Faith on Their Own Terms: How Young People Are Redefining Religion

Britain’s overall attitude towards faith is changing, and the younger generation appears more receptive to this shift, according to a new report.

Faith is becoming less a matter of family heritage and more a personal choice, and it is increasingly viewed as a resource to improve mental health.

Since the 1970s, the steady secularisation of Western societies has often been seen as inevitable. Yet recent polling in various countries, including Ireland (see here and here), suggests that younger generations may be showing a slight renewed interest in religion compared to the previous one, indicating a possible reversal of long-term religious decline.

The new report "The Next Generation of Faith: Journeys, Meaning and Wellbeing" produced by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL), explores how attitudes towards faith are changing among young adults in Britain.

It examines the experiences of those who have moved towards religion as well as those who have stepped away, offering insight into the motivations and values shaping these shifts.

The picture emerging is not one of simple decline or abandonment, but of re-evaluation. For many aged 18–34, faith is no longer something accepted by default due to upbringing or cultural expectation. Instead, they are far more likely to make decisions about religion on their own terms. Personal authenticity carries considerable weight: beliefs must align with one’s values, sense of identity and understanding of the world. If they do not, there is little sense of obligation to remain within the tradition in which one was raised. In this way, faith is becoming more intentional rather than inherited.

This emphasis on autonomy is accompanied by a shift in what faith is perceived to be for. Many young adults now approach faith less as a fixed belief system and more as a personal resource to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing, according to the report.

“40pc of 18-34s that are moving into faith/changing religions are doing so because of a desire for personal transformation or healing. This goes down to 29pc for those older than 35”, the report says.

Younger people are far more aware of their psychological health and are attentive to practices that support reflection and self-understanding. For some, faith offers these benefits, providing space for meaning and emotional regulation. For others, faith is abandoned precisely because it is felt to lack compassion or emotional relevance.

The report also finds that younger adults engage more critically with questions of social justice and global crisis. Many struggle to reconcile such urgent challenges with religious frameworks that seem detached or inadequate.
“Of all the 18-34s that feel that global events have made them feel the world is increasingly unfair, 70pc moved away from faith. Among those older than 35, this is only 48pc”, the report notes.

Taken together, these findings highlight a movement away from socially embedded, inherited religion towards forms of belief or non-belief that are more flexible, personal and self-directed. Faith, where it persists, tends to be reflective and selectively integrated into a broader framework of identity.