According to recent international research, most teenagers around the world have a positive view of Jesus. The main research question of the research was: “How do today’s teens think about Jesus, the Bible, and justice?” About half of the teenagers who participated in the research see Jesus as someone who gives hope.
The California-based research organisation Barna conducted the research. The organisation conducts research “to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.” A group of partners supported the research, such as Alpha, World Vision, the Bible Study Fellowship, and others.
Almost 25,000 teenagers, coming from 26 different countries around the world and speaking 17 different languages, participated in the study. They were all between 13 and 17 years old. Around half of the participants identified themselves as Christians, while 22 percent said they have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus.
The results of the study show that not many teens think negatively about Jesus. Only four percent of teens think he is hypocritical, six percent thinks he is irrelevant, and 7 percent say he is judgmental. On the other hand, almost half of the participants say Jesus is loving, offers hope to people, and that he cares about people. The perception of Jesus among teens across the world is more positive than negative, according to this research.
The research also shows that many teens who don’t identify themselves as Christian are either very motivated or somewhat motivated to learn more about Jesus. Almost 30 percent of this group said they are very motivated to learn more about Jesus. Almost 50 percent said they were somewhat motivated. This shows that many of today’s teens are very open to the gospel.
The research also studied teens’ perceptions of the Bible and their motivations toward justice. The research is divided into three journals. These journals “help to advance the understanding of teens globally – their identity, values and views – and presents many opportunities for the Church to connect with and empower a rising generation.”
Learn more about the research here.
