Matters of Life and Death Re-enchantment: Why are young people getting back into the weird and the magical?
Mar 18, 2026
They discuss why many young people now prefer being “spiritual” over “atheist,” embracing astrology, crystals, witchcraft and mindfulness. Historical ideas of disenchantment and modernity are explored. The conversation weighs whether this re-enchantment is a chance for churches or a spiritual risk and surveys different Christian responses and approaches to formation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Gen Z Is More Spiritual Than Expected
- Gen Z reports higher spirituality and lower atheist identification than older generations in recent UK surveys.
- Tim Wyatt cites Times data: only 13% of under-25s identified as atheists and 62% said they were very or fairly spiritual, contrasting with older cohorts.
Reformation Brought Useful Disenchantment
- The Reformation both fought pagan animism and reduced magical thinking, which some see as positive disenchantment.
- John Wyatt notes reformers rejected gods-in-every-tree ideas, insisting objects were merely natural, not divine.
Re-Enchantment Challenges Disenchantment Theory
- The disenchantment thesis says Enlightenment modernity removed magic from the world, but recent trends suggest a re-enchantment among younger people.
- John Wyatt traces the idea to Max Weber and Charles Taylor and contrasts pre-modern 'porous' worlds with modern buffered selves.
