By Michaela Gordoni
Barna Research recently discovered that belief in Jesus is rising, and most of that belief is coming from the younger generation.
Over two-thirds of all American adults said they made a “personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today.” This indicates a rapid increase in the last few years. In 2021, only 54% of Americans said the same.
The research group believes this indicates a “spiritual renewal” in America. The difference in number amounts to about 30 million more adults claiming to have a relationship with God.
“Undeniably, there is renewed interest in Jesus,” said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna. “Many people have predicted the growing irrelevance of Christianity, however, this data shows that spiritual trends have a dynamism and can, indeed, change.”
“This is the clearest trend we’ve seen in more than a decade pointing to spiritual renewal—and it’s the first time Barna has recorded such spiritual interest being led by younger generations,” he continued.
Most of the believers are Gen Z and Millennials. Since COVID-19, the younger generations have risen in their beliefs while older generations, especially Boomer and Gen X females, have remained flat.
Another trend Barna discovered is that younger men are more likely to believe in Jesus than women. Gen Z males’ beliefs jumped up by 15% between 2019 and 2025, while the percentage for Millennial men spiked by 19%.
Barna observed that those who say they have a commitment to Jesus don’t always confess to being a Christian. About three in 10 people who say they’re not Christian say they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus. It indicates that many are open to faith but are hesitant to identify with an organized religion.
Related: The Bible is Transforming Gen Z
“At this time, we are seeing interest in Jesus that is growing among those who do not otherwise describe themselves as Christians, indicating that many of the new followers of Jesus are not just ‘recycled’ believers,” Kinneman said. “Along with younger generations coming to Jesus, this is another strong sign that interest in Jesus is brewing in new population segments of society.”
Barna identified this “spiritual but not religious” trend in 2017. Among other findings, it discovered that of all study its participants who said they conformed to “no faith,” 34% still said they were spiritual.
A 2022 study by the American Bible Society found that while many young people believe in Jesus or that He existed, some of what they believe about Him is biblically inaccurate. For example, about 40% of Gen Z believed that Jesus was a sinner, which is contrary to scripture.
It’s clear that the younger generation is grasping onto something, but they need more. They need to know that the Bible is foundational to belief in Jesus and how to walk the walk, so to speak.
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