Christian voices are rising again in the public square

Far from fading, Christianity is finding new footing among youth and professionals who refuse to be silenced by secularism

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Pluralism may be eroding Christianity’s cultural dominance, but the faith is far from retreating. Young people, professionals and public intellectuals are quietly driving a resurgence that defies the secular consensus.

That was the takeaway from a recent webinar hosted by Cardus, a Canadian-based think-tank grounded in Christian social thought and known for its work at the intersection of faith, economics and public policy. The event brought together two scholars who argue that despite being pushed to the margins, Christianity still speaks—and is being heard—in the public square.

Dr. Andrew Bennett, former Canadian ambassador for international religious freedom and now Cardus’s director of faith-community engagement, joined Dr. James Orr, associate professor of the philosophy of religion at Cambridge University, for a wide-ranging discussion on religion, politics and public life.

“I’m optimistic,” Orr said. “Since 2020—the year COVID made its appearance—belief in God among 18- to 35-year-olds has tripled. Bible sales have gone up significantly due to the influence of social media or the growth of the digital public square, and in the UK, Catholics are in the forefront of political activism.”

He added that this revival is not just ideological but active. “A disproportionate number of Christians are fighting in the trenches with me in all the political work I’ve been engaged in during the last six years.”

Orr pointed to students born as recently as 2007 who are exploring faith through online platforms, which have become unexpected gateways to religious reflection.

This generational momentum is also reflected in Canada’s professional class, Bennett noted. He pointed to the growth of the Cardus Young Professional Program, a year-long leadership initiative for Christian professionals aged 25 to 34. The program helps participants integrate their faith into both career and civic engagement—a goal Cardus has pursued since its founding 25 years ago.

“From its beginning, Cardus has been drawing from the deep well of Christian social thought to spur the research and dialogue we believe will result in a more flourishing society for everyone. Since we’re marking our 25th anniversary this year, we’re making a special effort to get some good ideas out (to) the public. As part of that effort, we’ve been doing a series of webinars throughout the year to enrich the public discussion on important issues, whether it is about how Christians fit within 21st-century pluralism, the devastating effects of euthanasia or better ways to structure our education system,” Bennett said.

But alongside this quiet renewal, Orr warned of the ideological drift reshaping pluralism itself. Today’s version, he argued, bears little resemblance to its roots in shared moral identity.

“Pluralism today has become disconnected from its Augustinian roots, which were built around the idea of a shared set of values,” Orr said. St. Augustine’s vision emphasized the need for a common moral framework to support civic life and allow diverse communities to coexist peacefully. “Today it has shifted into a mechanism for political action, composed of groups with radically different assumptions concerning the common good.”

He cited the UK’s identity crisis—triggered by the speed and scale of immigration from cultures often at odds with the host society—as evidence of how unanchored pluralism erodes social cohesion.

To recover a workable vision of pluralism, Orr offered a Biblical example: Ruth the Moabite, who pledged allegiance to Israel and its God despite remaining ethnically distinct. “Ruth is still a Moabite, although she pledged loyalty and allegiance to her new country,” he said. Commitment and integration, not relativism, are what make pluralism viable.

Though the historical roots differ, both the UK and Canada are wrestling with how multiculturalism and secularism shape national identity. Canada’s own friction between religion and state is perhaps most visible in Quebec.

There, the principle of laïcité—a strict form of secularism enshrined in Bill 21—has barred public servants from wearing visible religious symbols like hijabs, turbans or crosses. Recent public prayers by Palestinian Muslims outside Montreal’s Notre-Dame Cathedral, framed by some observers and commentators as political demonstrations amid Middle East tensions, sparked calls for an expanded ban on all religious gatherings in public spaces.

Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine condemned the proposed ban, warning it could silence cherished Catholic traditions like the Way of the Cross and the Corpus Christi procession. He called it a discriminatory measure that threatens religious expression in the public realm.

Still, Bennett and Orr remain hopeful. Faith, they argue, isn’t disappearing—it’s adapting to new environments and reasserting its public voice.

“Christianity always buries its undertakers,” Orr said. It’s a reminder, he explained, that every time the faith is declared obsolete, it finds new ways to assert its relevance.

Susan Korah is Ottawa correspondent for The Catholic Register,  a Troy Media Editorial Content Provider Partner.