The Quiet Revival Podcast: what's the story? – Details, episodes & analysis

Have you heard about a quiet revival happening right here in England and Wales? Church attendance has risen by 50 per cent since 2018, Bible sales have sky-rocketed and young people are returning to church. Maybe you’ve seen the signs for yourself.  

Over the last few months, The Quiet Revival report has resonated with many of you, but this is just the beginning. There’s still so much data left for us to unpack – and insights for us to share. So, now’s the time for you to discover your place in The Quiet Revival. 

This autumn, join Dr Andrew Ollerton, author of The Bible Course New Edition, and Dr Rhiannon McAleer, co-author of The Quiet Revival, for The Quiet Revival Podcast. 

Here, you’ll learn what the quiet revival means for you and your church – and how you can respond to the strange and exciting moment we find ourselves in. We’ll examine key findings from our report, hear from those witnessing the revival on the ground, and equip you to welcome this new generation of people exploring the Bible and finding faith for themselves. 

Subscribe today to listen to The Quiet Revival Podcast as soon as it launches.
 
Bible Society:  

The Quiet Revival Podcast is brought to you by Bible Society, a charity that translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible. We communicate its relevance and invite people to experience the transforming power of Scripture today. Visit our website to find out more. 

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

Is a quiet revival really taking place in England and Wales? And if so, what does this mean for the Church today? 

In the first episode of The Quiet Revival Podcast, Dr Andrew Ollerton and Dr Rhiannon McAleer unpack the key findings from The Quiet Revival report, which shows church attendance and spiritual openness are on the up – particularly among young adults. 

In this episode, we explain our methodology, share significant data from the report, and respond to frequently asked questions about the study. 

So, if you want to find out why the Bible is trending, get inspired by the stories behind the stats, and discover the role of your church in this key missional moment, hit play today.

Timestamps

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:25) - Welcome to The Quiet Revival Podcast
• (03:28) - The Quiet Revival research and methodology
• (05:25) - A shift in spiritual attitudes in England and Wales
• (07:36) - The Church is growing: here’s the evidence
• (08:50) - A fresh openness to spirituality
• (10:32) - Should we call this ‘a quiet revival’?
• (12:06) - What does The Quiet Revival look like for the Church?
• (14:18) - Is The Quiet Revival just a result of immigration?
• (15:29) - Are young people serious about faith?
• (17:13) - The stories behind The Quiet Revival
• (20:49) - Christianity and discipleship in the digital age
• (24:47) - Is the Bible trending?
• (31:34) - What’s the role of the Church?
• (37:38) - What’s next on The Quiet Revival Podcast

The Bible Course New Edition:
This new and improved, free small group resource will help you and your church discover how Bible characters, stories, and themes are connected, from Genesis to Revelation.
Find out more

Bible Society:  

The Quiet Revival Podcast is brought to you by Bible Society, a charity that translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible. We communicate its relevance and invite people to experience the transforming power of Scripture today. Visit our website to find out more. 

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

Why are young adults turning their back on atheism? Suddenly, they’re filling church pews and poring over the Bible. Digital discipleship is on the rise. Young adults want authentic, full-fat faith. What is the Church’s role in the new spiritual landscape that we find ourselves in?

Join our hosts, Dr Rhiannon McAleer, and Dr Andrew Ollerton alongside special guest Justin Brierley, author and podcaster, as they talk about the evolving public perception of Christianity and the Bible.

What has caused the public shift in how people view Christianity? A pandemic that drove us into isolation and reminded us of our mortality? Public intellectuals like Jordan Peterson and Tom Holland daring to explore Christianity with an open mind?

How should church leaders think strategically about shepherding a new generation from curiosity to discipleship? Andrew, Rhiannon and Justin pose genuine Bible engagement as an answer.

Timestamps

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:05) - Introducing Justin Brierley
• (03:00) - Noticing the shift in the public view of Christianity
• (05:10) - Changing perceptions and the rise of Jordan Peterson
• (07:00) - Did Jordan Peterson cause the shift in view towards Christianity?
• (09:20) - The pandemic as a catalyst of spiritual openness
• (14:56) - Traditional apologetics vs the new questions being asked about Christianity
• (18:24) - Changing views towards the Bible
• (22:24) - Full-fat faith: how deep can we go with new believers?
• (26:29) - How does the Church meet the appetite for the Bible?
• (31:30) - Where you can find Justin Brierley

The Bible Course New Edition:
This new and improved, free small group resource will help you and your church discover how Bible characters, stories, and themes are connected, from Genesis to Revelation.
Find out more

Bible Society:  

The Quiet Revival Podcast is brought to you by Bible Society, a charity that translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible. We communicate its relevance and invite people to experience the transforming power of Scripture today. Visit our website to find out more. 

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Justin Brierley:
Visit Justin's website
Justin's YouTube channel
Re-Enchanting podcast with Belle Tindall
Responding to the Rebirth conference

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

Why are young men going to church more? And how can the Church respond to the crisis of masculinity facing today’s Gen Z? 

In this episode, Dr Andrew Ollerton and Dr Rhiannon McAleer are joined by Luke Taylor, Researcher at The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), and John Funnell, Pastor at Noddfa Church. 

Together, they uncover key insights from CSJ’s Lost Boys report – including the startling finding that boys are now more likely to own a smartphone than to live with their dad – before sharing how young men are finding meaning, purpose and connection within the Church. 

Hit play to discover tangible ways that your church can support today’s young men through healthy mentoring.

Timestamps

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:30) - Young men are returning to church
• (02:38) - What The Quiet Revival says about young men
• (04:00) - An overview of The Lost Boys report
• (07:20) - How are young men viewed in society?
• (08:20) - What is causing men to become 'lost'?
• (09:30) - Why are young men returning to church?
• (11:55) - Do voices outside the Church speak louder to men than within the Church?
• (12:50) - Toxic masculinity vs positive masculinity
• (14:15) - Is this indicative of a turn towards conservatism?
• (15:40) - How does the Church help with the crisis of masculinity?
• (19:20) - How can the Church mentor young men?
• (20:50) - Introducing John Funnell
• (23:00) - What is attracting young men to church?
• (27:25) - How are young men engaging with the Bible?
• (32:30) - What questions are men bringing to the Bible?
• (34:30) - Applying the Bible in everyday life
• (36:00) - How do we start talking about the Bible?
• (38:30) - Top tips for helping young men at church

The Bible Course New Edition:
This new and improved, free small group resource will help you and your church discover how Bible characters, stories, and themes are connected, from Genesis to Revelation.
Find out more

What God can do with a little oil: Church Growth in a Desperate Situation
Order John's book

Bible Society:  

The Quiet Revival Podcast is brought to you by Bible Society, a charity that translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible. We communicate its relevance and invite people to experience the transforming power of Scripture today. Visit our website to find out more. 

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

Is Gen Z more spiritually curious than other generations? Why are young adults going to church more? And what does Gen Z need from the Church? 

In this episode of The Quiet Revival Podcast, Andrew and Rhiannon are joined by Michelle and Michael from The Way – a digital ministry reaching young people on social media and on the streets. 

Together, they examine the unexpected rise in church attendance among younger generations – and why this trend isn’t unique to Gen Z. 

Hit play to find out how we can benefit from intergenerational relationships within church, why young Christians are confident to talk about their faith, and how the Church should be a safe space to host difficult conversations about contemporary issues.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:45) - More young people are going to church
• (02:45) - What does The Way do?
• (05:00) - What is going on with Gen Z and religion?
• (11:14) - What is it like being Gen Z in church at the moment?
• (15:18) - How are celebrities giving Gen Z permission to share their faith?
• (17:08) - How the internet is helping Gen Z with their faith
• (20:48) - How does The Way help young people with their faith?
• (22:08) - No frills Bible study – Gen Z don't want fake
• (27:08) - What does Gen Z struggle with around the Bible?
• (30:08) - What does Gen Z need from the Church?
• (36:33) - How can the Church engage young people?
• (43:08) - Mentoring vs discipleship

The Bible Course New Edition:
This new and improved, free small group resource will help you and your church discover how Bible characters, stories, and themes are connected, from Genesis to Revelation.
Find out more

Bible Society: 
The Quiet Revival Podcast is brought to you by Bible Society, a charity that translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible. We communicate its relevance and invite people to experience the transforming power of Scripture today. Visit our website to find out more. 

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

How is the Bible being used in mission today? How are people finding faith through Scripture? And how can the Church host honest discussions about the Bible? 

In this episode, Andrew and Rhiannon are joined by Pete Wynter – senior pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Hammersmith, director of Leadership College London, and founder of One Life.  

Together, they discuss the role of the Bible in mission, share remarkable stories of young people experiencing Scripture for the first time, and highlight why church leaders need to be confident to share the Bible's message. 

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Intro and welcoming Pete Wynter
• (02:20) - The renewed interest in the Bible on the ground
• (04:55) - People are wanting the Bible on the streets
• (09:30) - Is the Church afraid to talk about the Bible?
• (11:00) - The role of the Church in proclaiming who Jesus is
• (15:34) - Recognising the change in missional moment
• (18:34) - How do we raise confidence in the Bible?
• (22:54) - How do we start conversations about the Bible?
• (26:04) - Finding the Bible online
• (29:24) - The Bible is a mission resource
• (31:04) - Moving from personal truth to ancient wisdom
• (34:04) - Young people are wanting deep faith
• (38:29) - Top tips for bringing the Bible into mission

The Bible Course New Edition:
This new and improved, free small group resource will help you and your church discover how Bible characters, stories, and themes are connected, from Genesis to Revelation.
Find out more

Bible Society: 
The Quiet Revival Podcast is brought to you by Bible Society, a charity that translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible. We communicate its relevance and invite people to experience the transforming power of Scripture today. Visit our website to find out more. 

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

In this episode The Quiet Revival Podcast, Dr Belle Tindall – writer and podcaster for Seen & Unseen – and director of Theos, Chine McDonald, join Andrew and Rhiannon to discuss the increase in spiritual interest in England and Wales, and where the Bible fits into that. 

Together, they discuss the popularity of alternative spiritualities and the evolving public perception of the Bible – with 32 per cent of 18–24-year-olds now agreeing with the statement: ‘I’d be happy to be seen reading a Bible in public.’ 

Hit play to discover why we need nuanced discussions of Scripture within the political sphere and why the Church can’t allow in-depth Bible studies to become a thing of the past. 

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:45) - Introducing Belle Tindall and Chine McDonald
• (02:30) - Chine McDonald
• (03:50) - Belle Tindall
• (05:50) - Has the spiritual atmosphere changed?
• (09:20) - The rise in spiritual openness
• (14:44) - Is the Bible still hard to talk about?
• (17:34) - Protectiveness over the Bible
• (19:04) - Nervousness over the use of the Bible
• (21:04) - Navigating the Bible being used in the political arena
• (25:14) - How does the Church model good discipleship?
• (27:44) - Becoming more confident in the Bible without being arrogant
• (31:59) - How can the Church communicate truth into the world?

Belle Tindall:
Find Belle's written work for Seen and Unseen and The Re-Enchanting Podcast with Justin Brierley on YouTube

Bible Society: 
The Quiet Revival Podcast is brought to you by Bible Society, a charity that translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible. We communicate its relevance and invite people to experience the transforming power of Scripture today. Visit our website to find out more. 

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

We are aware that Chine's audio isn't perfect in this episode but we believe that the conversation has a lot of value. Thank you for bearing with us!

#TheQuietRevival #BibleSociety #Podcast #Bible #Faith #Christianity #Church #Culture #PublicFaith #BibleConfidence #SpiritualOpenness #Nuance

The Bible Course New Edition:
This new and improved, free small group resource will help you and your church discover how Bible characters, stories, and themes are connected, from Genesis to Revelation.
Find out more

Is the Church aware of the wider culture’s revived interest in faith, especially among young people? And is it ready to meet them where they’re at? 

In this episode, Andrew and Rhiannon discuss ways of increasing Bible confidence among churchgoers and seekers alike. 

They look at two of Bible Society’s new resources: the new and improved edition of The Bible Course and Andrew’s new book God’s Story which addresses the current dilemma: young people are interested in the Bible but easily put off by its more challenging aspects.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:45) - The dilemma of Bible confidence in and outside of the Church
• (04:45) - Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
• (05:55) - The importance of increasing Bible confidence
• (08:00) - What is Bible confidence?
• (14:10) - Easy ways to build confidence in the Bible
• (16:19) - Trouble understanding the Bible
• (18:34) - Seeing the Bible as a challenge not a chore
• (22:24) - How The Bible Course helps increase Bible Confidence
• (28:04) - Troubling parts of the Bible for young people
• (31:59) - Facing challenging parts of the Bible head on
• (32:46) - God's Book: An Honest Look at the Bible's 7 Toughest Topics
• (36:34) - Highlights of the series
• (40:54) - Key message of The Quiet Revival

The Bible Course New Edition:
This new and improved, free small group resource will help you and your church discover how Bible characters, stories, and themes are connected, from Genesis to Revelation.
Find out more

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.

Take our short survey
Hearing from our audience is so important for us in order to provide you with useful content. We'd love to hear what would benefit you as you lead in this exciting missional moment. We're planning series 2 right now so we'd really appreciate your feedback and ideas to help us shape the future of the podcast.

Join us as we explore ways of raising Bible confidence, hear stories of effective Bible mission and spiritual change.

In this episode, Siân Rees is at Saint Paul’s Church in Hammersmith talking to the senior pastor, Pete Wynter, and Emmanuel, Miacah, Luke and Arthur who are on the team there about high-bar Bible engagement and deep discipleship. 

Pete and Arthur present the Awaken 50 programme, a 50-day journey of spiritual formation and discipleship. They discuss the transformative power of encountering God: spending 50 minutes a day in his presence and 50 days in an accountability group practising spiritual disciplines and reading the Bible.

Andrew Ollerton reflects on how in Luke 5 Jesus switched between modes of communication depending on his audience, and how this might inform our preaching and outreach methods in a new spiritual landscape.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:03) - Paul Williams explains the retraction of The Quiet Revival report
• (03:00) - Introducing this new series of The Quiet Revival Podcast
• (04:30) - What has changed at Saint Paul's, Hammersmith?
• (05:30) - How does the Church handle growth?
• (06:35) - How can we do discipleship and mission differently?
• (09:15) - Increased confidence in mission
• (10:45) - Bible confidence through the head, heart and hands
• (11:40) - Encountering God and awakening the city
• (13:00) - Awaken 50: high-bar spiritual formation
• (17:30) - Encouragement for church leaders for this spiritual moment
• (21:12) - Evangelism on the streets of Hammersmith
• (22:27) - How do we help people engage with the Bible?
• (23:57) - The impact of Awaken 50
• (26:17) - Encountering God in all things
• (28:07) - The impact of encountering God
• (29:27) - Using our unique gifting in discipleship
• (32:22) - Reflections on the interview from Saint Paul's, Hammersmith
• (33:02) - Andrew Ollerton reflection on Luke 5

Everyday Faith Bible

Let Scripture transform every part of your life with the Everyday Faith Bible.
Created in partnership with the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC), the Everyday Faith Bible will help you to:

•  Understand Scripture’s real-world context
•  Relate to experiences and emotions in the passage
•  Respond to what you read with practical action

Key features:

• Up to 1,000 margin annotations throughout the Bible, to encourage ‘head, heart and hands’ confidence in applying Scripture to everyday life
• Real-life stories and quotes from Christian expert practitioners across the UK
• Whole-page introductions to each genre of biblical writing
• Whole-page features on important biblical themes

Bible Society socials:  

Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)

Disclaimer:  

This is a Bible Society podcast, but it’s also a conversation between people exploring the Bible and culture together. We won’t get everything right – and we won’t always agree. Please be patient with us and join us on the journey. Bible Society is very proud of its generous orthodoxy.