While historians largely agree that Jesus of Nazareth was a historical figure who lived in first century Palestine, half of Australia isn’t convinced according to a 2021 survey. This presents an interesting challenge for Christians and churches in Australia.
“There’s so much historical evidence and yet only half of all Australians feel confident to say that Jesus was as real a person as Julius Caesar or Shakespeare or any other historical character” says NCLS Research Director, Dr Ruth Powell.
This presents a challenge when it comes to the Easter message where Christians remember the death and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
While the survey reveals that only 44% of Australians believe in Jesus resurrection from the dead in some way, 26% of Aussie’s said they were unsure or didn’t know what they believed. Instead of feeling discouraged, this presents an opportunity for Christians to share their faith.
Dr Ruth Powell of NCLS Research shared the findings with 96five’s Alex Milne and described how previous research has shown us that Australians are more open to hearing about faith or even attending church if the offer comes from someone they know and care about.
“If you are brave enough to share, they are more open than you realise” says Dr Powell.
Listen to the full interview with Dr Ruth Powell in the audio player above.
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