Generations of Faith

Generations of Faith PDF Author: Carl G. Eeman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1566995310
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 205

Get Book Here

Book Description
In 1991 a pair of Ivy League-educated Californians, William Strauss and Neil Howe, published a landmark book, Generations: The History of America's Future from 1584 to 2069. In Generations and subsequent books, they develop a theory that generational cycles repeat through American history at about 90- to 95-year intervals. In this book, Carl Eeman accepts the invitation of Strauss and Howe in Generations: "We encourage specialists among our readers, whatever their backgrounds, to shed more light on the component pieces of the generational puzzle" (p. 16). Eeman explores the cycle of four generational types from a faith perspective and applies generational ideas to the practice of ministry and to congregational issues. This book makes use of the young field of generational theory and provides a valuable tool for understanding between generations. As congregational leaders minister among the people of God, these concepts will help them be more effective leaders, clearer communicators, and more nimble troubleshooters and problem solvers. Foreword by William Strauss and Neil Howe.

Families and Faith

Families and Faith PDF Author: Vern L. Bengtson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199343683
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 286

Get Book Here

Book Description
Winner of the Distinguished Book Award from American Sociology Association Sociology of Religion Section Winner of the Richard Kalish Best Publication Award from the Gerontological Society of America Few things are more likely to cause heartache to devout parents than seeing their child leave the faith. And it seems, from media portrayals, that this is happening more and more frequently. But is religious change between generations common? How does religion get passed down from one generation to the next? How do some families succeed in passing on their faith while others do not? Families and Faith: How Religion is Passed Down across Generations seeks to answer these questions and many more. For almost four decades, Vern Bengtson and his colleagues have been conducting the largest-ever study of religion and family across generations. Through war and social upheaval, depression and technological revolution, they have followed more than 350 families composed of more than 3,500 individuals whose lives span more than a century--the oldest was born in 1881, the youngest in 1988--to find out how religion is, or is not, passed down from one generation to the next. What they found may come as a surprise: despite enormous changes in American society, a child is actually more likely to remain within the fold than leave it, and even the nonreligious are more likely to follow their parents' example than to rebel. And while outside forces do play a role, the crucial factor in whether a child keeps the faith is the presence of a strong fatherly bond. Mixing unprecedented data with gripping interviews and sharp analysis, Families and Faith offers a fascinating exploration of what allows a family to pass on its most deeply-held tradition--its faith.

Virtual Faith

Virtual Faith PDF Author: Tom Beaudoin
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
ISBN: 9780787955274
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
Reveals the deep and pervasive search for meaning that haunts Generation X. This book is must reading for anyone who would understand the spirituality of young people at the turn of a new millennium.--Robert A. Ludwig, author of Reconstructing Catholicism for a New Generation In Virtual Faith, Beaudoin explores fashion, music videos, and cyberspace concluding that his generation has fashioned a theology radically different from, but no less potent or valid than, that of their elders. Beaudoin's investigation of popular culture uncovers four themes that underpin his generation?s theology. First, all institutions are suspect -- especially organized religion. Second, personal experience is everything, and every form of intense personal experience is potentially spiritual. Third, suffering is also spiritual. Finally, this generation sees ambiguity as a central element of faith. This book opens a long overdue conversation about where and how we find meaning, and how we all can encourage each other in this central human searching. Tom Beaudoin earned his Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University School of Divinity in 1996 and is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Religion and Education at Boston College.

A Faith Of Our Own

A Faith Of Our Own PDF Author: Sharon Kim
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
ISBN: 0813549477
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 213

Get Book Here

Book Description
Second-generation Korean Americans, demonstrating an unparalleled entrepreneurial fervor, are establishing new churches with a goal of shaping the future of American Christianity. A Faith of Our Own investigates the development and growth of these houses of worship, a recent and rapidly increasing phenomenon in major cities throughout the United States. Immigration historians have depicted the second-generation as a transitional generation--on the steady march toward the inevitable decline of ethnic identity and allegiance. Sharon Kim suggests an alternative path. By harnessing religion and innovatively creating hybrid religious institutions, second-generation Korean Americans are assertively defining and shaping their own ethnic and religious futures. Rather than assimilating into mainstream American evangelical churches or inheriting the churches of their immigrant parents, second-generation pastors are creating their own hybrid third space--new autonomous churches that are shaped by multiple frames of reference. Including data gathered over ten years at twenty-two churches, A Faith of Our Own is the most comprehensive study of this topic that addresses generational, identity, political, racial, and empowerment issues.

Generation to Generation

Generation to Generation PDF Author: Yael Eckstein
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780983532767
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
A trade book looking at how the faith values shared by both Christians and Jews are passed on to the next generation through the traditions and rituals associated with Judaism's holy days and observances and what Christians can learn from those practices.

Finding Faith

Finding Faith PDF Author: Richard Flory
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
ISBN: 0813544262
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 245

Get Book Here

Book Description
Despite the masses still lining up to enter mega-churches with warehouse-like architecture, casually dressed clergy, and pop Christian music, the “Post-Boomer” generation—those ranging in age from twenty to forty—is having second thoughts. In this perceptive look at the evolving face of Christianity in contemporary culture, sociologists Richard Flory and Donald E. Miller argue that we are on the verge of another potential revolution in how Christians worship and associate with one another. Just as the formative experiences of Baby Boomers were colored by such things as the war in Vietnam, the 1960s, and a dramatic increase in their opportunities for individual expression, so Post-Boomers have grown up in less structured households with working (often divorced) parents. These childhood experiences leave them craving authentic spiritual experience, rather than entertainment, and also cause them to question institutions. Flory and Miller develop a typology that captures four current approaches to the Christian faith and argue that this generation represents a new religious orientation of “expressive communalism,” in which they seek spiritual experience and fulfillment in community and through various expressive forms of spirituality, both private and public.

Generation Ex-Christian

Generation Ex-Christian PDF Author: Drew Dyck
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 1575675641
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 202

Get Book Here

Book Description
Young people aren’t walking away from the church—they’re sprinting. According to a recent study by Ranier Research, 70 percent of youth leave church by the time they are 22 years old. Barna Group estimates that 80 percent of those reared in the church will be “disengaged” by the time they are 29 years old. Unlike earlier generations of church dropouts, these “leavers” are unlikely to seek out alternative forms of Christian community such as home churches and small groups. When they leave church, many leave the faith as well. Drawing on recent research and in-depth interviews with young leavers, Generation Ex-Christian will shine a light on this crisis and propose effective responses that go beyond slick services or edgy outreach. But it won’t be easy. Christianity is regarded with suspicion by the younger generation. Those who leave the faith are often downright cynical. To make matters worse, parents generally react poorly when their children go astray. Many sink into a defensive crouch or go on the attack, delivering homespun fire-and-brimstone sermons that further distance their grown children. Others give up completely or take up the spiritual-sounding “all we can do is pray” mantra without truly exploring creative ways to engage their children on matters of faith. Some turn to their churches for help, only to find that they frequently lack adequate resources to guide them. This is where Generation Ex-Christian will lend a hand. It will equip and inspire parents, church leaders, and everyday Christians to reawaken the prodigal's desire for God and set him or her back on the road to a dynamic faith. The heart of the book will be the raw profiles of real-world, young ex-Christians. No two leavers are identical, but upon close observation some categories emerge. The book will identify seven different kinds of leavers (the postmodern skeptic, the drifter, the neopagan, etc.) and offer practical advice for how to connect with each type. Shrewd tips will also intersperse the chapters alerting readers to opportunities for engagement, and to hidden landmines they must sidestep to effectively reach leavers.

Dreaming of More for the Next Generation

Dreaming of More for the Next Generation PDF Author: Michelle Anthony
Publisher: David C Cook
ISBN: 1434705366
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Get Book Here

Book Description
Filled with stories from one ministry professional to another, Dreaming of More for the Next Generation includes practical ways to equip parents to partner with the church in faith formation, inspiration and ideas for incorporating remembrance and celebration, creative ways to motivate children and teenagers to step out of their comfort zones and rely on the Holy Spirit, and insight into how God uses each person’s life as part of a unique story that is told throughout the generations.

Meet Generation Z

Meet Generation Z PDF Author: James Emery White
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1493406434
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 231

Get Book Here

Book Description
Move over Boomers, Xers, and Millennials; there's a new generation--making up more than 25 percent of the US population--that represents a seismic cultural shift. Born approximately between 1993 and 2012, Generation Z is the first truly post-Christian generation, and they are poised to challenge every church to rethink its role in light of a rapidly changing culture. From the award-winning author of The Rise of the Nones comes this enlightening introduction to the youngest generation. James Emery White explains who this generation is, how it came to be, and the impact it is likely to have on the nation and the faith. Then he reintroduces us to the ancient countercultural model of the early church, arguing that this is the model Christian leaders must adopt and adapt if we are to reach members of Generation Z with the gospel. He helps readers rethink evangelistic and apologetic methods, cultivate a culture of invitation, and communicate with this connected generation where they are. Pastors, ministry leaders, youth workers, and parents will find this an essential and hopeful resource.

Ten Generations of Bondage

Ten Generations of Bondage PDF Author: Johari Ade
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780982425596
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Get Book Here

Book Description
This updated 2nd edition of Ten Generations of Bondage is the true story about an African American family from enslavement to the 21st century. The Lewis-Green historical account begins in 1740 when a freeborn Violet sues her employer for unjustly keeping her in bondage. It continues to the year 2012 in the midst of the re-election campaign of Barack Obama, the first African American President. Although the family somehow manages to keep the faith over the years, this book takes the reader through unimaginable atrocities that the family must face over the next generations as they journey to the new millennium. The author proves that fact is stranger than fiction as the reader learns the story of Syntha, who was sold at least six times, Kitty, a proud African kidnapped from her homeland and arriving in America in chains and Tom, a Native American who was enslaved while attempting to rescue his wife from it. Even after "freedom" the family must face lynching, murder and many other challenges as they desperately attempt to reconnect their fragmented families. Ten Generations of Bondage keeps the reader engaged as the family navigates through the horrors of slavery, the challenges of emancipation, the degradation of Jim Crow, achievements of the civil rights movements, and the demoralization of modern day racism. Despite the degree or the type of bondage, the Lewis-Green family always manages to keep the faith. This is a must-read for genealogists, family historians, and anyone wishing to explore the richness of the African American Family.