So, I finished the aforementioned book. Much of what was important expounds on the theme I mentioned - “moralistic therapeutic deism.” One of the interesting themes the author mentioned constantly was that, while teenagers seemed quite religious in many ways, they were not the “rebellious spirital seekers” that many seemed to characterize them as - rather, they absorbed their parents’ religions quite readily. The parents, creatures of the “60s” and “70s,” often expounded a tolerant, easy-going approach to religion, which transferred to the children. The author often found the teens without an ability to state their religious beliefs easily, and were nervous when questioned more in depth, due to lack of knowledge. In addition, the author noted that many teens who were members of certain Christian (or otherwise) religious sects (such as Methodist) often held beliefs that would be schismatic / heretical to that sect as it was founded, but also were not aware of that fact.

One of the more interesting sections of the book came at the end, where the discussion focused on how youth group leaders, etc., could get the youth interested. The author recommeded challenging the youth on their belief - pushing them to learn more and seek out the reasons for their faith, and learn to enunciate them. (Interestingly, at about this time, I also happened upon an article laying out differences between an oral society, such as the early Greeks, and the written societies that came after - the written could sustain an extended argument and analysis. The article also argued that we may be reversing that trend in some ways.)

-j.