• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Church hosts talks on trends in faith

JANESVILLE — As religions go, “moralistic therapeutic deism” has a lot going for it.

Well, except for the ridiculously long name that no layperson understands.

Let’s call it “benign whateverism” instead.

Basic tenets include general goodness and obedience to God—but only when it’s convenient. As for the church community, they’re nice people who offer nice activities during the week and a nice selection of cookies after services. Sometimes, there might even be a nice mission trip.

It’s nice to be nice, but it’s not the same as a living, breathing Christian faith.

On Sundays Sept. 20 and 27, the Rev. Steven Ekblad of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 700 North Wright Road, Janesville, is offering a two-part series called “Almost Christian.” The events, which start at 9:10 a.m., are free and open to the public.

The talks are based on the book “Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church,” by Kenda Creasy Dean, a professor of youth, church and culture at Princeton Theological Seminary.

While the talks—and the book—are ostensibly about the faith of young people, their faith often mirrors their parents’ and the values of the larger culture.

“Young people are predominately reflecting the faith of adults,” Ekblad said. “They’re just showing it more vividly.”

In other words, we—grown ups, churches and our culture—have all contributed to those beliefs.

But neither Ekblad nor Dean are interested in sermonizing about the past.

They’re looking for a way forward.

What young people believe

“Almost Christian” is based on the results of the National Study of Youth and Religion, a massive, two-year study of adolescent spirituality. The study, which was led by Notre Dame researcher Christian Smith, found the majority of teens described themselves as “religious” or “Christian.”

But the study also found adolescents were “incredibly inarticulate” about their specific beliefs and instead subscribed to what Smith called “moralistic therapeutic deism,” a faith that encourages us to be nice and feel good about ourselves.

It’s a faith cocktail containing equal mixes of Oprah, Dr. Phil and a cheerful philanthropy.

Churches and parents didn’t mean any harm: They just wanted the best for kids.

“I think it arose out of an instinct of care,” said Dean in a phone interview. “We want our kids to be nice and feel good about themselves.”

It also arose out of a theological “instinct for care,” as well.

“In order to avoid acting shamefully, as the church has in the past, it doesn’t act at all,” Dean said.

And nobody wants to be seen as a “mean Christian.”

Nothing wrong with nice

So what’s wrong with nice? Or a healthy self esteem?

Nothing. Just don’t mistake those qualities for faith.

Dean summed it up in a blog post:

“While the Bible talks a lot about compassion, hospitality, kindness, mercy and justice, it doesn’t say anything about being nice. Same goes for feeling good about ourselves—not a biblical concern. If anything, the biblical writers seem to take self-esteem for granted.”

Ekblad agreed.

“Let’s not use niceness as a barometer in life,” Ekblad said. “Let’s ask what is truth.”

He also wants young people to be able to articulate what they believe, what makes their faith different than others.

A faith based on self-esteem and personal happiness “risks tuning religion into a divinely sanctioned sense of entitlement,” Dean wrote.

Changing culture, gaining faith

The first part of Dean’s book outlines the trend toward “benign whateverism” outlined in the study. But she also considers those teens who have cultivated a meaningful faith life.

What do those teens have in common?

Families who model Christian values and lifestyles, regular attendance at worship services, the support of other Christian adults and education.

She acknowledges, however, that parents and churches can’t make believers.

“That faith isn’t ours to give,” Dean said. “But we can create conditions that are conducive to it. The best way to cultivate your children’s faith is to invest in your own.”