Priest in traditional vestments entering a sanctuary, symbolising the return of christians to ancient traditions of liturgical worship.

Interest in Ancient Traditions is Rising – Episode 6 | FHLM

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Ancient Traditions Rising – Why Young Christians are Choosing Orthodoxy and Catholicism

There’s something surprising happening across the Christian landscape today. Young people—the generation many assumed would leave the Church altogether—are showing a remarkable and unexpected rising interest in the oldest and most traditional expressions of Christianity. Catholic cathedrals and Orthodox churches, with their incense-filled sanctuaries, ancient liturgies, and contemplative chants, are quietly drawing in a new generation hungry for something deeper.

I’ve noticed this myself—not just as an observer, but as someone whose own journey has led me toward a more traditional expression of faith. And while much attention has focused on statistics and trends from America, it’s important to recognize that this is not solely a North American phenomenon. Young adults across Europe, Africa, and beyond are also rediscovering Christian ancient traditions, and they’re embracing traditions their parents and grandparents may have left behind.

Finding Solid Ground in Uncertain Times

At first glance, this shift might seem puzzling. Why would a generation raised on technology, instant gratification, and constant novelty suddenly turn toward ancient traditions that are old, structured, and slow-moving?

Part of the answer lies precisely in the uncertainty of our times. Young people today have grown up amid economic instability, rapidly shifting cultural norms, and a pervasive sense of spiritual and moral confusion. They’re looking for something that stands firm, something that doesn’t change with each passing cultural moment.

In my own journey, I’ve observed and experienced troubling inconsistencies within church leadership—moments where rules were conveniently ignored when it suited certain agendas, yet enforced strictly at other times. I’ve seen leaders overlook important theological matters when convenient, only to react harshly when challenged or threatened. Such inconsistencies aren’t just frustrating; they undermine trust and create spiritual confusion.

Beyond my personal experiences, I’ve also observed through reading, conversations, and social media how many modern churches, particularly within evangelical and charismatic circles, have become increasingly entertainment-focused. Massive screens, elaborate bands, sophisticated audio-visual effects—these aren’t minor additions; they’re the central attraction in many contemporary churches. The expenses must be astronomical, and the implicit message seems troublingly clear: church is about entertainment, consumer satisfaction, and spectacle, rather than genuine worship of God.

I believe many people today feel profoundly weary of this culture of entertainment and consumerism. We go to church to worship God—not to browse church merchandise, mingle in trendy cafés, or scream and cheer for the latest Christian rock band. Church shouldn’t primarily be about entertaining ourselves or our children with ever more elaborate programs. When worship becomes indistinguishable from a concert or entertainment event, something crucial has been lost.

This growing dissatisfaction, I believe, is precisely why young people are drawn toward the stable and reverent worship found in Orthodox and Catholic churches. Liturgical worship offers a sharp contrast—a worship rooted in mystery and reverence, where the focus remains firmly on God rather than human performance or spectacle. These ancient traditions offer the mystery and stability they crave.

It’s true that the Catholic and Orthodox churches have historically been criticized for their wealth, something I also wrestled with. Yet when we look objectively at their financial activities, we find they consistently direct substantial resources toward charitable endeavors—often significantly more than many high-profile prosperity-gospel or entertainment-driven churches. Despite genuine criticisms and instances of bad publicity, proportionally, these ancient churches often fare better morally than many modern evangelical institutions.

Similarly, while Catholicism and Orthodoxy have faced centuries of criticism for sometimes promoting fear-based teachings (“hellfire and brimstone”), many contemporary evangelical churches have been even more extreme in their moralizing, judgmental rhetoric. The harshness of some evangelical messaging today, amplified online and on social media, can exceed anything heard from traditional pulpits.

Young Christians, deeply aware of these dynamics, are drawn to liturgical churches not because they’re perfect, but because they offer something refreshingly different: stability, reverence, authenticity, and a genuine focus on God rather than human celebrity or entertainment.

Liturgical Worship and the Recovery of Mystery

One of the deepest reasons people are rediscovering ancient traditions is that they’re rediscovering mystery. We live in an age that tries to explain everything, dissect everything, commodify everything. But in doing so, we’ve lost something sacred: the sense of standing before a holy God with awe and wonder.

Liturgical worship reclaims that.

Whether through the steady rhythm of the Divine Liturgy, the visual beauty of icons, or the haunting tones of Gregorian chant, these traditions offer more than familiarity—they offer transcendence. In them, people encounter God not as a concept to master, but as a presence to enter.

For many—including myself—this style of worship has felt like a homecoming.

I didn’t grow up in a deeply liturgical context. In fact, my early experience of faith was shaped more by evangelical influences. But the more I studied, the more I served, and the more I asked difficult questions of the Church and of myself, the more I began to feel drawn toward something older—something rooted in the earliest expressions of Christian faith.

Even while studying through an evangelical organisation that differs in theology from where I’ve since landed, I learned to discern. I learned to ask questions. I didn’t abandon what I’d received—I built on it. And in the process, I discovered a deep love for vestments, structure, symbolism, and the rhythm of the liturgical calendar. It didn’t make my faith more rigid. It made it more grounded.

A Personal Story of Unconventional Calling

I’ve never taken the conventional path in life or ministry.

I was the youngest company director in the history of a century-old business. At one point, I was asking passengers for train tickets—just a few years later, I was leading that very department as deputy. I’ve worked from an office under a staircase (yes, it was tiny!) and kitchen tables. I’ve studied theology as a layperson, as a student, and as someone often seen as not quite fitting the mold. Ancient traditions never seemed important to me.

And now? I’m a stay-at-home pug dad, a ministry leader, and a student of religion and Scripture. My desk has books stacked next to my Bible. There’s a copy of the Nicene Creed framed on my wall. I’ve worshipped in traditional churches, one with incense and chanting, and another organ to accompany the hymns. I’ve also experienced worship online and in contemporary spaces. And as a child in boarding school, I visited my friends’ churches—Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Pentecostal—so I could learn what was meaningful to them.

What all of this has taught me is simple: there’s more than one way to be faithful. There’s more than one way to love Christ, serve His people, and honour His presence.

But what I’ve seen—what I feel so many are yearning for—is a return to substance. A return to reverence. A return to mystery. This rising need for the stability of ancient traditions and rhythms…

Not because old is better. But because Christ is worth it.

Tradition Isn’t Stale—It’s a Lifeline

Some fear that embracing ancient traditions mean going backward. That it’s rigid, stuck, or irrelevant to modern life. But when tradition is alive with the Spirit of Christ, it isn’t a relic—it’s a lifeline.

Young people aren’t looking for stale religion. They’re looking for something real. Something tested. Something that doesn’t just change with the times, but transforms us through time.

And that’s what Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and liturgical Old Catholic communities can offer. They’re not perfect. But they’re not trying to be trendy, either.

They’re trying to be faithful.

To hold space for silence.

To teach that worship isn’t entertainment.

To remind us that holiness is still beautiful.

The Church’s Challenge—and Opportunity

The Church today stands at a crossroads.

Will we keep chasing cultural relevance through spectacle? Or will we return to something deeper—something that doesn’t need lights and smoke machines to feel sacred?

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, RNJB). If our treasure is in building crowds instead of building character, we’ve lost the plot. But if our treasure is Christ—truly Christ—then maybe the path forward is also the path backward: not to nostalgia, but to sacredness.

I believe young people are showing us the way. They’re not asking for less Church. They’re asking for real Church.

Let’s listen.

Let’s not dismiss their hunger for incense, liturgy, silence, beauty, Eucharist, mystery, reverence, and truth as “aesthetic preference.”

It’s deeper than that.

It’s a cry for God.

Let’s be the Church that answers.

Let’s return to what is holy—not just ancient, but alive.

Let’s build sanctuaries, not stages.

Let’s make space for mystery.

Let’s rediscover tradition—not as a costume, but as a calling.

And let’s honour the Spirit who has always moved—through the chants of monks, the prayers of mothers, the icons of saints, and the longing of every heart that still believes Christ is worth everything.

✍️ Writer’s Note

This article reflects my ongoing journey of discovery—navigating the space between contemporary expressions of faith and the mystery, depth, and history offered by ancient traditions. I’m not advocating for one denomination over another, but I am noticing a shift—a hunger among many Christians, especially younger ones, to return to something deeper, more rooted, and more reverent.

To begin this series from the start, read: Returning to the Table: A Call to Authentic Christianity

📚 References

🔍 Further Reading & Supporting Perspectives

📚 Further Resources from FHLM

Explore more tools and reflections on rediscovering Christ-centred worship, tradition, and community:

  • Downloadable Bible studies on Christian worship and Church history
  • Devotionals for deep spiritual growth and rooted faith
  • Practical guides for small groups and sacramental living

Visit our growing collection: FHLM Resource Library

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