Evangelical Alliance asks: Can church reach ‘manifesting’ Gen Z?

Young people are ‘open and spiritually curious’ – but it is ‘manifesting’ rather than Christ currently capturing their imagination, new findings show.

Katherine Brown, part of the Evangelical Alliance ‘Being Human’ team, says that the survey – on popular dating app, Tinder – reveals that though many people in their twenties (often labelled ‘Gen Z’ if born after 1997) claim to be atheists, ‘they believe in the power of the universe’.

‘Manifesting’ in this sense is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as ‘the act of making something happen by imagining it and consciously thinking that it will happen… Manifesting is based on the idea that you can think your dreams into reality.’

Writing on the Evangelical Alliance website at www.eauk.it/manifesting-trend, Brown explains: ‘Every year, dating app Tinder publishes a trends report detailing the habits, interests and motivations of their users. It makes a fascinating read, but one thing in this year’s report especially caught my attention: the openness and spiritual curiosity of the younger generations.’

She quotes the research which says: ‘While star signs may be the top descriptor added to Tinder profiles by 18–25-year-olds, there’s a new spiritual sheriff in town. Forty-one per cent of young singles believe manifesting (i.e. mentally visualising your wishes/dreams to help them come true) is the new Astrology and has an undeniably larger influence on compatibility and connection … It’s no coincidence that the hashtag #Manifestation has +34B [more than 34 billion] views on TikTok…’

Brown says: ‘I’m in my twenties, and I can attest to this phenomenon. Even though my friends may declare they’re atheists, they believe in the power of the universe, and they ‘manifest’ as a way of trying to make the life they want a reality. I see it all over social media – as people share what they’re getting up to that day, many will include a line about manifesting their goals. It isn’t just positive thinking, it’s a belief that their thoughts could change the course of their lives.

‘Many found New Atheism to be dogmatic and empty so, zooming forward to 2023, this generation has launched into a spiritual search of their own. But the spirituality that younger generations are experimenting with isn’t necessarily Christianity, rather it is spirituality in line with the philosophy they’re immersed in. Manifesting is an ideal spiritual practice for expressive individualism, the cultural story that says: you are the master and maker of your life, you are in control, you are the one to create your destiny, to change your reality.’

She challenges churches: ‘It’s evident that this generation is spiritually open, but is the church ready to meet this openness with the hope of Jesus? Are we burdened by how many are turning to ‘manifesting’ in their search for something more?’