Young Writer in Residence – ‘My Faith is Not a Monolith’
Our Young Writer in Residence project is a new and recurring mini-series here on the blog, platforming young voices who are all too often under represented in the interfaith space. Our first Young Writer in Residence for Summer 2026 is 17 year-old Guildford High School student Zara Ahmad.
My Faith is not a Monolith
There is a common misconception that each faith, or each faith community, is a monolith: all with the same views and beliefs. However, based on my personal experience, I believe that the only blanket statement we can make about faith is that viewing it as a monolith will inevitably limit our understanding of it.
For example, although there are approximately 2.3 billion Christians worldwide (Hackett et al, 2025), no two Christians will think about or practise their religion identically. Christianity is estimated to contain around 45,000 denominations (Johnson, 2019), and this figure does not even account for the influence of culture, generation, politics and personal experience on individual believers. Therefore, not only does diversity exist between different denominations, but also within them.
One particularly sensitive topic that highlights the variety of opinion within each faith community is LGBTQ + inclusion. If Catholics are treated as a single, monolithic group, we might assume they are broadly hostile towards same-sex marriage. However, surveys indicate that 78% of Catholics in the UK and 61% in the US support same-sex marriage (Diamant, 2020) clearly illustrating the intra-faith differences within the Catholic denomination, We see similar tensions and differing views within the Church of England, in the General Synod’s July 2026 vote on whether intimate same-sex relationships are compatible with Christian discipleship. Although the motion did overall receive more votes in favour, because a majority in all three houses (bishops, clergy, laity) was required, the motion was lost. These examples both demonstrate as a spectrum; even those of the same denomination hold contrasting views.
As a 17-year-old Muslim, I recognise these intra-faith dynamics within my own community as I often hold more liberal views than members of older generations. However, I do not see our differences as weaknesses and understand that they contribute to a more multidimensional community and help strengthen my own values. Engaging with Muslims who think differently to me forces me to question, and therefore deepen my beliefs, in ways that would not be possible we all shared the same ideas.
When describing this dynamic, a line from the film ‘Conclave’, delivered by Ralph Fiennes, comes to mind: ‘If there was only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery, and therefore no need for faith’. Intra-faith differences often create uncertainty by highlighting interpretations of doctrine that can challenge an individual’s beliefs. This uncertainty often encourages individuals to reflect more deeply on what they believe and why they believe it, providing them with the opportunity to develop a stronger relationship with their faith. In this way, the doubt created by difference can reinforce faith rather than undermine it.
Ultimately, these intra-faith differences remind us that no faith is a monolith and that we need to celebrate and uplift these differences to help faith communities to become more diverse, rather than reducing them to narrow and simplistic definitions.
Bibliography:
Hackett, Conrad, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Fengyan Shi and Dalia Fahmy, 2025. ‘How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020.’ Pew Research Center.
Diamant, Jeff. 2020. ‘How Catholics around the world see same-sex marriage, homosexuality’. Pew Research Centre.
Johnson, T.M. 2019. ‘Christianity is fragmented – why?’ Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.