NUMB AND NUMB AND NUMB-ER:NUMB-ER:

Youth and Youth and the the

Church of Church of Benign Benign

Whatever-Whatever-ismism

What first caused you to What first caused you to see your life from God’s see your life from God’s side of the clock? Did it side of the clock? Did it

happen in the context of a happen in the context of a congregation?congregation?

THE NATIONAL STUDY OF THE NATIONAL STUDY OF YOUTH AND RELIGIONYOUTH AND RELIGION

Christian Smith, Christian Smith, Soul-Searching: The Religious Soul-Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers

(Oxford 2005)(Oxford 2005)

www.youthandreligion.org

Most consistent findings:Most consistent findings:

• Teenagers aren’t hostile toward Teenagers aren’t hostile toward religion.religion.

““Most religious communities’ Most religious communities’ central problem is not teen central problem is not teen rebellion, but teenagers’ benign rebellion, but teenagers’ benign ‘whateverism.’”‘whateverism.’”

Christian SmithChristian Smith

National Study of Youth and National Study of Youth and Religion Religion (2005)(2005)

Most commonly shared Most commonly shared findings across contexts:findings across contexts:

• Teenagers aren’t hostile toward Teenagers aren’t hostile toward religion.religion.

• Teenagers’ faith mirrors their Teenagers’ faith mirrors their parents’ faith.parents’ faith.

Most commonly shared Most commonly shared findings across contexts:findings across contexts:

• Teenagers aren’t hostile toward Teenagers aren’t hostile toward religion.religion.

• Teenagers’ faith mirrors their Teenagers’ faith mirrors their parents’ faith.parents’ faith.

• Teenagers are “incredibly Teenagers are “incredibly inarticulate” about religioninarticulate” about religion

Most commonly shared Most commonly shared findings across contexts:findings across contexts:

• Teenagers aren’t hostile toward Teenagers aren’t hostile toward religion.religion.

• Teenagers’ faith mirrors their Teenagers’ faith mirrors their parents’ faith.parents’ faith.

• Teenagers are “incredibly Teenagers are “incredibly inarticulate” about religioninarticulate” about religion

• A significant minority claim that A significant minority claim that religion is important to them and religion is important to them and makes a difference in their lives.makes a difference in their lives.

Religion is most significant Religion is most significant for…for…

• Mormon youthMormon youth

• Conservative Protestant youthConservative Protestant youth

• Black Protestant youthBlack Protestant youth

• Mainline Protestant youthMainline Protestant youth

• Catholic youthCatholic youth

• Jewish youthJewish youth

• Non-religious youthNon-religious youth

Most commonly shared Most commonly shared findings across contexts:findings across contexts:

• Teenagers aren’t hostile toward religion.Teenagers aren’t hostile toward religion.• Teenagers’ faith mirrors their parents’ Teenagers’ faith mirrors their parents’

faith.faith.• Teenagers are “incredibly inarticulate” Teenagers are “incredibly inarticulate”

about religionabout religion• A significant minority claim that religion is A significant minority claim that religion is

important to them and makes a difference important to them and makes a difference in their lives.in their lives.

• Most teenagers adhere to Moralistic Most teenagers adhere to Moralistic Therapeutic Deism as their Therapeutic Deism as their unacknowledged religious creed.unacknowledged religious creed.

Moralistic Therapeutic Moralistic Therapeutic DeismDeism

Moralistic Therapeutic Moralistic Therapeutic DeismDeism

•A God exists who created and orders A God exists who created and orders the world, and watches over life on the world, and watches over life on earth. earth.

Moralistic Therapeutic Moralistic Therapeutic DeismDeism

•A God exists who created and orders A God exists who created and orders the world, and watches over life on the world, and watches over life on earth. earth.

•God wants us to be good, nice, and God wants us to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as most world fair to each other, as most world religions teach.religions teach.

Moralistic Therapeutic Moralistic Therapeutic DeismDeism

•A God exists who created and orders A God exists who created and orders the world, and watches over life on the world, and watches over life on earth. earth.

•God wants us to be good, nice, and God wants us to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as most world fair to each other, as most world religions teach.religions teach.

•The central goal of life is to be happy The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. and to feel good about oneself.

Moralistic Therapeutic Moralistic Therapeutic DeismDeism

•A God exists who created and orders the A God exists who created and orders the world, and watches over life on earth. world, and watches over life on earth.

•God wants us to be good, nice, and fair God wants us to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as most world religions to each other, as most world religions teach.teach.

•The central goal of life is to be happy The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. and to feel good about oneself.

•God doesn’t need to be involved in my God doesn’t need to be involved in my life unless I need God to solve a problem. life unless I need God to solve a problem.

Moralistic Therapeutic Moralistic Therapeutic DeismDeism

•A God exists who created and orders the A God exists who created and orders the world, and watches over life on earth. world, and watches over life on earth.

•God wants us to be good, nice, and fair to God wants us to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as most world religions teach.each other, as most world religions teach.

•The central goal of life is to be happy and The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. to feel good about oneself.

•God doesn’t need to be involved in my God doesn’t need to be involved in my life unless I need God to solve a problem. life unless I need God to solve a problem.

•Good people go to heaven when they die.Good people go to heaven when they die.

Is your church being Is your church being colonized by Moralistic colonized by Moralistic

Therapeutic Deism?Therapeutic Deism?

Are you a Moralistic Are you a Moralistic Therapeutic Deist? Therapeutic Deist?

A creed to believeA creed to believe

A creed to believeA creed to believe

•Personal/powerful God-image(beyond cosmic genie and divine guidance counselor)

A creed to believeA creed to believe

•Personal/powerful God-image(beyond cosmic butler and divine guidance counselor)

•Language (verbal/nonverbal)

A creed to believeA creed to believe

•Personal/powerful God-image(beyond cosmic butler and divine guidance counselor)

•Language (verbal/nonverbal)

•Community where language is spoken

A community to belong A community to belong to…to…

A community to belong A community to belong to…to…

•Proximity Proximity

A call to live out…A call to live out…

A call to live out…A call to live out…

•Actions have Actions have

consequencesconsequences

A call to live out…A call to live out…

•Actions have Actions have

consequencesconsequences

•My life makes aMy life makes a

difference in difference in

the worldthe world

A hope to hold onto…A hope to hold onto…

A hope to hold onto…A hope to hold onto…•The world is The world is

going in a good going in a good

directiondirection

A hope to hold onto…A hope to hold onto…•The world is The world is

going in a good going in a good

directiondirection

•I have a part to I have a part to

play in getting it play in getting it therethere

Theological Rocks: Theological Rocks: Foundations for Foundations for

Consequential FaithConsequential Faith•A creed to believeA creed to believe

•A community to belong toA community to belong to

•A call to live outA call to live out

•A hope to hold ontoA hope to hold onto

Creed to Creed to believebelieve

Community Community to belong to belong toto

Call to Call to live outlive out

Hope to Hope to hold ontohold onto

Hitler Hitler youthyouth

God as HitlerGod as Hitler

German German superioritysuperiority

Leadership Leadership schoolsschools

Nazi soldier (to Nazi soldier (to save Germany)save Germany)

Glorious Glorious future of future of GermanyGermany

Boy Boy ScoutsScouts

God and God and countrycountry

Boy Scout Boy Scout LawLaw

Scout troopScout troop Citizen (to lead Citizen (to lead society)society)

Pride and Pride and respect of self respect of self and countryand country

HamasHamas God as AllahGod as Allah

Palestinian Palestinian unityunity

Settlement, cellsSettlement, cells Martyr (to Martyr (to glorify Allah)glorify Allah)

Reunified Reunified Palestinian Palestinian land, entry into land, entry into heavenheaven

Youth Youth ministrministry?y?

What makes youth ministry What makes youth ministry different?different?

Creed to Creed to believebelieve

Community Community to belong to belong toto

Call to Call to live outlive out

Hope to Hope to hold ontohold onto

Hitler Hitler youthyouth

God as HitlerGod as Hitler

German German superioritysuperiority

Leadership Leadership schoolsschools

Nazi soldier (to Nazi soldier (to save Germany)save Germany)

Glorious Glorious future of future of GermanyGermany

Boy Boy ScoutsScouts

God and God and countrycountry

Boy Scout Boy Scout LawLaw

Scout troopScout troop Citizen (to lead Citizen (to lead society)society)

Pride and Pride and respect of self respect of self and countryand country

HamasHamas God as AllahGod as Allah

Palestinian Palestinian unityunity

Settlement, cellsSettlement, cells Martyr (to Martyr (to glorify Allah)glorify Allah)

Reunified Reunified Palestinian Palestinian land, entry into land, entry into heavenheaven

Youth Youth ministrministry?y?

How much does youth How much does youth ministry at your church ministry at your church

actually need Jesus?actually need Jesus?

A CREED TO BELIEVEA CREED TO BELIEVE

Teach the GRAMMAR OF Teach the GRAMMAR OF CHRIST: CHRIST:

Surround youth with those Surround youth with those who talk to God, who speak who talk to God, who speak the faith, who tell the the faith, who tell the stories--who live baptismal stories--who live baptismal liveslives

A COMMUNITY TO BELONG TOA COMMUNITY TO BELONG TO

Foster FAITH FLUENCY.Foster FAITH FLUENCY.

Immerse youth in a baptismal Immerse youth in a baptismal community where people practice community where people practice dying and rising in Christdying and rising in Christ

A CALL TO LIVE OUTA CALL TO LIVE OUT

Practice DICTION.Practice DICTION.

Create opportunities for Create opportunities for youth to participate in the youth to participate in the baptismal life of baptismal life of ministry--to claim God’s call ministry--to claim God’s call for themselvesfor themselves

A HOPE TO HOLD ONTOA HOPE TO HOLD ONTO

Keep YOUR ACCENT. Keep YOUR ACCENT. Live Advent lives alongside youth--Live Advent lives alongside youth--

marked by un-anxious, expectant, marked by un-anxious, expectant, and articulate presence (this is as and articulate presence (this is as countercultural as it gets)countercultural as it gets)

Which rocks are helping Which rocks are helping young people speak of young people speak of

Jesus?Jesus?

Which rocks are Which rocks are precarious?precarious?

Remember your baptism, Remember your baptism, and be thankful.and be thankful.