Gen Z believe Jesus was guilty of "mansplaining" and possessing a "God complex", a baffling new study has found.
The strange revelation emerged from research by a Christian charity which presented scripture to participants that spoke to traditional moral teachings.
Titled "Troubling Jesus", the study was carried out in partnership with the Scripture Union and Bible Society, with financial backing from the Sir Halley Stewart Trust.
More than 40 young people between 14 and 17 years old participated in five reading groups during 2023, where they shared their thoughts on the passages.
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When examining the story in the Gospel of John of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well, one male participant perceived an "unequal power dynamic" at play.
He remarked Jesus "seems like he is mansplaining" and "has a God complex".
A female participant who read the Book of Jonah characterised God as "really violent and aggressive", suggesting the divine-human relationship appeared to be "built on fear".
This interpretation prompted her to raise "concerns about consent and abuses of power".
Young people have become unsettled by ‘mansplaining’ Jesus and God's 'abuses of power'
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For several teenagers in the study, "Jesus is not the liberator from judgment, he's the subject of it. He is a troubling figure. Arrogant, powerful, religiously motivated and male".
The report noted that Christ "places into question the common cultural narrative that everyone has their own truth".
The study identifies cultural conditioning as a key factor shaping how teenagers approach scripture.
Young people have been trained to extract moral lessons from biblical texts – "abstract 'shoulds' that strip stories of their theological depth and emotional power," the report stated.
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Jesus was described as 'arrogant, powerful, religiously motivated and male'
| GettyThis tendency towards "sanitised metaphors about mindset or personal improvement" means that Jesus can "fade into the background".
When presented with the account of the paralysed man lowered through a roof, participants interpreted the message as "you should do what you have to do to make yourself better".
Physical affliction became a metaphor for "underlying issues with self-esteem, confidence and passivity", with the healing that truly mattered being "the healing of your perspective".
The report concluded traditional lessons could not necessarily be applied to modern young people.
Conversely, new data suggests 60 per cent of Gen Z Britons are intending on attending Church this Christmas
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Rather than approaching scripture with predetermined conclusions about what teenagers ought to learn, the study urges religious educators to create room for authentic engagement.
It cautions against "fixed ideas" that risk overlooking the "unique perspectives" young people bring.
"When we resist bringing the 'right' answers, we trust the Spirit to show us something new. Because it's not what we know that young people need, it's who we know, and He is pursuing them already," the report stated.
Conversely, other data his foung Britons are increasingly turning to Christianity as they are "crying out or cultural and moral confidence".
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