Is Culture Shifting Toward Christianity? (Candid Ep. 283)

How can we better answer hard questions for a deconstructing generation? Join Jonathan and special guest, apologetics professor and author, Sean McDowell as they discuss the cultural shift toward spirituality and how Christians can learn to use the digital landscape to our advantage.

This conversation is condensed and adapted from episode 285 of Candid Conversations with Jonathan Youssef. Be sure to listen to Sean McDowell’s inspiring conversation in its entirety. Subscribe today on your favorite podcast platform or listen online at LTW.org/Candid.

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Jonathan: There was a 22 percent nationwide increase in Bible sales last year. What do you think is the reason for that? Is it cultural shifts or a general hunger for the Word?

 Sean McDowell: In the early 2000s, there was a strong reaction against Christianity. That only happens if you have a generation of people who think they know what Christianity is and are hurt, angered, or disillusioned by it. Now we have these new secular voices, people like Bari Weiss, Tom Holland, Jonathan Rau

ch, and Jordan Peterson, who seem to be rediscovering the Christian worldview—that it’s the basis of Western civilization and the impetus for science. I mean, Jonathan Rauch, a gay atheist, said in The New York Times several months ago that America quite literally needs Jesus to survive and flourish.

Now, he doesn’t mean that in the way you and I need Jesus, but that’s a completely different tune from what we’re used to hearing. This leads me to believe there’s a combination of a generation that’s been raised without religious roots, but also without religious baggage, that has a deeper hunger and a deeper brokenness, both relationally and spiritually. There are mental health concerns. There’s division

in our culture. And I think there’s a leaning into wonder.

One New York Times columnist said in the past ten to fifteen years he’s seen a shift in his audience to be more curious ab

out spiritual things. He’s witnessing an interest and an openness that wasn’t there before. Rod Dreher, an Orthodox writer, also talks about how even interest in UFOs and psychedelics hints at a deeper spiritual yearning that’s taking place in our culture. I think that’s what’s going on.

Now, everybody’s not turning to Christianity and buying Bibles. But we’re seeing this spiritual interest, and I think an awareness that secularism is dead. It can’t fulfill the deepest yearning of the human heart, let alone save civilization.

Jonathan: Your new book tackles some of these classic and modern challenges to Christianity. What are some of the biggest cultural shifts that are forcing apologetics to adapt today?

Sean McDowell: One of the biggest challenges is that there’s such a high rate of mental health concerns—depression, anxiety, loneliness, relational brokenness. That affects how we process Truth and how we understand who God is. If you have a broken relationship with your earthly father, that might affect how you view your heavenly Father. In fact, I think a case can be made that if you have relational brokenness, you’re more inclined to adopt a relativistic worldview.

Another challenge is the phenomenon of “deconstruction” that’s taking place. People have always left the Christian faith, but now it’s being talked about at length. There are TikTok and social media accounts doing nothing but pushing deconstruction. So, how do we do apologetics in this cultural moment? It seems like the answer is to have apologists online in the same spaces.

But there are some issues that have shifted. The church—at least apologists—have spent a ton of time responding to atheists when atheists, to be honest, are maybe only 10 to 12 percent of the population. The bigger problem in our culture? Reincarnation, tarot cards, astrology, and the New Age. We’ve got to engage New Age ideas even more than we did in the past.

These are just a few of the cultural shifts taking place right now. There are new issues we need to be aware of and new strategies and challenges to do this effectively for individuals and for the Church.

 Jonathan: What are some of the strategies that Christians should adopt for evangelism? How do we engage on digital platforms without coming across as preachy or heavy-handed?

Sean McDowell: [One thing I try to do regularly] is have conversations with people who see the world differently. . . . If you want to get views online, that is very different than really wanting to reach people. I see a lot of Christian creators who are trying to provoke and shock and insult, and their YouTube channels are much bigger than mine. You lose more than you gain for the Kingdom by falling into that trap, and I think Christians need to avoid it. We need to be different not only in our content but also in the way we use these platforms, talk about people, and treat people. The way we engage others must be set apart. . . . If our posture would shift a little bit to, “Let’s have a conversation. Let me ask you some questions,” then I think we could make a lot more headway. In the gospels and Acts, we have 340 recorded questions Jesus asked. In Paul’s letters, 262 questions. What if we as Christians got better at making arguments, listening to people, inviting conversation, and then sharing who Jesus is, what the Gospel is, and how He’s changed our lives?

Jonathan: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the big buzzword now. Through AI and deepfakes, misinformation abounds. It’s hard to know what’s real and what’s not real. How do Christians discern Truth from error?

Sean McDowell: I just saw an article about how certain AI systems, while competing in chess, will find a way to win when they’re losing, even if they must cheat to do so. Whether that is a reflection of human fallenness intentionally or unintentionally, some are programmed that way, even if it involves propagating false information. This is doubly concerning. We are at the point with video now, at least to the naked eye, where you can hardly tell what is genuine and what’s not. One thing I try to do whenever I see anything online is double check it and go to the original source. If something sounds like it fits your narrative too much and you want to believe it’s true, it’s probably not true.

Listen to both sides, read both sides, and pause before you assume that something is true. Get more information. Read things carefully. And then we still might be fooled, but that will hopefully minimize error on our part. The Bible says, “The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins” (Proverbs 18:17, NLT). We must cross-examine even our own ideas and beliefs. I think that’s the best thing Christians can do.

Jonathan: It’s important that Christians can be engaged in both spheres so that we have Biblical answers that are helpful. That’s often what people are looking for

Sean McDowell: If all of us would just see ourselves as ambassadors for Christ, which the Bible teaches, asking thoughtful questions, building relationships with people, humbling ourselves and trying to grow and learn—I think the world would know us by our love. Are Christians really known by our love today?

In our increasingly broken, partisan, divided, angry age, leaning into our Christian faith makes us stand out as rebels and radicals. While everyone else is trying to provoke, shout, and get views, Christians just love their neighbor, show kindness, and care for the poor. Our secular culture is finally waking up to the need for Christian virtues. Why don’t we just lean into it and live it out [more effectively]? I think that would make a huge difference.