Almost Christian (A Book Review)

Dean, Kenda Creasy. Almost Christian: What the Faith of our Teenagers is Telling the American Church. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Kenda Creasy Dean is Associate Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary. She worked on the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) and is the author of several books (book cover). Almost Christian is based on Dean's study of the religious lives of American thirteen-to-seventeen year olds through the National Study of Youth and Religion. Her goal was to extrapolate information that would prove beneficial to the church as it seeks to engage youth through targeted ministries (p. ix). She describes the "gist" of what the study revealed when she writes, "American young people are, theoretically, fine with religious faith—but it does not concern them very much, and it is not durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school. One more thing: we're responsible" (p. 3). The study conducted through personal interviews with 3,300 American teenagers between 2003-2005 reveals that most do not possess a compelling faith. They have adopted a "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism." The guiding beliefs of these teens include:

1. A god exists who created and orders the world and watches over life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God is not involved in my life except when I need God to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die. (p. 14)

Dean contends that because the church has failed to inculcate youth with a compelling doctrine, vision of God, and purpose for life that the church is no longer important to youth. They are not hostile to the church because the church is not important enough for them to feel strongly one way or the other. Dean places the blame for this state of affairs at the doorstep of the church who has effectively separated youth from the life of the church as a whole and who has communicated a watered down message "so devoid of God's self-giving love in Jesus Christ, so immune to the sending love of the Holy Spirit that it might not be Christianity at all" (p. 12).

Dean found that most American teenagers have a positive view of religion even though they don't give it much thought. They typically reflect the faith of their parents. They lack the theological language with which to express their faith and evaluate their life experiences. She also found that a small minority of teens indicated that religious faith was important to them and that it was making a difference in their lives. These teenagers were doing better in life on a number of levels when compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, many teenagers believed and behaved in a way that is different from the traditional teachings of most world religions. It is this outlook that Dean labels "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" (pp. 17-21). Almost Christian seeks to answer the question, "How can the twenty-first-century church better prepare young people steeped in Moralistic Therapeutic Deism for the trust-walk of Christian faith" (p. 22)? The book divides into three sections. Section one includes the introductory chapter. Chapter two is titled, "Worshipping at the Church of Benign Whatever-ism." It details the pervasive view of spirituality that elevates a self-help philosophy over traditional Christianity. This shift is the result of a larger shift taking place in Christendom. Teenagers are reflecting the ideas of the church as a whole when they jettison distinctive Christian beliefs and worldview for Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (p. 32). Christianity is reduced to the level of being nice to others which downplays religious differences. It is devoid of a call for sacrifice, service, or a mission in the world. Dean discovered, however, that a small percent of youth were exceptions to the rule in that they were highly devoted to their faith traditions and communities. These young people allowed their faith to permeate their lives finding their identity in their relationship with God (p. 40). They attended religious services weekly or more, indicated that faith was extremely important to them, felt extremely close to God, participated in a religious youth group, prays a few times a week or more, and read Scripture once a week or more (p. 41).

Part two of the book is called, "Claiming a Peculiar God-Story." Dean examines the role of a cultural toolkit in the lives of religious youth. Cultural tools are defined as "symbols, stories, rituals, relationships, and worldviews that we pick up from our experience of the world around us—our default operating system—and we use them to construct meaning and guide our actions in the world" (p. 48). These are distilled into a creed, a community, a calling, and a hope. Dean was fascinated to discover that Mormon youth seem to have a greater capacity for a vibrant faith in their tradition. Mormon youth were more likely to identify with their religion's creed or God-story, their community, the calling in the world, and their hope for a promised future (p. 47). Dean believes the church can learn from the way the Mormon church surrounds their youth with a unique God-story in the context of a larger community of which they are a vital part, compelling them to go to their world with a specific mission, assured of a promised future. This leads to the discussion of cultivated spiritual formation in chapters four and five. Dean notes that the church must recover a missional mindset that calls young people to see themselves as missionaries to the world, employed by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This will enable youth to see faith as a way of life, not merely a set of ethical beliefs (p. 70). To transform the lives of youth we must help them see missions as more than a trip. It must be a lifestyle where young people align their lives with the heartbeat of God for the lost (p. 97). Then teenagers "begin to see the world as a place where God acts, and to see themselves as participants in God's actions" (p. 97). Part three begins the discussion of practical ways the church can deliver youth from moralistic therapeutic deism. First on the list is involving parents. Parents have a profound influence on the faith journey of their children. Chapter six discusses the importance of parents cultivating their own personal faith so they can pass it on to their children. This practice of inculcating young people must be a labor of life, love, and learning. Chapter seven indicates that the church and parents must help youth articulate their faith. This is not only helpful for the youth themselves as they learn to discern their faith. It helps them articulate and discuss their faith with others (p. 146). Doing so reinforces their partnership with the church and its mission in the world. Chapter eight highlights the need for helping students detach from all that would distract them from focusing on Jesus (p. 159). Students need space to connect with Jesus through prayer, reflection, guidance, and transformation. "In other words," Dean writes, "when churches focus on keeping young people active for Jesus, we may forget to teach them how to be present with Jesus" (emphasis author's, p. 169). The final chapter is Dean's call for hope for American teenagers if the church and parents return to genuine Christianity with its vitality and mission.

Almost Christian is a compelling book that will leave the reader concerned, challenged, and inspired. The reader will be concerned at the religious world-view of the average American teenager. What is most disconcerting is that we may see ourselves as the church reflected in the lives of these young people. They have received the faith we modeled for them. They have learned more from what we did rather than what we said. As a result they have adopted a view of the Christian faith that does not reach beyond viewing God as a self-help guru who makes no demands on them other than being nice. This god is not worthy of sacrifice; he exists for the creature rather than the creature existing for him; and he fails to infuse their lives with a mission that sends them into the world to share him with others. This view of God and life may be almost Christian, but almost is not good enough. This is the reason so many young people have a scant integration of faith in daily life. It is why so many think so little of the church. It is the reason so few ever return to the church after they graduate from high school. All is not bleak, however, on the religious landscape of the American teenager. There are small numbers of youth who truly model a vibrant and integrated faith. Ironically, one often has to look outside of orthodox Christianity to find the most devoted youth who have integrated faith and life. Mormon youth seem to have a better grasp on a creed, community, call, and hope that energizes their lives. One who views the results of the study is not surprised to find one of Dean's chapters titled, "Mormon Envy." It is sad that a cult devoid of the power of the Holy Spirit and the life-changing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can capture the hearts and minds of youth in a way that shames the average orthodox faith community. Nonetheless, one has to appreciate Dean's observations on how we can learn from the Mormon Church. We need to return to teaching our students the core doctrines of our faith, enlisting parents in the process as the primary influencers. We must immerse and involve our youth as legitimate partners in the life of the church. We must inspire them with the mission of God that sends us out into a world that needs our selfless and sacrificial service and Gospel witness. And finally, we must give them a hope for a God inspired and guaranteed future that will sustain them through the vicissitudes of life. Parents need to read this book alongside the church leaders. For too long parents have abdicated to the church their role as the spiritual leaders for their kids. This cannot continue if we want to bequeath an authentic faith. One of the strengths of this book is that it addresses an oft overlooked aspect of spiritual transformation, specifically the "arts of translation, testimony, and detachment" (p. 194). Dean is also careful to note that spiritual transformation is not the product of tools, techniques, or training. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a yielded believer. But we must teach our youth the disciplines of spiritual formation if we want them to be devoted followers of Christ. She also calls for holiness in the life of young people that result in moral and spiritual purity, as well as separating the young person for God's use in the world. They must learn to sense God's absolute call upon their lives.

The author's call for the church to rediscover its missional focus is also a welcomed challenge. The reason our youth are living such nice but self-centered lives is because many of our churches are doing the same. Churches have forgotten that the God who sent His Son into the world is the same one who sent us into the world. The Man of the incarnation has come, but the ministry of incarnating the Lord's love is still ours to do. The work of redemption is complete, but the word of redemption is ours to share. The church must learn to live as missionaries in our culture. Young people will not continue to participate in church if it is simply a matter of supporting a denomination or doing religious deeds. They want, need, and deserve a faith that calls them to sacrifice for a cause bigger than themselves and for a God who is truly worthy of worship.

A minor criticism of the book is that Dean does not call for a return to expository preaching that is lacking in so many churches. Much of what passes for preaching today is nothing more that self-help advice couched in spiritual and religious terminology. We have failed to accurately and systematically teach the Scriptures so believers can have a biblical worldview. Youth and their parents need to know the message of the Old and New Testaments and they need to know the major doctrines of the faith. Expository preaching, whether it be verse-by-verse, or handling the Scriptures in context is a practice that cannot be overstated in importance.

If one is looking for a new program to draw youth to church then this book will disappoint. It is not a book of cute methods to keep kids busy or entertained. But if a Christian parent or church leader is tired of an anemic, emaciated "almost" Christianity that leaves our youth on the sidelines of God's work in the world and wants to think deeply about the problems and the solutions then this book will kick-start the dialogue. In this regard, the book fulfills its purpose.