It was a conversation with agnostic journalist Douglas Murray that led Brierley to investigate whether a change was on the horizon. Speaking of the “Sea of Faith,” Murray remarked that tides come back in again and that a number of his intelligent friends had converted to Christianity in recent years. Brierley was seeing a similar trend among the secular thinkers he had interviewed. Jordan Peterson, Tom Holland, Dave Rubin, and many others have found themselves surprised by the continuing resonance and relevance of Christianity, and they are joining in on conversations about faith.

Readers will encounter Brierley’s discussion of cultural trends and concepts, meaning crisisPublic intellectuals embracing faithWhy the Christianity story is ready to returnAnd much more!In The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God, Brierley outlines the dramatic fall of New Atheism and the birth of a new conversation on whether God makes sense of science, history, culture, and the search for meaning. People are returning to Christianity—but is the church prepared to welcome a new wave of faith?

There’s a new conversation building. The tide is coming.

Genres: Religion, Christian, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction, Faith, Philosophy

259 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Tim Casteel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising Rebirth is 100% right about the rushing-in tide of interest in Christianity.

As I write this in Spring 2024, it seems that every major wisdom podcaster is having a spiritual/Christian moment. I work with university students and on our campus we’re seeing hundreds of students begin to follow Christ.
And Brierley was WAY ahead of the game- he saw all of this coming with his podcast/book last fall (though Mark Sayers predicted this in Reappearing Church way back in 2019 when things were REALLY dark).

I feel like this book is trying to kill two birds with one stone:
1. Tracing the rebirth of faith in God in the new millennium (5 stars!)
2. An apologetics book (3 stars! But mostly because I don’t like apologetics books- Though I did enjoy his overview of materialism and determinism. Those two seem to be KEY ideas to Harari, et al. And I’ve found them RATHER hard to explain to others).

Would have preferred that he had just stuck with bird number one: Surprising Rebirth is a tremendously helpful (and very encouraging) overview of what’s happened spiritually in the last 25 years. The podcast is a little more helpful than the book in this regard. Felt like a more cohesive overview.

My favorite part: his podcast/book brought together all my favorite secular thinkers: John Vervaeke, Yuval Harari, Tom Holland, Douglas Murray, Jordan Peterson, and Jonathan Haidt.

His best insight is not actually in the book (but Brierley says it in the podcast): those outside the church seem to be identifying the problem/solution better than those inside. Over the last decade of reading I've noticed that I gravitate mostly toward secular books.
Those asking the best spiritual questions right now are non Christians. Many secular thinkers seem to be seeking truth more than Christian authors.

Several have asked: Is it worth reading the book if you’ve listened to the podcast?
I’d say yes. But mostly because I’m a firm believer in repetition as THE key to learning and transformation.
I didn’t listen to his whole podcast but what I heard I loved and found tremendously helpful.
I’m pretty OCD with wanting to copy and paste to capture ideas in Evernote. So that was my main motivation for getting the book instead of just listening to the podcast.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I think it spends more time explaining why it is reasonable to believe in Christianity and be a public intellectual rather than showing that current public intellectuals are reconsidering their beliefs in Christianity. Eventually it does get to some names.

This review is helpful:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

While it is a good intro, this book repeats much information that's already been better explained in other books, such as:
--I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist
--The Case for Christ
--The Rise of Christianity

This book references other books like:
--The God Delusion
--The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting up a Generation for Failure
--12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

[John Martindale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this book was excellent. Brierley reveals the rise and fall of the new atheist, pointing out it was largely the rise of woke that brought the downfall of the movement. Interestingly, the intolerant and illiberal identity politics resulted in numerous intellectuals on the progressive left (some of whom were among the new atheist in their heyday) beginning to see the utility of Christianity, and finding a common cause with them. This all is quite interesting and something I've witnessed myself.

Brierley brings up folks like Jordan Peterson who are evasive when people try to pin them down on whether the creed is factually true, rather than merely metaphorically true. Numerous intellectuals who are now sympathetic to the Christian worldview, will not take the next step and declare it rooted in reality. Brierley asks "What if Christianity is so useful because it is true? Justin worries that the mere affirmation that Christianity works and its worldview is healthy, is not sufficient. Peterson, for example, needs to move from a commitment to living as if Christianity is true--to a bold and unashamed declaration that it is true.

I understand Brierley's concern. I think if people are lucky enough to believe and be confident of the factual reality that underlies their faith, so much the better for them. However, I also don't think this belief is something we have much control over, and I think it is perfectly fine and understandable that people like Peterson cannot make this step to a confident declaration.

Let me explain, there is a book titled "Faith seeking Belief" which is full of technical logic jargon, but makes some excellent points. Among them is that belief is something that HAPPENS to us. We can indeed will to believe something, but we cannot simply, by the act of the will, believe something. Religious belief most easily comes to younger people, who can simply believe things are true, because of TRUST in authorities. However, once that simple child-like trust is shattered (upon learning the bible isn't inerrant and the church isn't infallible, for example), then those things that are beyond our experience and that are not testable, no longer can be believed like they once were believed. They instead move into the realm of "maybe", "possibly", "highly probable", "not at all" and "unlikely". Once in this place, we can have faith--that is we can live as if it is true (if it seems possible).

For example, having looked at the argument for the resurrection, Dale Allison points out how the argument is not conclusive on either side--one can reasonably affirm the resurrection of Jesus, but based on the evidence, one could also reasonably believe the disciples had visions of the risen lord (like multitudes of people have visions of the departed today) and their belief system and apocalyptic hopes made it spring to life. But what he does not have is absolute certainty in one or the other. I think that Allison, as a historian, can only say maybe or likely, and yet as a Christian, he is going to have faith and live as if Jesus was raised from the dead.

For a lot of intellectuals or people who have experienced deconstruction and experienced their youthful certainties shatter, faith-seeking belief is the BEST they can do. Seeing Christianity is useful and elements of the worldview seem wholesome and aligned with reality, is enough to say it MIGHT be true, but there is simply no way, by the act of the will, to make it seem FACT. This may happen to some people, but for most of us who have been disillusioned, there is no longer an infallible authority that we can trust giving us fully formed categorical TRUTH claims from which we make deductions. Rather it is all messy inductive reasoning. It would be nice if belief happened to us again, it would be wonderful to KNOW, like we knew when we were young, but that spell has been broken, we cannot crawl back into the womb and be born again, we cannot regain that childlike trust that could swallow anything.

[Martin Augestad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hvis man ser etter en bok som tar temperaturen på samtiden vil denne være en av de første jeg anbefaler. Justin Brierley bruker ny-ateismens vekst og fall som innfallsvinkel til å drøfte hvordan kristen tro gir en bedre historie enn andre historier, spesielt i forhold til naturalismen. Tydelig at han har snakket med mange mennesker med forskjellige perspektiver gjennom podcasten sin Unbelievable, og han referer til både en rekke forskjellige tenkere, og vanlige menneskers vitnesbyrd gjennom boken.

Hørte podcasten hans i fjor og tenkte at jeg ikke trengte å lese boken i tillegg. Men boken var faktisk lettere å pløye igjennom enn podcasten, som inkluderer mye mer materiale og ekstra intervjuer.

[Fiona Altschuler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so fascinating and I loved the conversion stories!!

[chloë womble barr · Rating 3 out of 5]

TLDR: people want to believe in something

this book was good but not outstanding. i felt the first part (detailing the rise and fall of popular atheism) was the strongest. i learned a lot there. the middle part, where he goes into apologetics, was okay but not really anything new to me. and the last part (where he proves that society is swinging back toward Christianity) was alright, i just couldn’t help but think that maybe a return to “spirituality” would be more accurate (from what i’ve seen).

i think his arguments for Christianity giving people a story to align themselves with / to interpret their life through are very accurate and encouraging. life feels unstable when you’re bombarded with information all the time, and a worldview provides a sturdy foundation.

[Knut Kåre · Rating 5 out of 5]

De fleste bøker som analyserer tidsånden som gjennomsyrer vår tid er ganske mørke og får en til å sitte igjen med en følelse av at verden går til hundene. Det gjør den kanskje også, men midt i alt dette har kristendommen en helt annen historie å fortelle. Brierley trekker ut det beste fra mange års samtaler med både kristne og ikke-troende og viser hvordan Bibelens historie og Bibelens virkelighetsforståelse gir framtid og håp - også for en tid og en kirke som synes å stå i knestående.

Det kan stinke i fjæra, men tidevannet er i ferd med å snu. Vi har grunn til å håpe og tro at vannet er i ferd med å vende tilbake. Etter å ha lest denne boka sitter jeg oppmuntret i godstolen og takker Gud for at han ikke har glemt oss.

[Katie Senthil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think my IQ jumps a few points every time I hear Justin Brierley say anything.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might get around to writing a review of my own, or more likely, just a blurb. But in the meantime, here’s a great substitute review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chris Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It remains to be seen whether or not the tide of Christian faith will flow in again in the West, but what is not in doubt is the value and quality of the contribution that Justin Brierley has made to understanding the importance of Christianity to contemporary Western culture. As Tom Holland and others have shown, the West has been indelibly shaped by Christianity - what Brierley adds is the observation that Western cultural assumptions and values become increasingly incoherent in the absence of Christianity. This means that Christianity has a credibility and relevance in the West that would have been almost inconceivable only a couple of decades ago. The crux of his argument is that “people need a story to live by, but the stories we have been telling ourselves in the last several decades have been growing increasingly thin and superficial.”

Brierley begins by reflecting on the legacy of the New Atheist movement of the early 2000s. While the influence of Christianity has slowly ebbed in the West, New Atheism was more like a firework, blazing into the sky and burning out almost as quickly. Coming to prominence in the wake of 9/11, “New Atheism had been largely united in agreeing that religion was bad and science was good. But it turns out that life is more complicated than that…What at first sounded like a principled stand against religious dogmatism and privilege had begun to sound like a form of dogmatism itself.” And it turns out that this may not have been all that bad for the life of the church, as Brierley comments that “New Atheism arrived with a whole bunch of awkward questions about science, history, and religious belief - questions the church had not had to think about for a long time. But now, with the four horsemen at their heels, the church was forced to put down its tambourines and guitars and pick up its history and philosophy books again. In short, New Atheism gave the Christian church a kick up the backside that it desperately needed. Arguably, the last two decades have seen the greatest revival of Christian intellectual confidence in living memory as the church has risen to the challenge.”

Next, he moves to consider the meaning crisis, a phrase coined by the psychologist John Vervaeke to describe the loss of the religious worldview that came with the Enlightenment and the rise of secularism. But, as Brierley points out, Christianity didn’t simply supply us with meaning: “As well as giving us a story to live by, there is another concept which the Christian worldview gifted the modern world: objective truth. It placed this idea at the centre of culture. Good and evil, truth and falsehood, beauty, virtue, and purpose were real things that formed part of the fabric of reality. These were concrete facts about existence, not mere opinions. Such pivotal concepts are what the modern age of science, reason, and moral progress was founded on.” Combined with the loss of a basis for objective truth, the effect of the meaning crisis on our sense of identity has been devastating: “we are the first generation at liberty to invent our own meaning, define our own identity, and create our own story…a “be whoever you want to be” culture is in ascendancy as people search for a “true” inner identity - their ‘authentic self.’” The pressure imposed by such a culture of self-made meaning is intolerable, leading to an epidemic of unhappiness in the midst of a level of material prosperity that previous generations could scarcely have even imagined. As Brierley explains: “we are innately meaning-seeking creatures. Indeed, I would argue that we are innately religious. And if one set of religious beliefs is taken away, it will only be replaced by another set of quasi-religious beliefs…In a world which no longer provides any road map to follow and where the choices for self-actualization are potentially endless, we may frequently find ourselves driving down dead-end streets or simply immobilized by the myriad options on offer.” This analysis has a great explanatory power, laying bare the root of the phenomenon that Don Carson observed in his book, The Intolerance of Tolerance, as the meaning crisis has led to truth and identity being malleable concepts, capable of being moulded to the shifting needs of the prevailing cultural narrative. While New Atheism failed to recognise the degree to which “their vision of the good life is a product of the Christian culture that preceded them,” all of us in the West should be concerned about the potential for the cultural fruit of Christianity to increasingly wither and die in the absence of the root of Christian belief: “we should be grateful for all that the Judeo-Christian heritage has gifted the West - human rights, democracy, and freedom of speech among them. However…these are rare fruits, uniquely cultivated in the soil of our specific Judeo-Christian heritage. How much longer will those concepts endure if the Christian identity of the West continues to wane and, in its place, multiple competing stories of identity and meaning continue to spring up?”

In the next two chapters, Brierley explores the extent to which modern Western values have been shaped by Christianity and the rediscovery of the unparalleled ability of the Bible to express and explain the full breadth and depth of human experience. Regarding the former, he primarily draws on Tom Holland’s writing to show just how odd, form a historical perspective, are our beliefs in human dignity, equality, and our duty to protect the weakest in society: “To Holland, believing in the existence of human rights…is just as much an article of faith as belief in miracles, the existence of angels, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Finding himself unable to imagine a world without the former has led to an openness to a world that includes the latter.” Indeed Holland has pointed to this inherent weirdness as a feature, not a bug, in Christianity and as something Christians should be unashamed to lean into: “If the church is willing to risk being weird once more and to unapologetically tell its story of the God who became human, lived an exemplary life, suffered crucifixion, and was raised to life again, a new generation may yet find meaning in the midst of the rubble.” On the latter point Brierley turns to Jonathan Haidt, who described the Bible as ‘among the richest repositories of psychological wisdom ever assembled,’ as well as Jordan Petersen and Douglas Murray, commenting that all three “approach the Bible as secular intellectuals with a growing admiration for its foundational contribution to our shared culture and human experience.” As Brierley points out, acknowledging the Bible as an unequaled source of inspiration for human well-being and moral development is one thing, but recognising it as the very words of the living God is another: “despite being the end product of many different authors writing in times and places very different to each other and our own, it still tells a historically coherent and thematically unified story. Perhaps even more remarkably, it has been able to unfailingly communicate the meaning and wisdom of that story to multiple generations in diverse parts of the world. Whole swaths of people whose lives have been soaked in the words of the Bible have consequently been able to locate themselves and their purpose within a grand narrative of what it means to be human. This is the miracle of Scripture…it has spoken, and continues to speak, to every generation, place, and time it encounters. In doing so, its message has transformed individuals, nations, and empires…The Bible is certainly a great source of ancient wisdom. It is also undoubtedly the distillation of thousands of years of myth and meaning into one captivating narrative…in its pages we find supreme psychological examples of sacrifice, heroism, and love that have been a source of inspiration to millions. But what if, in the words of C. S. Lewis, in its central character, ‘the great myth became Fact’?”

In the next couple of chapters, Brierley takes a closer look at materialism and whether it really stacks up as a compelling and coherent explanation of reality, and our place in it. Regarding the naturalistic materialism of the New Atheists, he comes out all guns blazing: “To claim that every kind of question must be answered with physical scientific explanations is to assert a naturalism of the gaps as fallacious as any ‘God of the gaps’ argument. When the New Atheists close ranks against heretics like Nagel and Flew who question their materialist orthodoxy, they aren’t doing so on the basis of science or reason. They are already committed to an a priori naturalism that has excluded God as an explanation. Blind faith comes in many forms.” Next, he delves deeper into questions of meaning. Our experiences, whether of love, joy, despair, or simply the smell of freshly brewed coffee, “are qualitatively different to the physical brain processes that accompany them. While our conscious experiences are clearly connected to brain activity, they are also clearly not the same thing as the brain activity itself…All these phenomena can be given a level of explanation that involves the firing of neurons in our brain, but we also know that such a reductive explanation falls far short of the meaning these experiences actually involve.” He pushes back hard against the naturalistic determinism that is required once we adopt an atheist-materialist view of reality: “This doctrine of ‘determinism’ is the twin sister of materialism. In short, it states that every single physical event - from the orbits of the planets to the movements of electrons in our brains - follows predictable laws of cause and effect. Therefore, the way that everything in the universe is now is a direct result of the way it was when it first began…While the philosophical questions around consciousness may seem complex, the actual experience of it is not. That we are conscious beings is one of the most obvious things we can ever know. Yet it is an aspect of our experience that resolutely refuses to fit into the box of atheist materialism. Perhaps the evidence for God is, quite literally, staring us in the face.”

While acknowledging the truth and helpfulness of Jonathan Haidt’s findings about social media and technology in The Anxious Generation, Brierley sees these as secondary factors in the meaning crisis: “There are many potential factors contributing to the rise in anxiety, depression, and distraction in our culture, especially the pressures of living in industrialized urban communities that make us less connected with nature and with each other. But the modern materialist story is, in my view, the overwhelming reason for today’s meaning crisis…It describes the sense of alienation people experience when they move through life feeling disconnected from each other and the world. Most especially they feel disconnected from a purpose to live for, or a story that makes sense of who they are. It ties into the description of the world becoming atomized, disembodied, and abstract.” The antidote, contends Brierley, is a recovery of the power of story: “We are all searching for a story to live our lives by. Stories allow us to see ourselves as part of something much bigger than ourselves. But the purpose of storytelling is not to be led off into fairy tales or the simulacrum of a virtual world but to recover the true story that all other stories are ultimately pointing towards.” In particular, we need the ultimate story that is held out by Chirstianity: “It is the story of the one described as the Logos - the Word - who created a world out of love, placed humans at the center of it, and when it all went wrong, entered the story himself to redeem and restore the creation he had made. It is a grand story that declares that every individual story matters. Far from being one more product of a mindless, purposeless universe headed towards oblivion, we have each been offered an integral role in a cosmic drama. What you do with your part is up to you, but you are nevertheless invited into a story that is being woven through time and space, a story in which you are intended, purposed, and loved.”

He ends with some helpful pointers on how the church can best engage with this rebirth of interest in Christianity:

1. Embrace Both Reason and Imagination: “the most fruitful way we can introduce people to the Christian story is through the realm of the imagination rather than the intellect. We do that by making people want Christianity to be true in the first place, by showing how it meets our deepest instincts about what matters most. Only then can apologetics— the work of showing them why it is true - be of any use”

2. Keep Christianity Weird: “While there’s no advantage to creating unnecessary barriers, the lesson appears to be that churches shouldn’t dumb down their worship or their doctrine in order to win new converts. They should demand more, not less, of the people who come through their doors. Embrace mystery, expect the supernatural, and keep Christianity weird”

3. Create a Community That Counters Cancel Culture “The church needs to be a place of countercultural grace in a polarized, moralistic, and unforgiving society. Grace is the antidote to cancel culture, and people are desperate for it. Perhaps the greatest witness the church can offer society is that, even when we disagree, we can still love each other…That doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. Holiness and unity are both important, and we are often guilty of sacrificing one in favor of the other. However, the church is supposed to be a place where we work out how to bring them together”

I love that he keeps the church central and points back to our mission to share the good news of the gospel with the lost and to disciple believers. This counter-cultural community of faith, defined by love and embracing a fully orbed understanding of reality and what it means to be human, is exactly what we need - and is the context where we can find true meaning and identity. I appreciate how Brierley has synthesised and distilled these huge cultural currents into an impactful, compelling and readable format. I found this particularly helpful as he drew together ideas from several other excellent books that I’ve read recently and which are swirling around my mind. These include Dominion (Tom Holland), The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation (Jonathan Haidt), The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Carl Trueman), Miracles (C. S. Lewis) and The Intolerance of Tolerance (D. A. Carson).

I tend towards a pessimistic view of the likely trajectory of our culture in the West, but this book offers a refreshingly optimistic alternative. I share Justin Brierley’s hope that Matthew Arnold’s tide of faith will come rushing back in, and pray that I will live to see such a revival!

“We are all made to worship. That instinct runs so deep within us that, if we don’t worship God, we will end up worshiping something else instead…we’re all believers deep down. We all believe that good must conquer evil and that justice really matters. We may have inherited those beliefs from our Christian past, but as that story has faded from view, we’re left with a set of quasi-religious beliefs that have become detached from their original moorings…the story of Jesus seems to connect these different strands of culture, history, and science. His story makes sense of all stories - past, present, and future…Christianity tells a story that makes sense of our lives, loves, and longings.”

[Richard Lawrence]

This book does two things and is ok at both but not great at either.

1. Tell the story of the move in popular culture from New Atheism to the current rising trend of Spiritualism

2. Draw on current trends to make a case for christianity

This gives a brief taste of Dawkins, Peterson, Holland and McGilchrist, thinkers it's worth being aware of; also some of the arguments of CS Lewis for christianity are presented but in what seemed to me to be a weakened form.

Notably awkward points:
- Strikingly for a book on people "considering christianity" the idea of "repentance" is given no emphasis at all
- Dogmatic, Fundamentalist, Creationist and other such terms are used as dirty words
- Politics comes up a few times and generally the approach is punch right, coddle left
- Nothing is said about LGBT "issues", but one of the churches described positively is "affirming"
- Converts to EO, RC, and Progressive christianity are seemingly treated as equivalent

These together highlight the question of what phenomenon we're talking about, is this really "Christianity" rising or could it be as much Pagan spirituality? I'd like to be optimistic but faith without a clear creed is not christian faith. And certainly faith without repentance is not christian faith.

[Kate Hacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic exploration of the turning tides of faith (in the UK at least) in the wake of the new atheist movement.

[Some Christian Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I enjoyed hearing about the fact that Christianity is “making a comeback,” but overall the book wasn’t as interesting as I’d hoped it would be. I also didn’t appreciate the chapter on this authors view of creation. He takes an old earth position, and talks about that position as if that’s the only possible position any thinking person could hold. That chapter didn’t ruin the whole book for me or anything. I just didn’t find this book that engaging overall. Others might completely disagree.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘History moves in cycles. Tides go out and come back in… Rebirth has happened before, and it can happen again’.

The tide of Christianity was going out and out over the course of the last half a century or so, contends Justin Brierley, but it is starting to come back in. Offering a robust rebuttal to New Atheist arguments about Christianity and faith in general, the radio host and podcaster covers topics including history, science, and psychology in this post-COVID book of Christian apologetics.

With quotations from popular figures of today’s age like psychologist Jordan Peterson, journalist and essayist Douglas Murray, and historian Tom Holland, he addresses all the latest talking points about Christianity. For instance, Peterson’s analytical readings of Old Testament stories such as that of Cain and Abel, and Holland’s idea that we are all swimming in Christian waters in the West, whether we know it or not, and indeed whether we like it or not, due to our societies being fundamentally shaped by Christian ethics and ideas.

While this book was published just a couple of years ago in 2023, the cultural vibe shift is happening so fast that Brierley himself has expressed surprise on his podcast which carries the same name as this book. He predicted that Christianity was making a comeback, after years of declining church attendance, but I’m sure even he didn’t expect that it would be happening in such a way as it is in 2025, with revival taking place across the West and reports of huge numbers of baptisms and church attendance increasing across various denominations, most notably among young men.

Speaking from my personal experience, I felt drawn back to church for the first time in over 10 years, for reasons that Brierley addresses so well: the search for meaning in an age of materialism; wider and more vocal conversations about faith taking place in our society; and the sense that we are at risk of losing our great Christian heritage by turning away from Christ and instead worshipping false idols (entertainment, work, money etc.)

For me, this was a very meaningful read and one that I could definitely relate to.

[Eoin McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly prophetic insight into the rising and falling relationship between Christianity and western culture. Like St Augustine's dictum "Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee oh lord", Justin Brierley maps out the only rational trajectory of the contemporary meaning crisis - the path to the logos - which, as Brierley demonstrates, many critical contemporary thinkers are now realising.

A great piece of research that historians will use in the future to analyse the early emergence of a new apostolic era.

[Kaelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly thought-provoking! Brierley covers key aspects of our current culture. He explains how current worldviews are falling short and how they lead people to question and want more. He also builds a case for why Christianity answers these lingering questions. An absolute must-read for people who feel disillusioned by what Western culture is currently promising and for Christians to reframe their apologetic as the culture shifts.

-1 star because there are SO many people in my life that would benefit from this book but would never read it since it’s too dense for an average reader to pick up.

[Brad Sarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing and inspiring! This book shares some great stories of what Jesus is doing around the world and has equipped me to engage more effectively with those questioning their previously held beliefs. Many today are realizing that the secular dream is actually a nightmare.

As someone who studied philosophy during the height of the New Atheist Movement, it’s encouraging to be reminded that Jesus always prevails. An awakening is happening!

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read. Very hope-filled as well, which is uncommon (like perhaps an interview or two I've heard lately...). I had my grumbles but overall an enjoyable read. Especially his final chapter. I like the push from him and others to remain weird in Christianity.

[John Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting look at a number of intellectuals—authors, philosophers, historians, scientist and performers among others—and how a number have been led to a new or renewed belief in God, if not to a specifically Christian faith. It is clearly an apologetic work intended to encourage believers and hopefully persuade some who may be on the edge of faith—but whether it represents a trickle or the beginning of a tide remains to be seen. As another reader has put it, I found this book “good but not outstanding” but a worthwhile and largely engaging read nevertheless.

[Rob Messenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a helpful summary of trends in faith experience, and encouraging evidence that Jesus is still the light of the world in the 21st century.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst more about why the Christian faith is reasonable rather than accounts of secularists coming to faith in Christ, I really enjoyed this book.

[Crystal Reaume · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this (although some parts of it were a bit too smart for my poor brain at the end of a work day).
I love the podcast as well.

[Antti K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laaja-alainen ja hyvin kirjoitettu. Brierley on keskusteluttanut ateisteja, agnostikkoja ja kristittyjä tiedemiehiä keskenään ja vastakkain. Kirja on näiden keskustelujen jonkinlaista satoa. Kiinnostavasti tulee käsiteltyä uusateismin kuolema, merkityksellisyyden kriisi ja kristinuskon potentiaalinen vastaus siihen.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a curious book. A lot of it was fun and enjoyable to listen to and some really well made and interesting points.
But the methodology isn't hugely clear, and I'm unconvinced that there's necessarily a 'surprising rebirth' given the mostly anecdotal basis of certain well-known individuals. But perhaps.
The link between cultural conservatism and right leaning individuals is obvious, but I didn't find the chapter defending this particularly convincing.
His reliance in places on Haidt's rewiring narrative was disappointing, too.
Then there was the inclusion of David Suchet's conversion, which occurred in the '90s. This just didn't seem to fit with the contemporary narrative of elsewhere.
But many of the final conclusions felt good.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

IS ATHEISM LOSING ITS INFLUENCE, AND CHRISTIANITY GAINING?

Justin Brierley presents the weekly apologetics and theology debate radio show/podcast ‘Unbelievable?’ which brings Christians and non-Christians together for dialogue each Saturday; he was also the editor of ‘Premier Christianity’ magazine from 2014-2018.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 2024 book, “In this book I will make a bold proposition… that we may yet see the tide of faith come rushing back in again within our lifetime. The reason I feel confident enough to make this argument is that faith has never really gone away… people need a story to live by, but the stories we have been telling ourselves in the last several decades have been growing increasingly thin and superficial. Meanwhile, a plethora of thinkers have been reevaluating the Christian story and showing how it continues to undergird our most fundamental moral and cultural instincts.” (Pg. 4)

He observes in Chapter 1, “The 2009 bus poster campaign [‘There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life’] … came at the zenith of the New Atheist movement and was the closest thing it had … to an official advertising campaign… it was a bold, unapologetic, in-your-face campaign. However, at one level, the campaign hardly seemed necessary… According to the most recent data, over half of the people in the UK claim no religion, and only a fraction of the population attend church… At first sight, the high-water mark of New Atheism also marked a particularly low ebb for the tide of faith in the West. Religion was… seen as dangerous and irrational. Yet tides have a habit of going out and coming in. The popularity of the New Atheist movement would end up dissipating as quickly as it began… In its wake, a fresh tide has begun to gather again---a new conversation on God, religion, and the deepest questions…” (Pg. 7-9)

He recounts, “Early on in the [New Atheist] movement, the term ‘brights’ had been proposed as an alternative moniker for the New Atheist cause… The idea of atheists who valued science, reason, and skepticism renaming themselves ‘brights’ was championed by at least two of the four horsemen, [Richard] Dawkins and [Daniel] Dennett. Christopher Hitchens dissented, however…

"[A]theist philosopher Daniel Came, whose open letter to Richard Dawkins… criticized the biologist for taking aim at easy targets in religious circles while running away from Christianity’s most serious intellectual advocates. Dawkins had declined several invitations to debate philosopher William Lane Craig.” (Pg. 13-15) [Dawkins unconvincing said in his essay, ‘Why I refuse to debate with William Lane Craig,’ that Craig’s response to Deuteronomy 20:13-15, was the reason for his refusal.]

After the World Atheist Convention in 2011, accusations of misogyny, sexism and male privilege among the participants were widespread---and Richard Dawkins’ sarcastic letter afterwards just made things worse. Then, “The conduct of some of the best-known names on the atheist speaking circuit was also being called into question. David Silverman… president of American Atheists … and the chief organizer of the 2012 Reason Rally… was fired from his position after complaints of financial and sexual misconduct… Other notable names in the atheist movement… have also had claims of inappropriate behavior at atheist conferences leveled at them and have subsequently been disinvited from public engagements… physicist Lawrence Krauss … in 2018 [was the subject of] allegations of improper advances toward female students… and remain[ed] on administrative leave from Arizona State University before leaving his position at the end of the academic year… the reality was that the New Atheist movement was largely dominated by white males… [Sam] Harris has likewise been accused of other prejudices such as Islamophobia… [and] has been willing to give a platform to voices such as Charles Murray [co-author of ‘The Bell Curve’].” (Pg. 15-21) “Transgender rights proved to be yet another divisive issue within the atheist movement… Twitter comments by Dawkins … led the American Humanist Association to strip him of his 1996 Humanist of the Year award.” (Pg. 21-22)

He summarizes, “now atheists seemed to spend more of their time attacking one another… today, New Atheism is a largely spent force, relegated to corners of the Internet where teenage bloggers continue to churn out antagonistic Bible memes in online echo chambers… The publishing boom in anti-God literature fizzed out … and the atheist speaking circuit is a shadow of its former self.” (Pg. 25) “I would venture to suggest that New Atheism mainly reaped its de-conversions among those whose faith was already primed to be lost… But I thank God for Richard Dawkins. Our harshest critics are often the ones who help us grow the most.” (Pg. 30)

He observes, “Much of the West was built on the back of a Christian vision of life and work that collectively drove society forwards… The narrative of Christianity gave people a story to be part of. But as that story has faded in our communal consciousness, a shared existential question has come to replace it: What story are we now supposed to live by?” (Pg. 42)

He suggests that “[Bret] Weinstein and [Jordan] Peterson seem to be willing to see Christianity as ‘metaphorically’ true because it works. However… I will be seeking to persuade you that the reason so many people are attesting again to the fact that Christianity works is because it REALLY IS TRUE.” (Pg. 61)

He acknowledges, “The centuries-long subjugation of Black Africans is a scar that will always mark the conscience of Christendom… [But] by medieval times, slavery in the Christian West was effectively a thing of the past. Note, however, that this was something only achieved in Christendom. Slavery existed unchallenged for millennia in many other civilizations. It was only formally outlawed in many Muslim countries in the latter half of the 20th century.” (Pg. 82)

He contends, “Many skeptics seem to believe that merely pointing out the fact that the Gospels contain differences between them is enough to dismiss the Bible’s claim to be divinely inspired. But that’s only true if was assume its divine pedigree… mirrors modern literary conventions… It’s true there are differences between the accounts, but none of them are irreconcilable… However, many of the supposed contradictions tend to evaporate once we understand that the Gospels’ literary genre of historical biography adhered to different conventions than modern biography.” (Pg. 123)

He cites the case of philosophers Thomas Nagel [‘Mind and Cosmos’] and Antony Flew [‘There is a God’], “[Their] views led them into protracted conflicts with the New Atheists, who treated them as heretics for stepping outside the orthodoxy of scientific materialism… When I phoned [Antony Flew]… he was angered by [critics’] insistence that the only reason for his change of mind was that it had grown feeble in his advanced years.” (Pg. 155-157)

He suggests, “We all worship something---even in a time when religion (and especially Christianity) is thought to be in decline. But I believe that the reason we are beginning to see a rebirth of belief in God is because the story of Jesus still makes the best sense of our own stories.” (Pg. 202) He adds, “Even if more of us are choosing to stay in bed on Sunday morning than go to church… I’m convinced that none of us are actually any less religious than we used to be---we’re just religious about different things.” (Pg. 205)

He concludes, “Rebirth has happened before, and it can happen again. Two thousand years ago a wandering rabbi … called a bunch of fishermen to … follow him, and fish for people instead. Together they changed the world. Like them, I believe we are standing on the shores of human history, waiting for a tide that is about to rush back in. Perhaps now is the time to answer his call again.” (Pg. 228)

This book will be of great interest to anyone studying contemporary Atheism, as well as modern Christianity.

[Lia Wiersma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book with a hopeful message from one of Christianity's most articulate modern apologists! I strongly recommend the audiobook, where Brierley's enthusiasm and delightful British accent make a serious work of social commentary fun to listen to. The final chapter of the book is a must-read for serious Christians everywhere.

[Daniel Gullotta · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God" takes an optimistic stance on the resurgence of interest in Christianity among secular thinkers. While the book offers intriguing insights, its reliance on anecdotal evidence, such as interviews with figures like Tom Holland and Jordan B. Peterson, is a notable limitation. In my view, this reliance on mere interviews with celebrities detracts from the credibility of Brierley's claims, as more substantial data could strengthen the book's arguments (eg. like those offered by the late Rodney Stark). Nevertheless, it serves as a beginner-friendly introduction to the topic, though readers seeking deeper analysis may find it lacking in depth.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anyone has the perspective to write such a book, it's got to be Justin Brierley. As the exceptionally affable host of the podcast Unbelievable?, he's had a front row seat to the conversations and minds that have both shaped and been symptomatic of the theological amd philosophical zeitgeist. The book is really excellent, full of fascinating quotes and anecdotes, and made a persuasive case that left me feeling cautiously optimistic.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A journalist and podcast host makes the case that we may be seeing a new wave of people coming to faith in God and why this is so.

This book opens with Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach,” which describes the ebbing of the “Sea of Faith” hearing “Its meloncholy, long, withdrawing roar.” It has seemed that we are in the midst of such a time. We have witnessed the rise of the New Atheism, a self-confident attack that ridiculed the irrationality, and indeed, the immorality of the God of Christianity. Various scandals of money, sex, and power in the churches, combined with the intertwining of church and extreme political positions sent many to the exits. We witnessed the rise of the “Nones” and a series of confessional blogs of people “deconstructing” their faith, often de-converting in the process.

Justin Brierly observes that tides that ebb also flow back, and he contends that he is also seeing a return to belief in God, with an embrace of Christianity by many but not all who do. He’s in a unique position to do so, hosting the Unbelieveable podcast, bringing together believing and secular thinkers in conversation, and being surprised at what is happening in the lives of some of his “secular” guests.

He begins with a chronicle of the rise and fall of the New Atheism movement, chronicling its self-destruction amid sexist and racist pronouncements, and its inability to come forward with meaningful proposals to replace what it was tearing down. Meanwhile, its challenge energized a new generation of Christian apologists who discovered that faith is often strongest under attack.

He describes the turn toward Christianity of figures like Jordan Peterson and Peter Boghassian, once an atheist firebrand who increasingly found himself siding with Christians. He recounts interviewing Douglas Murray, a gay, agnostic journalist haunted by the faith he once scorned. Ancient historian Tom Holland is another he discusses, who came to the realization that the Western view of the world, even in its secular humanist version, that stood in such sharp contrast with the ancients, was fundamentally Christian at its roots.

Brierly chronicles a crisis of meaning for which atheism did not have an answer. He recounts how actor David Suchet found that meaning in reading the Bible and goes on to discuss how various skeptics have rediscovered the Bible and the reasons for its reliability. Likewise, science, far from disproving faith raises intriguing questions of order and the fine-tuning of the universe and the unique conditions that produced and sustained life on earth. The war is not between science and faith but between scientists who do not believe and those who do, a matter of the heart and not the science. He singles out Francis Collins and Rosalind Picard as ones who changed their minds and have believed. He observes the self-defeating arguments of determinist materialists.

He concludes with the story of Paul Kingsnorth, a naturalist and one-time Wiccan and now Orthodox Christian, who believed because it was a story that made sense of his life. He argues that there are three things the church needs to do to prepare for a returning wave of people coming to faith:

1. Embrace both reason and imagination
2. Keep Christianity weird–that is, distinctively Christian
3. Create a community that counters cancel culture

This last is striking both for the idea of physical community amid increasing isolation, and the ability of the gospel to transcend difference–that allows difference without cancelling.

Brierly is careful throughout to distinguish genuine converts and those who simply have moved toward God. His ability to bring people who differ into conversation means he doesn’t expect neat packages. He also offers the challenge that this time, far from one about which Christians ought be depressed, can be a time of reinvigorated and intellectually stimulated faith. The stories also evidence the work of God as skeptics have dreams, read scripture, or simply take a hard look at the evidence around them.

It might be argued that Brierly is putting forward an overly optimistic case. Time will tell. I suspect that what he does is offer a counter-story to the pessimistic, doom and gloom stories filling much of evangelical publishing and press accounts. Brierly acknowledges the problems but also draws on the evidence of history that these never defeat God and that God is often at work amid these, birthing new life. His stories of real people suggest that what happened with them is possible for others. If you are wondering if there is any basis to hold out hope in a time of apparent decline, this is an account worth reading.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Angel Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

a ramble:

While this book tackles an obvious 'religious' theme, it also comes with its own political message. This is a message that ties in a greater narrative of 'the West' with Christianity. The author views 'the West' as currently looking for a new great narrative, since Christianity does not have the popularity, it once used to enjoy and nothing new has come to take its place. He describes this period as post-Christian (though I'm still not sure if this post-Christian period is supposed to overlap with 'postmodernism' as he understands it). Since there is no grand narrative, there is no meaning. Brierley definitely believes humans need a story, as shown by his examples of social movements for justice. People need a story to develop their sense of justice.

For Brierley, this sense of justice in the West comes from Christianity. Even if that sense of justice is humanist, he argues it still comes from Christianity because humanism could not come about without Christian values. This tends to be a theme in his book: that seemingly non-Christian or areligious movements have a foundation in Christianity and its values.

Now, the political aspect comes in with the connection of the West with Christianity. When that absence of Christianity is looked at as a reason for the decline of the 'West,' we can get into some Western supremacist territory. I don't think it's an accident Brierley mentions Jordan Peterson so much (who doesn't claim to be a Christian but appreciates Christianity for its foundational role in Western societies). It reminds me of the 'Clash of Civilizations' narratives (wars between different cultural/religious groups). Identity formation, according to Brierley, must come from a narrative accepted and reproduced by all society. And with identity formation, come these ideas of purity. Purity in his book is typically talked about in the context of 'culture wars' and 'cancel culture' (god i hate how much attention those terms get in this book). Thought it seems that their own pure positions come out from thin air since people themselves have to figure out and prove their own purity since there is no overarching narrative for people to find their place in, thereby forming their own identities. Per Briarley, that narrative must be a Christian narrative, with Jesus Christ as the central protagonist.

I have my own problems with his proposed narrative since I think the greater narrative is not one of humanity's relationship with God the son (Jesus) and a God the holy spirit and Father that alters human history, but that of humanity's constant relationship with nature and itself. Both humanity's relationship with nature and itself can either stifle or aid human development and freedom. Currently, the uninturrepted extraction of natural resources has caused another mass extinction simply because of human activity! In fact a proposed name for our geological era is the anthropocene because of how much our single species is able to alter Earth's ecosystems. And that imbalance within nature and between nature and humanity is reflective of humanity's relationship with itself. Since the 1500s, a very small portion of humanity has enriched itself at the expense of billions. To put it in religious terms, this pursuit of greed, arrogance, and disharmony is the sinful condition humanity must overcome. This battle between good and evil (Brierley posits that this good-evil dichotomy is thanks to God) is between those forces seeking to change the current relations within our species on one end and those seeking to preserve it on the other. Meaning comes in here through action, in seeing your own actions as part of a greater, global shift in the distribution of power.