Something New Is Emerging
We are living through a huge shift in both faith and culture.
Faith – Every 500 years or so, the Church goes through a major transformation. Phyllis Tickle wrote about this in The Great Emergence, explaining that every five centuries, the Church experiences upheaval and restructuring. Think of the Great Schism around 1054, the Protestant Reformation in 1517, and now—our current era of change.
Culture – The book The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy (1997) by William Strauss and Neil Howe describes cycles in American history. The authors argue that history moves through four repeating “turnings,” each lasting about 20-25 years. Here’s a quick breakdown:
First Turning (High): A time of stability and optimism. Institutions are strong, and people work together. Example: Post-World War II (1946–1964).
Second Turning (Awakening): A time of questioning and new ideas that challenge traditions. Example: The 1960s and 1970s.
Third Turning (Unraveling): A period of weakening institutions and growing distrust. Example: The 1980s and 1990s.
Fourth Turning (Crisis): A time of upheaval where old systems break down and new ones emerge—sometimes through conflict, sometimes through reform. Examples from history: The Revolutionary War, Civil War, and World War II.
Strauss and Howe predicted in 1997 that the next Fourth Turning would begin in the mid-2000s.
As someone who studies faith and culture (I even studied this in seminary!), I believe we are in the middle of a Fourth Turning in America and a major 500-year Church reformation.
This is a big deal.
I’ve seen this shift in my own faith journey, in my friendships, and in my work as a coach and pastor. For the past 20 years, I’ve been listening to people’s stories, helping them wrestle with faith and culture in this rapidly changing world.
I bring a unique perspective to all this. My grandfather was a missionary. My uncle was a missionary. I’m a missionary. I’ve lived in four different states and pastored in four very different churches. I’ve started multiple nonprofit ministries to serve different groups of people. I’ve coached over 100 church planters, pastors, nonprofit leaders, and mission-driven business owners across the world. I’ve been part of very conservative churches, and now I work at a progressive seminary.
I have friends from all walks of life. I know their stories. I’ve studied faith and culture deeply.
Even with all this experience, I don’t have all the answers. But I do see new worldviews emerging from this moment of upheaval.
Later this week, I’ll share some of the shifts I’ve I’m noticing in faith. And I believe that what’s happening is actually really good news.
Yes, there are things that make me angry and concerned, but I also see hope breaking through. Light is shining in the midst of the uncertainty.
I’ll leave you with a paraphrase from Phyllis Tickle:
History shows that when the Church goes through these big moments of change, three things always happen:
A new, more vibrant form of Christianity emerges.
The old, dominant form of Christianity is reshaped into something purer and less rigid.
The faith spreads into new places and reaches new people like never before.
This has happened before, and it’s happening again. We’re in a moment of great change, but that also means we’re on the edge of something new and exciting.