The Spiritual Narratives of Generation Z : From Divine Disillusionment to Simple Faith

This book explores how Gen Z narrates faith amid shifting religious practice and influencer culture. Grounded in pioneering research begun at the University of Oxford, it is the first study to use story completion and participatory co-analysis to place Gen Z voices at the center of religious inquiry.

The Spiritual Narratives of Generation Z explores how the first smartphone generation narrates faith amid shifting religious practice and influencer culture. Grounded in pioneering research begun at the University of Oxford, it is the first study to use story completion and participatory co-analysis to place Gen Z voices at the center of religious inquiry. At its core is a typology of five narratives, from Divine Disillusionment to Simple Faith, that uncover young people’s latent beliefs and spiritual aspirations. Combining the breadth of qualitative analysis with the depth of narrative interpretation, this book offers fresh insights into how today’s youngest adults are reshaping the religious imagination, engaging with global religions and philosophies through their smartphones. It will appeal to students and scholars of religion and cultural studies, as well as anyone interested in how young people imagine religious and spiritual role models today.