To whom else shall we go? Global evangelicalism and the rise of modern paganism

Evangelicals have long paid attention to statistics and studies which have indicated a “rise of the Nones” (i.e. those claiming in surveys to have no religious affiliation) and the ongoing trends of deconversion or ex-evangelicalism. Rather than indicating a decline in religious affiliation, in this paper I will argue that the worldview winner in the evangelical exodus is modern paganism. In his book “To Be Near Unto God”, Kuyper wrote that “modern paganism soars in vague enchantments.” But, what are those vague enchantments? Camille Paglia has written exhaustively in “Sexual Personae” (Yale University Press, 1990) about modern paganism and the “Western Eye” linking popular art and culture with modern paganism. This paper will explore the definition of modern paganism, evidence supporting the rise of modern paganism among ex-evangelicals, and what may be considered the vague enchantments of the worldview. Evangelical scholars will benefit from understanding a neglected worldview that is growing in popularity and reasons that it may be alluring to those who previously identified as evangelical.