Christian faith hardly plays a role among young Germans, study says

"It is a challenge for the Christian churches to think about how they develop meaning-giving structures that reach young people and that go beyond the traditional liturgical principles," said youth researcher Klaus Hurrelmann on Tuesday at the presentation of the new trend study "Youth in Germany – Summer 2022" in Berlin. Young people are not irreligious, "but they don't reach the Christian churches in their current form," says Hurrelmann.

Youth researcher Simon Schnetzer also pointed out a difference between Muslims and Christians. This reports the Catholic German news portal Katholisch.de. While 52 per cent of those who identify as Muslim said faith was an important part of their lives, only 25 per cent of young Christians surveyed agreed.

According to Hurrelman, religion and in particular the Christian faith hardly plays a role in overcoming crises like the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. Above all, social contacts such as family, friends and the social environment would help young people, said the researcher. Activities that you control yourself are also perceived as helpful and meaningful. Faith and religion, on the other hand, are at the bottom of a long list, says Hurrelmann. The researcher called on the Christian churches, in particular, to be more adaptive to give young people orientation in overcoming the crisis.