For years, I anxious that the Bible may be a liability to mission — too complicated, too controversial. Wouldn’t or not it’s easier to simply deal with inspirational messages and miss the tricky bits?
But that assumption not suits the moment we’re in. The Quiet Revival research by Bible Society (2025) has revealed a remarkable shift within the spiritual landscape. Young people — especially Gen Z — usually are not just open to faith, they’re actively curious about it. And many are diving deep into the Bible, including the Old Testament.
In 2018, YouGov polling found that just 4% of young people in England and Wales went to church. By 2024, that number had quadrupled to 16% — with an astonishing 21% of young men saying they now attend. Something is stirring beneath the surface.
And in relation to the Bible, the story is much more striking. According to the research, 35% of young men outside the church want to know the Bible for themselves.
In recent months, I’ve spoken with dozens of young people whose spiritual hunger has led them to choose up a Bible:
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A 16-year-old who felt deceived by mainstream education and commenced reading Scripture on his own.
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A 21-year-old who turned to the Bible as a substitute of suicide when life felt meaningless.
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A student who discovered Tik-Tok videos concerning the Bible’s historical impact and desired to see if it may very well be trusted.
These stories aren’t any longer rare. The Bible — once mocked by the New Atheists — is making a surprising comeback. Public figures like Jordan Peterson, Tom Holland, Bear Grylls and sports stars like Bukayo Saka are speaking positively about Scripture. Whether or not we agree with all they are saying, their interest reflects a wider cultural moment: persons are asking big questions on meaning, morality, and hope — they usually are open to hearing what the Bible has to say.
The problem is that many individuals who try reading the Bible get stuck on difficult topics and texts, including stories about creation, laws about slaves, warfare and violence, brutal suffering, unbelievable miracles, teachings about sex, and warnings of judgement. For some, these are deal-breakers. As one young person said, “Some passages within the Bible disturb me. They make me wish to slam it shut.”
The Quiet Revival research found that 35% of young Christians say their faith is shaken by certain Bible passages. That’s not only a discipleship issue — it’s a mission issue. If the following generation loses confidence in Scripture, they lose all the pieces.
This is why I wrote God’s Book: An Honest Look on the Bible’s 7 Toughest Topics. The book follows the storyline of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, tackling essentially the most difficult questions head-on:
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Do I actually have to make a choice from science and the Bible?
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How should we interpret strange laws and rituals?
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Why did God allow warfare within the Old Testament?
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Why does suffering still exist if God is nice?
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Are accounts of miracles and exorcisms credible?
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Is the Bible’s teaching about sex outdated?
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Why would a loving God send people to hell?
Rather than avoiding these issues, the book places them of their original context —
showing why the Bible was surprisingly progressive in its ancient setting. But this isn’t a dense academic treatise. It’s a visible, practical and pastoral toolkit designed for real conversations. Each chapter is brief, readable and geared toward someone who’s curious, not combative.
God’s Book includes:
Seven topics broken into short chapters — the tone is accessible and introductory. The book explains the massive story of Scripture while focussing on the hardest topics
Accessible scholarship — careful historical and literary explanation without jargon. If you would like bibliographic depth, I signpost one of the best further reading.
Reflection prompts and short Bible passages to read — this offers a practical and devotional guide so the experience isn’t all head knowledge but heartwarming too.
Personal letters — each chapter closes with a brief, candid letter to a teenager, capturing why the difficulty still matters and the way it is smart of the world we inhabit.
Small-group and preaching resources — sermon resources, small group videos and discussion guides are also available so the entire church can journey through the God’s Book series (visit andrewollerton.com).
Of course, by the tip many questions and mysteries remain. The book’s aim isn’t to sanitize but to equip: to cut back pointless stumbling so the reader can press on to the guts of the matter. As I wrote the book, I had the story of Philip and the Ethiopian in mind (Acts 8). The Ethiopian man was very smart and elite. And yet he got stuck attempting to make sense of the Bible on his own. As he says to Philip: “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” This honest, open seeker needed an individual of religion to sit down alongside and show how tough texts within the Old Testament ultimately find their resolution in Jesus.
I think there are more curious seekers coming down the road in our cultural moment, like this Ethiopian man. They usually are not hostile. They usually are not Richard Dawkins. They actually want the Bible to be true and to make sense. But they’re stuck and wish some explanation. They need others to return alongside. Will the church be equipped and able to have these conversations?
The Quiet Revival isn’t loud or flashy — it is going on in living rooms, university halls, TikTok feeds, and occasional shops. People are quietly reaching for Bibles and trying to find answers. What they find once they open those pages matters. If we stay silent or defensive, we risk confirming their suspicion that Christianity can’t face hard questions. But if we meet them with thoughtful, honest, and hope-filled engagement, we may find this moment isn’t a crisis — but a chance.
That’s why I wrote God’s Book: to equip Christians and seekers alike to interact the Bible’s hardest topics with confidence. It’s not about winning arguments. It’s about clearing obstacles so people can encounter Jesus within the pages of Scripture.
Dr Andrew Ollerton is a theologian, pastor, and creator of The Bible Course with Bible Society. Andrew’s latest book is now available to order: God’s Book: An Honest Look on the Bible’s 7 Toughest Topics (Hodder) and creator of The Bible Course.
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