Psychic nights at the local pub, celebrities ‘manifesting’, and “WitchTok” videos attracting millions of views: alternative spirituality has become an increasingly visible part of popular culture.
Now the Evangelical Alliance is encouraging Christians to engage confidently with the world of tarot, crystals, astrology, manifesting and other spiritual practices, while warning that such practices should not be regarded as harmless.
Its new free guide argues that growing spiritual curiosity in Britain presents churches with both a challenge and an evangelistic opportunity, particularly as renewed interest in New Age practices appears to be developing alongside greater openness to Christianity.
Produced through the Evangelical Alliance’s Being Human initiative, the 'Spiritual Curiosity' booklet explores why alternative forms of spirituality are attracting interest and offers biblical, pastoral and practical guidance on responding alongside real-life accounts of spiritually curious people who went on to become Christians.
Co-lead of Being Human, Katherine Brown, said manifestations of spiritual curiosity could increasingly be seen throughout popular culture.
“Whether it is the pub down the road offering a psychic night, Dua Lipa talking about manifesting her Glastonbury main stage or Ariana Grande describing herself as ‘a literal witch’, it’s clear we’re living in a time of real spiritual curiosity,” she said.
The booklet argues that the cultural landscape has shifted significantly from the time in which atheism appeared increasingly dominant.
“The cultural moment we’re living in is one of remarkable spiritual curiosity,” it says, adding that there is in turn greater openness towards the possibility of something more beyond the material world.
The Evangelical Alliance says churches are increasingly encountering people who are asking questions about faith, while some Christians, particularly younger believers, are being exposed online to alternative forms of spirituality.
According to the guide, congregations are seeing an increase in the number of people coming through their doors who have dabbled with New Age practices and this is changing the nature of faith conversations.
“The question for many people is no longer whether God exists; the question now is - which God?” the booklet says.
Among the practices and ideas explained in the guide are angel numbers, astrology, chakras, crystals, karma, manifesting, mediums, psychics, tarot cards, psychedelics and so-called “WitchTok” content.
People engaging with such practices may not officially define themselves as New Age practitioners but rather choose to describe themselves simply as “spiritual”.
From a Christian perspective, however, the resource warns against treating these practices as harmless additions to faith.
“Regardless of where someone falls on that spectrum, though, we see these practices as dangerous and opposed to the way of Jesus,” it says.
The guide traces the rise of alternative spirituality partly to three wider cultural developments: secularism, individualism and postmodernism.
It argues that the decline of traditional religious belief has not removed humanity’s desire for meaning or transcendence. At the same time, individualism has placed greater emphasis on personal autonomy, while postmodern thought has weakened confidence in objective truth.
“Secularism hasn’t produced a generation of contented atheists; it has produced an anxious, morally confused and lost generation with a deep longing that has not been fulfilled,” the booklet states.
It describes the result as a generation that is “spiritually curious” but often lacks a settled framework through which to interpret that search.
The resource also sets out a biblical framework for understanding such practices, beginning with the Christian belief that human beings were created for relationship with God and continue to carry a longing for Him even after humanity’s separation from God through sin.
It characterises New Age spirituality as an attempt to meet desires for meaning, connection, healing and transcendence apart from God.
The booklet notes that Christianity does not regard the spiritual realm as “neutral”, pointing to passages including Ephesians 6:12 and Old Testament prohibitions against practices such as divination and necromancy.
It argues that the early Church itself developed in societies where competing spiritual and religious practices were widespread, making the present cultural environment less unprecedented than it might appear.
At the same time, the guide cautions Christians against hostility.
“The people we are trying to reach are not our enemies,” it says. “They are fellow image bearers who are searching and longing for meaning, life, truth, healing and answers, but they have been handed down counterfeits that could never satisfy. We know the One who can, and so we have a real opportunity to make Jesus known in this time.”
Brown urged Christians not to respond with fear: “We should be confident that we have good news and a better story to offer a searching and spiritually open culture, and this resource is a great tool to help build that confidence.”
The practical section of the booklet encourages churches and Christians to prioritise relationships, a warm welcome, time for questions, sharing testimonies, regular prayer and conversations around how to approach healing and deliverance.
It also stresses that conversion should not be presented as simply adding Jesus to an existing collection of spiritual practices.
“You cannot hold Christ in one hand and New Age practices in the other,” the booklet says. “Jesus requires total allegiance and obedience to His will and way.”
The Evangelical Alliance says its aim is for Christians to approach the current moment with both theological clarity and compassion, rather than dismissing the spiritual questions being asked around them.
Head of mission at the Evangelical Alliance, Rachael Heffer, said: “Recognising that so many are open to conversations, spiritually curious, and that our conversations have impact, we hope that this resource will provide individuals and church communities with greater confidence to share Jesus with those who are searching for truth and meaning.”
