Thoughts on rechristianization

Many of us in the contemporary West live in post-Christian societies. Beyond declining church attendance, the hallmark of these societies is the loss of Christianity as the source of moral, intellectual and cultural authority. Christian teachings about human nature are now held in derision. Institutions once shaped by Christian convictions now eschew those same beliefs.

Although the collapse of Western Christianity is of historic scale, the situation is not historically unique. North Africa was a theological powerhouse in the fourth and fifth centuries, producing such leading figures of the church as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine. Egypt, for its part, was the birthplace of Christian monasticism. Asia Minor—modern-day Türkiye—was the heartland of the Byzantine Empire. With Christianity as the state religion, the capital, Constantinople, was home to the Hagia Sophia, the largest church building for about a thousand years.

But in all these places, Christianity weakened over time. Whether by political upheaval, external conquest, demographic changes, or internal division, these once-great centers of the faith witnessed a sharp decline in Christian presence. In some places, these changes transpired within a few centuries. In others, gradual decline occurred over longer timeframes. None of these regions have returned to anything like their earlier Christian witness.

History therefore cautions us against assuming that Christian influence is permanent in any specific location. Decline can and does occur. And once decline sets in, recovery is neither automatic nor guaranteed.

How, then, should contemporary Western Christians think about the possibility of rechristianization? We don’t mean turning the clock back (which would involve repeating the mistakes of the past). Therefore, we preface our response by clarifying what rechristianization is not.

What rechristianization does not mean

By rechristianization, we do not mean the imposition of Christianity by coercion or force. Jesus Himself made this plain:

“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting” (John 18:36).

The kingdom of Christ does not advance by the sword, nor by state power. The historic melding of church and state, still extant in various European countries, is not the path to rechristianization.

Indeed, Jesus explicitly contrasted His kingdom with worldly forms of authority:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them … It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25–28).

The defining feature of worldly kingdoms is force and aggrandizement. They work on a “top down” basis. The key characteristic of Christ’s kingdom is sacrificial service. Influence originates from the grassroots in a “bottom up” fashion.

Rechristianization, therefore, cannot be a return to some of the arrangements the church has made historically. It is neither political control nor majority status.

What rechristianization is

The aim of rechristianization is the restoration of Christian conviction, practice, and witness within a culture.

With that in mind, three keys to rechristianization can be highlighted. The first two are mentioned by Christ in His great commission:

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20a)

Making disciples

The role of the church is to preach the gospel truthfully and completely, in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). The faith was delivered once to the saints (Jude 3); its eternal truth does not change, even if the presentation may need to be adapted to time and place.

While the New Testament demonstrates examples of public preaching of the gospel to society at large, it also teaches a grassroots offering of gospel truth to those willing to receive it. Spreading the gospel is the responsibility of Christian individuals and churches. From there, it is the Spirit who convicts people to respond, repent and become disciples.

Teaching disciples

Spiritual renewal alone is not sufficient for durable cultural influence. Historically, seasons of Christian strength have been accompanied by intellectual depth and doctrinal clarity. The Protestant Reformers, for example, combined spiritual fervor with serious theological and biblical scholarship. They articulated a coherent vision of authority, salvation, and Scripture.

From our perspective, an agreed position across the church on the issue of origins is an important goal to work towards. Any coherent worldview starts with the origins narrative and builds from that foundation. Christian churches should be able to engage with the world around with a clear, consistent message of what mankind was created to be, how the fall of man brought corruption into the world, and how Christ brings redemption. This is partly why we wrote our book Origin—we see it as contributing to the discussion around these foundational issues.

Prayer

A third facet of rechristianization is seen in the apostles’ response to an issue that arose concerning the daily distribution of food in Jerusalem (Acts 6: 2–4). The apostles affirmed that they would “devote [them]selves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Christians have long known that every durable season of renewal in Christian history has been preceded and sustained by earnest, persistent prayer. The bible commentator Matthew Henry (1662–1714) observed in his comments on Zechariah 12:10 that “[w]hen God intends great mercy for his people the first thing he does is to set them a praying”. True spiritual awakening comes through the work of the Spirit, and the ordinary means by which God’s people seek that work is prayer.

The early church was characterized by powerful corporate prayer. We see repeated references to this in the New Testament (for example, Acts 1: 4, 2:42, 4:24–30 and 16:13). And as then, so now: prevailing prayer is essential. In fact, a tell-tale sign that rechristianization is underway in our society will be the increasing priority that the church places on prayer, including corporate prayer.

Some markers of rechristianization

Certain markers have historically accompanied times of progressive Christian renewal. We list several here:

Moral seriousness: The Puritans were marked by an intense concern for holiness, discipline, and the ordering of life under the authority of Scripture. This attitude to the faith stands at odds with a Christianity that becomes casual, comfortable, or indistinguishable from the surrounding culture.

Sustainable sacrifice: The early Methodists exhibited remarkable commitment, endurance, and willingness to bear social cost. A lesson they left for us is that Christianity grows where believers are prepared to give, to suffer, and to persevere over generations. Cultural renewal is rarely achieved in a short space of time. It requires sustained obedience in the same direction.

Christian unity: Division has often weakened Christian witness at critical junctures. Unity does not mean uniformity or the erasure of doctrinal boundaries; it means a shared commitment to Christ and Scripture that transcends factionalism. A fragmented church struggles to shape culture, whereas a church that speaks with clarity, humility, and charity has greater stability.

Doctrinal clarity: The early church was intensely interested in creedal accuracy, a focus which was reprised in the Reformation via catechisms and doctrinal statements. These efforts have been associated with intellectual depth and progress.   

Rechristianization is a major undertaking that requires sustained faithfulness. It would require not only spiritual renewal but the patient reconstruction of intellectual and cultural foundations.

It would require Christian families committed to discipleship across generations. It would require churches that take preaching and Bible study seriously. It would require believers capable of articulating a coherent Christian worldview in public life. These would likely bear fruit only over lengthy timeframes—perhaps centuries.

Conclusion

If rechristianization occurs in the West, it will not be because Christians seized power. It will be because they returned to God in repentance, deepened their intellectual life, cultivated moral seriousness, embraced sacrificial endurance, pursued unity under Christ, and persevered in prayer. Rechristianization will likely be a slow process sustained by ordinary faithfulness rather than dramatic conquest.

Whether the West sees renewal or further decline in the near term, the calling to us as Christians is unchanged: serve Christ, preach the gospel, teach truth, live faithfully, and love one another.

Grace and peace.