Why are young Black Britons rethinking their faith?

Friday, 22nd November 2024

Today I want to turn your attention to recent shifts in how young Black Britons are approaching spirituality and why it’s so important to engage with these emerging trends.

Whilst a growing body of research reveals that many young Black Britons still value spirituality, they’re increasingly exploring paths outside traditional religious institutions. The Black British Voices Project highlights that a number of young Black Britons feel that mainstream religious spaces don’t fully address their identities and lived experiences. This includes many from Christian backgrounds.

Notably, and perhaps surprisingly, some young Black Britons are reconnecting with indigenous African religions. For these young people, investigating traditional African spiritual practices offers a way to reclaim cultural identity and find spiritual fulfilment in ways that resonate deeply with their heritage.

This trend is part of a broader movement where young people are looking for sacred experiences outside conventional worship settings, with recent data showing a preference for community and social activism as extensions of their spiritual lives.​

By engaging positively with these spiritual explorations, we have a wonderful opportunity to talk about faith with a hungry and seeking generation. That’s why we’re releasing a new series called Black Consciousness and the Christian Faith, looking at Black Bible Religions.

We worked with Dr Eleasah Louis who recently submitted her PhD on ‘Black, British and De-Churched’. Eleasah’s research focusses on Afroasiatic Diasporic Religions and is relevant for people all over the world, where trends are similar.

You can watch my interview with Eleasah here.

Resources for Digging Deeper

• How Far to the Promised Land: One Black Family’s Story of Hope and Survival in the American South
  Read an excerpt from Esau McCaulley’s book.
• ‘Why I Almost Left Christianity’
  A story of deconstruction leading to deeper faith, watch this encouraging mini-documentary from Lisa Fields.
• Is the Bible a Tool of Oppression?
  To better understand some of the issues behind these trends, watch Clare’s video with SolasCPC.
• Why are Young People Leaving the Church?
  Listen to Clare unpack this question and specifically addresses the idea of deconstruction.

I hope these materials encourage you to reflect and engage in meaningful discussions.