Has something similar happened in American Christianity? Has a symbiote taken up residence without our knowledge? Yes, say Christian Smith and Melinda Denton, who are principal investigators for the National Study of Youth and Religion (a study of congregations in seven denominations). They're seeing an alternative faith in American teenagers, one that "feeds on and gradually co-opts if not devours" established religious traditions. This faith, called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, "generally does not and cannot stand on its own," so its adherents are affiliated with traditional faith communities but unaware that they are practicing a very different faith than historic orthodox Christianity.
The money quote for me? "[I]ts adherents are affiliated with traditional faith communities but unaware that they are practicing a very different faith than historic orthodox Christianity."
This is very true. Our western culture has a knack for taking religions and twisting them to our own liking. And we've taught our teenagers to do the same. We're happy that they're in church, that they come to our lock-ins, that they have spiritual experiences on mission trips, and that they sometimes bring their friends. So we don't always notice what they really believe about Jesus.
Dean then diagnoses one of the root issues:
Often adults in church bemoan the absence of teens in worship. But if churches practice MTD in the name of Christianity, then getting teenagers to come to church more often is not the solution (it could make things worse). The solution to MTD is not more faithful attendance, but a more faithful church. This means more than just hiring a youth minister, although a youth minister is an excellent place to begin. Since the study repeatedly points to adolescents' tendency to mirror the religious lives of their parents, nurturing faith in young people means investing in the faith of their parents and congregations. Yes, some teenagers recognize God's presence in their lives even without the advantages of religious parents, active youth programs, attentive pastors or functional congregations. God finds a way. But American churches aren't offering much assistance, maybe because we are serving up MTD to teenagers in the name of Christianity and can no longer tell the difference.
This is the kind of humble, Christ-centered introspection that we need in our churches. Why is it that when things go wrong in youth ministry, we typically blame the teenagers and not ourselves?
Dean then gives some advice on how to combat this issue. Here's my favorite:
Fourth, consequential faith has risks. The love of Christ is love that is worth dying for. Congregations are far more reluctant to ask this kind of faith of teenagers than teenagers are to respond to it. Churches help young people develop consequential faith best when they focus not on who they are—or on the theological brand they want young people to perpetuate—but by focusing on who Christ is calling young people to become as his envoys in the world. [emphasis added]
May this characterize my own leadership at my church. I've got a long ways to go. Make sure you head over and read the whole article, it really is worth it.
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