Gen Z might be more ‘spiritual’ than previous generations, but let’s be careful to understand what that means

Dr Gareth Crispin teases out what messages Christians can take from the latest statistics on the beliefs of Generation Z

Mark Twain famously said that “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” That’s not to say that all statistics are untrue but the way they are presented (for example through a headline) can change the way they are understood. Because of this I wonder if Twain had chosen a fourth kind of lie, he’d have said headlines! 

That might be a dangerous thing to say for a journalist who has just published an opinion piece on statistics with a headline but hear me out. 

A recent Times headline claimed, “Gen Z half as likely as their parents to identify as atheists.” Does that mean Gen Z are more likely to believe in God? That was how The Sun re-reported the story, with the headline: “Age Brits are most likely to believe in God revealed as expert claims ‘He’s making a comeback.’” 

And what about The Times’ sub-heading: “Those aged in their teens and early twenties are more likely to identify as ‘spiritual’ than older generations.” Again, is this good news for the church? Does this mean an increased openness to the church on the part of young people. Some online pundits with significant followings suggested that this was strong evidence of religious revival in Britain. But is it? What does the data actually say and how does it sit with other research on this subject?