Does Emma Watson Offer a Picture of the Future?

Emma Watson, the actress who brought Hermione Granger to life in the Harry Potter films, is now starring the in Darren Aronofsky’s adaption of the biblical story of Noah. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, she described herself as someone who is “more spiritual than specifically religious.” She went on to say, “I had a sense that I believed in a higher power, but that I was more of a Universalist. I see that there are these unifying tenets between so many religions.”

So here’s my question, in this trend toward a more generalized belief in God rather than adherence to a particular tradition, is Emma a representative of the kind of faith that our children are more likely to embrace? In a recent study of U.S. “Millennials” – those currently aged 18-33 – the Pew Research Center reports that Millennials are less likely than previous generations to identity with a particular religious tradition. While 86% report believing in God, 28% of that group are less sure, a greater percentage of folks willing to admit their questions and doubts than in previous generations. Further, only 36% are willing to identify themselves as a “religious person” – significantly fewer than previous generations – and they report less institutional loyalty than their elders as well.

Before we get too worried, however. Three things to think about:

1) Although Millennials report being lower on “social trust” (convictions about the trustworthiness of the average person) and have had more economic hardships than previous generations, they are also more hopeful about the future. This is a generation that wants to make a difference and believes it can.

2) The earliest Christian witnesses also reported their own share of doubt. Have you ever noticed that in none of the Gospel accounts do Jesus’ disciples greet him with celebration? Instead the typical response to the news that Jesus was raised is doubt and suspicion, even among those closest to him. Doubts and questions have been part of the Christian faith from the beginning.

3) The earliest Christians, we may remember, didn’t call themselves Christians; they called themselves “the People of the Way” (see Acts 9:2, 22:4). They knew they were on a journey and didn’t expect to have all the answers.

It’s not unusual for people to become more religious as they get older, and so Millennials may find themselves more interested in specific traditions as they mature. But I suspect that Millennials will give the Christian story a hearing only if we first offer them a “wide welcome” where we greet with joy and acceptance their questions, doubts, and seeking as much as we do their faith.

If you’re interested, you can view Emma Watson’s comments on faith (and her acting career) in the three-minute clip below:

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