“Christian faith makes better sense of our desire for justice than a materialist worldview”

The context of conversations about faith has changed in Europe in recent years. With the decline of radical atheism, new generations are actively seeking transcendence and spirituality.

Likewise, apologetics—the art of defending and arguing for the Christian faith—also explores how to respond to concerns that arise in universities, the media, and on social media, in a context of widespread polarisation.

A leading voice in Europe is Dr Amy Orr-Ewing, author of several books on suffering and transcendental questions, who attended the European Congress on Evangelism in Berlin in May 2025.

She is the president of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA) and the co-founder of REBOOT, a youth initiative designed to encourage young people to deeply reflect on their faith.

While in Berlin, Spanish news website Protestante Digital had the chance to talk briefly with her about the changes in apologetics and the 'silent revival' taking place in the UK.

Question. For many years, it seemed that apologetics were focused on addressing the challenges posed by New Atheism. But perhaps the landscape is changing. Do you think things are different now compared to 10 or 15 years ago?

Answer. Yes, absolutely. I started in apologetics in the late 1990s, and at that time the focus was very much on postmodernism, questions about other religions, the idea that no one wanted to be seen as intolerant, that sort of cultural debate.

Then, from around the early 2010s for about eight to ten years, the focus shifted to the New Atheists, and their claims that science had disproved faith, or that the God of the Bible is malevolent or evil in some way.

But just before the pandemic, I believe the landscape in Europe really began to change. Now, we are engaging with a cultural context shaped much more by identity politics, where people are dealing with deep grievances and anger about injustice in the world.

Big questions have emerged around what it means to be human, and the prevailing idea is that we construct our own reality, often based on the intersectional injustices we have experienced.

Our apologetics, how we speak about who Jesus is and why the gospel is true, needs to connect with that deep longing for justice. It must even be able to withstand the rage people feel around things like cancel culture and broader societal issues.

In the apologetics I do today, there is real resonance when we show that the Christian faith actually makes better sense of our desire for justice than a materialist worldview does.

The Christian faith says we are made in the image of God, which means that harming another human being matters deeply.

But if God doesn’t exist, and we’re just atoms or blobs of cells, then why would slavery, colonization, homophobia, or any injustice matter at all? These things matter because people matter. And people matter if they are made in the image of God.

Q. In Europe we are also facing the influence of transcendentalism and rapid technological evolution, both of which are challenging our concept of humanity. Do you think Christianity has something to say?

A. I really do. It is amazing that right at the beginning of the Bible—in Genesis 1:27—it says that God made human beings in His image: “male and female, He created them”.

That means being human is something innate. It’s inherent, God-given, and sacred. It gives us dignity.

[destacate]“Today’s cultural narrative says that being human is something constructed. Bible says you humanity is a sacred gift”[/destacate]Today’s cultural narrative says that being human is something constructed. So if your gender doesn’t align with your biological sex, you’re encouraged to operate or take medication to bring your body into alignment with what your mind says.

But the Bible speaks powerfully into the alienation we all experience in this world including, perhaps, alienation from our own bodies. The answer it offers is to receive the dignity we already have as created beings and to experience the love of God in Christ, who can redeem this broken world, including our broken bodies.

Q. Based on your experience of giving lectures and talking with young people, do you feel that the new generation is more open to the idea of God than before?

I remember when I was in university, almost all my classmates were atheists, and they thought I was…

A. Kind of weird? (laughs)

Q. Yes! Weird. 'You’re religious!' But now I think that's changing. What do you think?

A. Yes, definitely. I think things have shifted. There’s been a big change—certainly in the English-speaking world, and I’d be curious to know if the same is true in Spanish-speaking countries.

There is a renewed longing for certainty and a growing interest in historical truth and faith, particularly the Christian faith, which has so deeply shaped Western civilization.

[destacate]“We are seeing an awakening, especially among young men”[/destacate]With all the recent crises of identity and political instability, we are seeing people searching for answers. Some turn to right-wing ideologies in that search for certainty, but others turn to faith, specifically to Christianity.

We are seeing this especially among young men. This is true both on university campuses and among those working in practical trades like construction. Across all socioeconomic backgrounds, people are showing up in churches, open and interested in God.

I was speaking at a conference in London called The Awakening Project, where a couple thousand young people gathered to pray through the night, seeking the Lord.

The church where I preached last Sunday had six people come to faith that very week. The pastor told me they just showed up and became Christians.

This is happening all the time now. Something has shifted. It is definitely very different from when I was young, that’s for sure.

[photo_footer]Interview during the European Congress of Evangelism in Berlin./ BGEA[/photo_footer]

Q. You have participated in events like this one for many years. What do you think could be special about this Congress? Do you have any expectations?

A. I think it is really special when people called to the ministry of evangelism—particularly those who preach and proclaim who Jesus is—are able to come together. Often, we are on the front lines, answering hard questions in the world, so it is incredibly meaningful to gather with others doing similar work, to hear God’s Word together, and to share fellowship.

These kinds of events can be moments of restoration, when we feel depleted, overworked, or discouraged. My prayer for this Congress is that it will be a time of refreshing and renewal, a time to rededicate ourselves to the next season of ministry.

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