Whether they stem from a place of certainty and presumption or from a place of curiosity and inclusion, opportunities for spiritual conversations are many, Barna’s research suggests.

This article, an excerpt from our latest Spiritually Openrelease—available exclusively in Barna Access Plus—explores how often cross-faith conversations might be occurring and what non-Christians are looking for when having faith conversations with followers of Christ.

Honesty, Care & Understanding—What People of No Faith Hope to Find in Conversations with Christians Relationships between Christians and people of no faith are fairly common—and they often involve talking about Jesus. In fact, 65 percent of people of no faith personally know someone who follows Jesus, and 45 percent say such a peer has talked with them about their Christian faith.

Knowing that cross-faith conversations and friendships are organically occurring, and that they might be catalysts for spiritual openness, it’s wise to examine the intentions, quality and outcomes of these connections.