There has been a surge in popularity in both explicitly religious books and other literary works that reference religious ideas and themes.

Last year, in Britain, there was a 10.5 per cent rise in the sales of books in the “Religion” category, according to figures from the publisher SPCK Group. Bible sales, in particular, are climbing to record highs – up 106 per cent since 2019.

TV personality Bear Grylls’s “The Greatest Story Ever Told” topped hardback bestseller lists last year.

Fiction writers are also more inclined to use religious themes into their stories: the retired priest Richard Coles is finding enormous success with his crime series, The Canon Clement Mysteries. Poet Martha Sprackland is about to release a new translation of writings by the 16th-century mystic John of the Cross.

Penguin Random House recently launched its first Christian imprint, Ebury Vine.

Three of its first four books have charted in the New York Times bestsellers list.

Commissioning editor Charisa Gunasekera believes sales are being driven by Gen Z readers, especially those “who haven’t been raised in religious environments, and are trying to find a deeper wisdom at a time that feels increasingly uncertain. They’re looking for comfort and guidance and peace.”