Emerging Worldviews (Part 3)

From Knowing to Experiencing: The Shifts Shaping Faith Today:

For generations, faith was often measured by how much we knew—how many Bible verses we memorized, how well we could explain doctrine, how confidently we could defend our beliefs. But something is shifting. A new generation of people curious about or following Christ are finding that faith isn’t just about knowing; it’s about experiencing.

They’re moving from Bible studies to soul care. From certainty to mystery.

Why? Because real transformation happens in deeper places than our intellect. Faith is not a formula to be solved—it’s a journey to be lived.

Soul Care > Bible Studies

Old Way: Faith grows by studying the Bible and learning theology.

Why did we believe this?
For a long time, faith was shaped by reason and knowledge. The Enlightenment taught people to trust logic, facts, and study. The church followed suit, treating spiritual growth like an academic subject—if you learned enough doctrine, your faith would grow. Bible studies became the center of spiritual formation. If you had questions or struggles, the answer was often, read more Scripture.

What’s changing?
The “old way” approach has been a spiritual formation failure and people are exhausted by trying to manage and control their own faith journey. Anxiety, burnout, and disconnection are at an all-time high. Many are realizing that knowing about God isn’t the same as experiencing God.

Instead of only studying the Bible, faith communities are turning to practices that bring healing and wholeness—things like prayer, silence, rest, and presence. Therapy, spiritual direction, and trauma-informed care are helping people rediscover that faith isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about the whole person.

This isn’t new. It’s actually ancient. Christian mystics and monastics have practiced contemplative faith for centuries. Today, people are reclaiming these rhythms, finding that experiencing God brings more life than simply learning about God.

Mystery > Certainty

Old Way: Faith means knowing the truth with certainty.

Why did we believe this?
We like clear answers. Certainty makes us feel safe. During the Enlightenment, people believed that everything—even faith—could be explained through logic and reason. The church followed this way of thinking, creating theological systems, rules, and apologetics to make faith as clear and certain as possible. The Enlightenment also influenced a new, troublesome way of viewing the Bible.

What’s changing?
We don’t live in a world of simple answers anymore. The internet has made it easy to find different viewpoints, and for every argument, there’s a counter argument. People are realizing that faith isn’t about controlling truth—it’s about embracing the mystery of God.

This doesn’t mean faith is weak. It means faith is alive. The Bible itself is full of mystery—paradoxes, poetry, and stories that don’t fit into neat boxes. The early church embraced this, focusing more on trust and relationship than rigid answers. Today’s generation is rediscovering that mystery isn’t something to fear—it’s where faith thrives.

A Faith That Breathes

The shifts we’re seeing aren’t about rejecting the past. They’re about deepening our understanding of faith.

Instead of just learning about God, we’re experiencing God.

Instead of seeking control through certainty, we’re embracing trust through mystery.

Faith was never meant to be a checklist. It was meant to be an adventure.