Being Human

Crystals, tarot, manifesting and “Witchtok.” Alternative spirituality has become mainstream.

In this episode, Katherine and Peter explain the differences between manifesting and prayer, how crystals are used for specific intentions and why women seem to be turning to alternative spirituality. They also share stories of people buying spells from “Etsy witches,” using horoscopes on dating apps and the rise of Witchtok.

They discuss the roots of this trend - secularism, individualism, and postmodernism and the pick-and-mix spirituality it has created. They conclude by highlighting both the opportunities and challenges for churches: clearer teaching about Jesus, better discipleship and readiness to address occult involvement, including deliverance and spiritual warfare.

 

Show notes:

00:00 Alternative spirituality is now mainstream
01:42 Gen Z spirituality stats
04:06 Celebs on manifesting
05:09 Manifesting vs Visualising
08:38 Manifesting vs Prayer
10:06 What are crystals?
12:51 Witchtok has gone viral
14:54 Etsy Witches and wedding spells
16:40 Why are people engaging in spirituality?
17:20 Cultural stories of spirituality
18:11 the burden of manifesting
19:00 Pick'n'mix spirituality
20:12 No rules, no authority
22:47 Crystals, manifesting then Jesus?
25:35 What's the church's role in this?
29:59 Jesus is the only way
31:04 What about the men?
33:37 Spiritually curious? Try Ethos
35:42 Next episode: the boys are back!

We're back with Season 8 of the Being Human podcast! In this episode, Peter Lynas is joined by new co-host Katherine Brown to explore "spiritual curiosity" across popular culture. From feminists and historians to podcasters and footballers it seems like many people are curious about faith. They discuss the Bible Society’s “Quiet Revival” report and its retraction, while pointing to other research and many UK stories of people praying, buying Bibles, and simply showing up at church. The episode also highlights challenges like pick-and-mix spirituality and online-only discipleship and stresses the value of local church community. Finally, they introduce Ethos, a digital pathway which includes a quiz, personalised insights and suggested Christian practices to help spiritually curious people explore the way of Jesus.

00:00 Celebs are spiritually curious

01:19 Welcome to Being Human

01:42 Meet the new co-host

03:11 The Jordan Peterson effect

05:18 Theo Von and prayer

06:39 Bryan Johnson tries prayer

08:21 Steven Bartlett is spiritually curious

11:24 Feminist author Louise Perry becomes a Christian

13:11 Ayaan Hirsi Ali: from Islam to Christianity

15:08 The Alex O'Connor effect

17:02 Quiet Revival or a loud awakening?

19:44 Stats and stories of people coming to church

23:29 Cultural shifts in faith

26:45 Pick-and-mix spirituality

28:10 Online discipleship challenges

30:27 Why local church matters

32:56 What's next?

35:18 Ethos: for the spiritually curious

37:20 Connect with us online

It's our final episode of Being Human Season 7. Jo Frost, Peter Lynas and special guest Katherine Brown (Being Human’s engagement lead) complete the mini-series with some big announcements. 

We get to know Katherine as she makes her Being Human podcast debut by sharing her story of becoming a Christian at drama school and how she ended up at Being Human. Revisiting the Quiet Revival, the team probes further into some of the themes, trends and motivations for faith exploration. The team use the Being Human Lens to explore how spiritual practices are becoming a popular gateway to faith as things like sabbath, fasting and digital detoxes become commonplace in our culture.

Connect with us on social media
instagram.com/beinghumanlens

Connect with Jo
instagram.com/jofrostie

Connect with Peter
instagram.com/peter.lynas

Connect with Katherine
instagram.com/katherinexbrown

Read more about how spiritual practices are leading people to Jesus
https://beinghumanlens.com/articles/spiritual-practices-are-leading-people-to-jesus 

Do your values and behaviours align? Sign up to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with Ethos

beinghumanlens.com

Phil Knox's Missional Trends for 2026
Missional Trends 2026 - Evangelical Alliance

Find out more about the Evangelical Alliance
eauk.org

Show notes:
00:00 Welcome and Introductions
02:23 Get to know Katherine Brown
04:50 Continuing the conversation on the Quiet Revival
06:30 Faith exploration journeys
15:42 Is there a formula for discipleship?
16:51 Jo's next adventure at OCCA
20:07 Ethos explained
23:38 He tried fasting and found Jesus
28:18 Ethos teaser and sign up
29:42 The journey to faith through spiritual practices
31:36 Jo's final hurrah and plans for Season 8

In this episode, Jo Frost and Peter Lynas jump in to the Quiet Revival research. Unpacking the trends they are seeing emerge between men and women's approaches to faith. Men seem to take a "Jesus plus politics" approach whereas women are taking a "Jesus plus spirituality" approach. Sharing their observations from traveling and hearing stories, they chat about differences across nations and how the church can be equipped to navigate and disciple all of these newcomers.

Shownotes
00:00 Welcome to Being Human: what is the 'Quiet Revival'?

02:21 Bible Society & YouGov Stats: Why the numbers surprised everyone

03:30 Other research confirms the trend (Bibles, students, Belief in Britain)

05:32 Where it’s showing up: regions, church types, and size effects

07:23 Baptisms, attendance, and ‘It’s not my church’

09:41 Public male converts & the politics question: What’s driving it?

10:29 Fear narratives: ‘Where are the men?’ and the discipleship challenge

11:55 Men’s pathways: solo faith, podcasts, and right-leaning baggage

15:15 Women’s pathways & ‘Jesus+’: experiential spirituality vs logic

18:00 Why are women’s stories quieter? Influence, platforms, and blind spots

22:02 Discipling the newcomers: From ‘Third eye’ stories to core formation

24:34 Openness Is Rising, now the church must disciple well

25:30 Identity, community & nationalism: flipping the lens

25:55 How to respond: share your local church story

27:13 Digging deeper: why the ‘quiet revival’ is happening

28:14 Chaos, deconstruction & openness to the Christian story

29:23 From Tom Holland to Jordan Peterson: intellectual, community & spiritual pathways

30:16 Is fear driving faith? What our research found about anxiety & hope

33:28 Viral moments & messy catalysts: funerals, livestreams and unexpected seekers

35:01 Google as evangelist: why SEO, online clarity & welcome matter

36:11 So what do we do? Step into the missional moment

37:54 A real-life nudge: the devotion book that opened a Jesus conversation

39:54 Discipleship in real time: handling messy journeys and public voices

41:56 Final landing: be a non-anxious presence and nurture what the Spirit grows

In this episode of Being Human, Jo Frost and Peter Lynas take a deep dive into the controversial public figure Tommy Robinson, examining his conversion to Christianity and asking how it compares with the well-known faith journey of historian Tom Holland (Dominion).

The conversation explores the growing influence of Christian nationalism in the UK, Robinson’s cultural impact, and the wider debates shaping British society today, including Islam, immigration, national identity, and free speech.

Jo and Peter go on to ask some of the biggest questions facing the UK right now:

Can Britain still be called a Christian nation?

What cultural, political and spiritual forces are redefining that identity?

How should the church respond in an age of polarisation, especially when fear often shouts louder than hope?

00:00 Introduction and welcome

00:27 Exploring fear in relationships

01:36 The tale of the two Tommys

02:03 Tom Holland's journey to Christianity

07:42 Tommy Robinson's perspective

17:45 Fear and identity politics

20:39 Christian Nationalism: definitions and debates

23:52 Tommy's provocative questions

24:45 Christianity's influence on society

25:36 The role of Christianity in modern cities

26:35 Challenges and critiques of Christian values

29:15 Fear vs. hope in Christian response

29:54 Addressing violence and fear

31:14 Christian citizenship and identity

38:06 Navigating fear and relationships

42:51 Conclusion and call to action