I wanted to pursue a further look at the new book, Back-Pocket God, by Melinda Lundquist Denton and Richard Flory, which I examined yesterday the review by Rebecca Collins Jordan. Jordan offers a rather lengthy, thoughtful look at this book, which examines the spiritual interests among the group they call emerging adults. Many of us think about this group as millennials, basically 18-30 years old. I am finding it particularly helpful, since that is the age group I spend most of my time with.
I begin today’s reflection with Jordan’s summary of the book. She says, “It tells a story of western religion, and namely Christianity, no longer posing any real utility in young people's lives.” That offers a clear picture. Religion is no longer of any use to these early adults. It does not mean they don’t believe in God. They are not bashing the church. Rather, they simply write it off as irrelevant. That is a hard pill to swallow if church and religion is important to you.
Jordan continues, “The study suggests that young people have no ill feeling toward organized religion, but no need for it either.” It is a little unnerving when someone---like our kids---tells us they don’t need us anymore. That might even mean they also don’t want us! Two things can ensure. First, our feelings likely are hurt. And secondly, in effect they are saying that what is important to us is not at all important to them. Effectively, they tell us to go ahead and believe and practice all that stuff, but they are not going to be with us.
Jordan is honest in her next step. She allows that many of her questions and issues---since she is close to this age---goes beyond what the book addresses. She observes something I know well. She states, “As an educator, I took note of the many times the study's authors mentioned the significant lack of spiritual or religious literacy and articulateness of the study's participants.” I am with this age group nearly every day during a school year and I can say they are not religiously literate. When I think back on my own college days, I was not highly literate in religious terms, but I did know some of the basics. I knew there was an Old Testament and a New Testament! I had heard of Paul and had read some of the gospels. I cannot count on that anymore.
Jordan then gets creative, which is probably why I like her review so much. She offers a critique of so much contemporary religious attempts to reach out to young people. She lumps much of this into a marketing category. This marketing is driven by the question how to package the traditional message into terms young folks will find acceptable. Jordan says this is not the right way to look at it. The she offers this perspective. “Rather, the scope of the study — a study of people in a certain stage of life — speaks not to a marketing opportunity but to a pastoral void.” A pastoral void is not something I would have thought about.
Effectively, she is saying religiously we are not there for them. I am sure many of us would claim we are or, at least, want to be. But on whose terms are we there? The pastoral work I have done is not usually teaching or preaching---although these do count as part of the pastoral job description. Pastoral care is just that: care. Care is a form of love. Are we there just to love them? No questions asked? No demands made. No hidden agendas allowed.
Jordan suggests we ask questions, rather than do the talking. She wonders, “What need of meaning do emerging adults have that is not met, perhaps not even voiced or expressed, in communities of faith?” As one who has learned pretty well how to ask question, I know that the key is simply to ask the question. Let it be a question. And then wait. Wait patiently. The other person---the emerging adult---will answer. We want to know their answer---what they are thinking, doubting, denying, etc. We don’t want to know whether they will agree with us and come to be with us. Pastoral care is being with them.
I am comfortable with Jordan’s prognosis, general though it is. She suspects, “The future of communities of prayer and faith depends on answering this question without judgment and with patience and attention.” The future of communities of prayer and faith depends on answering this question without judgment and with patience and attention.” In my words being with the emerging adults means asking the questions and letting them guide us by their answers---whatever those may be. Then we can look at the spiritual stuff we have to see if and how any of it may be relevant to them
And beyond relevance is the deeper issue whether what I believe and practice can ever be of any use to them? I should not presume it will be. But I also am confident that if I have anything that really is true and meaningful, then I should be able to communicate it in a new way that might enable them to find it useful in their own way, too. If this can happen, then all ages have a future religiously speaking.
Those of us who have read theology or, perhaps, those who are people of faith and are old enough might well recognize this title as a reminder of the late Jewish philosopher and theologian, Martin Buber. I remember reading Buber’s book, I and Thou , when I was in college in the 1960s. It was already a famous book by then. I am not sure I fully understood it, but that would not be the last time I read it. It has been a while since I looked at the book. Buber came up in a conversation with a friend who asked if I had seen the recent article by David Brooks? I had not seen it, but when I was told about it, I knew I would quickly locate and read that piece. I very much like what Brooks decides to write about and what he contributes to societal conversation. I wish more people read him and took him seriously. Brooks’ article focused on the 2016 contentious election. He provocatively suggests, “Read Buber, Not the Polls!” I think Brooks puts
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