In his new book, Faith for the Curious, Mark Matlock builds on Barna’s multi-year Engaging the Spiritually Open research, offering new data and practical insights for engaging with spiritually curious people (keep reading for an excerpt from the book below).

As of November 2023, a remarkable 82 percent of U.S. adults say they believe or are open to the possibility that a spiritual or supernatural dimension exists. Additionally, 74 percent express a desire to grow spiritually, and 79 percent affirm their belief in a higher power. This spiritual openness, potentially heightened by the global events of recent years, represents a significant opportunity for meaningful engagement.

Barna CEO David Kinnaman calls this a “new wineskin moment” (referencing Luke 5:37–39).

“A majority in our midst are open to tapping more deeply into their spiritual life. They’re curious. They are more open to Jesus than we might otherwise imagine,” he says.

Alongside this, the spiritually open are also making it clear where the Church falls short, emphasizing the need for the Church to address the trust gap between itself and those who are spiritual but not religious, including many former Christians.