Why Is Cultural Christianity On The Rise? - Alex O’Connor

Alex O’Connor is a YouTuber, writer and a podcaster.

Christianity is nothing new. But it's seeing a resurgence in popularity among some unexpected groups - public intellectuals and Gen Z. What is going on that only shortly after it was cool to be an atheist, it's now cool to go to church on a Sunday again?

Expect to learn whether we are actually seeing a Christian revival, if the new wave of Christianity is just right wing conservatism in disguise, whether you can ‘choose’ to believe in God, if new atheism was a failure, why there is not a current muslim revival, what happened to the gospels that were missing from the original bible, whether there's two Gods in the Old Testament and much more...

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0:00 Are We Seeing a Christian Revival?
07:53 What’s Causing the Rise of Cultural Christianity?
18:46 Is it Possible to Choose to Believe in God?
23:48 Has Christianity Gone Too Soft?
38:49 Experience of Visiting the Vatican
43:49 Is the Rise in Religion Just a Conservative Movement?
57:59 Christianity as a Prophylactic Against Woke
1:05:33 Why Isn’t There an Islamic Revival?
1:15:31 The Gnostic Gospels
1:27:28 The Gnostic Version of Genesis
1:35:47 Why the Bible is Compiled As it is
1:42:13 Christianity’s Antidote to the Meaning Crisis
1:52:40 Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Debate With Dawkins
1:59:59 The Figureheads of the Christian Revival
2:06:44 Important Things Ignored by the Media
2:11:24 Where to Find Alex

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Get in touch in the comments below or head to...

[ChrisWillx]

Here's the timestamps:
0:00 Are We Seeing a Christian Revival?
07:53 What’s Causing the Rise of Cultural Christianity?
18:46 Is it Possible to Choose to Believe in God?
23:48 Has Christianity Gone Too Soft?
38:49 Experience of Visiting the Vatican
43:49 Is the Rise in Religion Just a Conservative Movement?
57:59 Christianity as a Prophylactic Against Woke
1:05:33 Why Isn’t There an Islamic Revival?
1:15:31 The Gnostic Gospels
1:27:28 The Gnostic Version of Genesis
1:35:47 Why the Bible is Compiled As it is
1:42:13 Christianity’s Antidote to the Meaning Crisis
1:52:40 Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Debate With Dawkins
1:59:59 The Figureheads of the Christian Revival
2:06:44 Important Things Ignored by the Media
2:11:24 Where to Find Alex

[Wade_Adakai]

Two possibilities exist: either Alex becomes the greatest atheist of all time or the greatest Christian convert of all time. Both are equally terrifying.

[christianbaxter_yt]

The fact that two atheists are having this much charity and nuance about religion answers the original question Chris posed.

[TheMoffwicket]

I never would have predicted that I'd be watching two atheist Brits talk about American Christianity on a Friday night, but here I am.

[lukeball]

Alex is so good at analyzing different phenonomens objectivly whitout giving his own view of it.

[chitlinjuice]

I think people are just getting tired with how degenerate society has become. From music, media, life, everything is over seggualized, people are cold blooded, selfish, and glorify manipulating and treating people like trash, etc. People get tired of that and end up craving stability, safety, and morals.

[ricasso]

As a Christian I really enjoy listening to Alex articulate his views regarding religion & Christianity in particular. Gives me great insight on how to approach non believers and atheists.

[smarsville]

Alex O'Connor, already one of the greats.

[trainwrecked]

Although I was baptized Catholic, my family was atheistic during my youth. I've recently returned to the church last year and I can honestly say it's made me a better husband, father, and person. For me, the transformative moment was actually reading the bible and listening to homilies on the internet. At point I realized that I had trusted what my society pushed upon me, that religion was for 'naive people' or 'idiots'. It was after starting to delve into the material myself and experience it's teachings that I realized the truth; I was listening to other people's 'truths' rather than finding my own. I wasted decades of my life with meaninglessness because the mentors around me convinced me i didn't need religious meaning in my life, and I should absorb their ethics, or their meaning instead.


I forgive them, but I won't make the same mistakes again. Form your own opinions, read the words yourselves. Don't trust society to make the decisions for you. Even the educated may fall short in virtues.

[sungod]

Your bromance with Alex is pretty entertaining to watch lol

[stevesmith]

In my opinion, Alex's understanding of Jesus in Christianity as the Word becoming flesh and the Quran in Islam as the Word becoming a book is profoundly perceptive. I have never heard anyone make this kind of comparison before.

[travist]

Life without religion is scary, many people just aren’t capable of handling it

[mayflowerlash]

Alex and Christ are a great double act. Sniping at each other and smiling as they enjoy the joust. Both are genuine people striving to gain the truth. Their discussion is both edifying and entertaining.

[FindingTheNarrative]

I'm a Christian, and these are two of the most interesting people on the planet. I love both Chris and Alex's approach to these ideas. I hope they are a bridge for my generation for a higher value of ethics.

[danielsheykhsofla]

folks are converting from shia islam to Christianity in iran and as a newly converted christian i enjoyed this massively and i gotta say both of you are close 😄

[jimluebke]

I suspect that even when the pews were full, there was a significant percentage of Cultural Christians in them.

[HarrisonGLong]

I was raised very Christian but it has lapsed in adulthood, and I have found a more religious experience in the study of history, philosophy, and literature. I have a soft spot for religions in that I find them to be fascinating, and part of the reason I enjoy conversations featuring Alex O'Connor is because I can relate to one being compelled to study religion without accepting them as fact. I don't wish to be governed by religious law, and just the same as I would be against any form of legislating religion for the masses, I will also always be in favor of the freedom to worship and believe as one sees fit. Thanks for the great conversation, Chris.

[sherbear]

I, myself, am experiencing a rebirth of my Christian roots. I’m not sure where it will lead, but I’m going to follow it hopefully into becoming a true Christian.

[amospan]

These two gentlemen are having a cordial conversation about Cultural Christianity, and I'm here for it! Love it!

[BXmax]

Wdym by cultural Christianity? Why can't say athism is on the rise? So simple and straightforward.