Perceptions of Jesus, Christians & Evangelism in the UK
From Barna Group:
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday inaugurates 40 days of fasting in remembrance of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness resisting the temptations of Satan. Days like this remind us that Jesus remains a central figure in the American context, a fact affirmed by the number of foreheads smudged with ashes you’re likely to see today—and by research showing that the vast majority of Americans believe not only that Jesus was a real person, but claim to have made a personal commitment to him.
But what does the rest of the world know and believe about Jesus? Although the Church of England is the established state church in England, the UK as a whole is often considered more secular than the U.S. So what do UK adults know and believe about Jesus Christ? What do they think of his followers? How often—if ever—do UK Christians talk about their faith in Jesus? How do both Christians and non-Christians feel about those conversations? The Church of England, Evangelical Alliance and HOPE commissioned Barna Group to find the answers to these and other questions.
Jesus: Man, Myth or God?
You don’t have to be a Christian to believe Jesus actually walked the earth 2,000 years ago, and among the general population of UK adults, this historical reality is a common assumption. Six in 10 UK adults believe Jesus was a real person (61%). Age plays a minor role in that belief—adults 35 and older (63%) are slightly more likely than those 18 to 34 (57%) to believe Jesus actually lived. Younger adults (26%) are also more likely than those over 35 (20%) to believe Jesus was a “fictional character from a book and not a real, historical person.”
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