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As 2024 draws to a close, consider some encouraging signs that God is stirring a spiritual renaissance across the Western world.

Bible sales are up 22 percent in the United States of America, driven largely by first-time buyers, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal.

As the year wraps up, this surprising scriptural statistic can be added to a long list of encouraging signs suggesting a spiritual sea change is underway across the West.

Writing for the Daily Declaration, Mark Powell recently asked if Australia is on the cusp of revival — and provided as evidence the collapsing popularity of the Sydney Mardi Gras, and queues of ‘schoolies’ lining up to be baptised on the Gold Coast.

I hope Mark is right. And as I survey not just Australia but other Western nations, I believe there is more than a little reason for hope.

Celebrity Conversions

Consider just some of the high-profile public figures who have come to faith in 2024, or otherwise made a public return to their Christian roots.

There’s Tucker Carlson, who lived most of his life as a secular Episcopalian until a recent demonic encounter drove him back to the Bible. In the months since, Tucker’s political and social commentary has taken on notably spiritual overtones, and he often now frames current events as part of a cosmic battle between good and evil.

There’s British comedian-turned-commentator Russell Brand, whose newfound faith and freedom in Christ has become a major theme of his social media posts.

There’s actor Rob Schneider, whose conversion to the Catholic faith was first sparked by the “evil” he witnessed take place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In fact, there’s been a string of conversions to Catholicism — including actor Shia LaBeouf, commentator Candace Owens, former porn actress Bree Solstad, and Tammy Peterson, wife of world-famous Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson.

If the last few months of 2023 are included, we can also add the conversion of former tattoo artist and occultist Kat Von D, the baptism of WWE icon Hulk Hogan, and the spiritual and philosophical remaking of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who originally left Islam for atheism but more recently embraced Christ.

Of course, on the basis of statistics alone we can predict there will be celebrity conversions in any given year, but the sheer number and profile of those God saved in 2024 are worthy of special attention.

A Christian Renaissance

Also notable is a shift in public consciousness regarding Christianity. Indeed, it would appear the Christian faith is enjoying something of a quiet renaissance in the public sphere.

This year’s Super Bowl was dominated by outspoken Christians, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and MVP Patrick Mahomes, the team’s CEO and owner Clark Hunt, Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker, and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

Billionaire Elon Musk, UK Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch and atheist Richard Dawkins all variously described themselves as “cultural Christians” in 2024.

There has been an uptick in discussions about spirituality and Christian revival on platforms like X — and even suggestions the United States is entering a “Fourth Great Awakening”.

Those paying attention to politics will have noticed a shift across the West that accords with these underlying spiritual trends — whether the defeat of the pro-abortion Biden-Harris administration, the winding back of “gender medicine” in many US states, the rising popularity of parties promoting faith and freedom in Europe, or increasing pushbacks against secular religions like climate catastrophism and transgenderism.

Another Awakening?

Reflecting on events down under, Weekend Australian columnist Bernard Salt recently wrote:

Godlessness has gained ground in the 21st century, it seems. But I wonder if this isn’t a temporary shift, a tidal flow, that will change in due course; I wonder whether God isn’t still there, biding His time before staging a (glorious) rebirth of faith in Australia.

What if Bernard Salt is right? What if God is stirring a new Great Awakening, not just in Australia, but around the spiritually-starved Western world?

I recently co-authored a book with my friend Warwick Marsh, titled Great Southland Revival, asking this very question. It’s a tantalising thought.

Either way, God is clearly stirring a spiritual awakening in many individual hearts, and we watch with hopeful anticipation at what he will do as the new year dawns.

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Image courtesy of Unsplash.