The Juvenilization of American Christianity
A few weeks back, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Thomas Bergler — professor of ministry and missions at Huntington college, church historian, and long-time teacher of youth ministry to undergraduates — to talk about his forthcoming book The Juvenilization of American Christianity (due out in April but available for preorder now).
In the book, Bergler traces the way in which, over seventy-five years, youth ministries have breathed new vitality into four major American church traditions — African American, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, and Roman Catholic — even as their methods have also engendered widespread spiritual immaturity, consumerism, and self-centeredness, and have popularized a feel-good faith marked by neither intergenerational community nor theological literacy.
The preponderance of pop worship music, jeans, and T-shirts in church services? These, he says, can all be traced to juvenilization. So can the ubiquitous language of “falling in love with Jesus.”
Mission trips. Spiritual questing and church hopping. Modern faith-based political activism. Seeker-sensitive outreach. These now-commonplace elements of American church life all began as innovative ways to reach young people, Bergler says, yet they have gradually come to be regarded as important parts of a spiritual ideal for all ages.
How did this “juvenilization of American Christianity” come to be? Has it ultimately left the churches in its wake stronger or weaker? How can churches keep what is good about juvenilization even as they strive to tame what is perhaps less than good?
Watch Rachel Bomberger’s interview with Thomas Bergler in its entirety today to get a glimpse of Bergler’s answers to these questions and more.
(If — like some of us — you have the attention span of a two year old (ooh! a penny! a kitty! shoes!) and think a fifteen-minute video may be too grueling for you, check back tomorrow. We’ll post a few brief excerpts from the interview for your enjoyment tomorrow morning.)
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June 9, 2012 at 10:37 AM
maurgrace
Thomas Bergler’s comments are interesting to think about but every country has their own culture and their own way of worshiping God. I went to a missionary church for 20 years that wouldn’t change with the times, yet I saw that other cultures worshiped God in whatever way was meaningful to their culture. I wished our services were as lively! I do believe the changes happening in the church today are a result of the changes in our culture. I don’t agree that it makes you less spiritual. In fact the church I now attend would fit into his “juvenile” category but my pastor has a vision to reach our culture with the gospel. After being in a church that refused to change and is now empty I welcome the changes. In the U.S. we have many different choices and ways to worship and to each his own. It’s sad when Christians attack other Christians. Jesus commanded “Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone.” I say – whatever that takes!
February 28, 2012 at 12:41 PM
Nigel Berry
Brilliant! I’ve had the conviction since my days as a student that a simple ‘relationship with Jesus’ would not be a sufficient tie to maintain youth’s connection to the Church post-high school. Consequently, we must enable students to assume a missional perspective for themselves and their community if we desire a higher rate of continuing faith expression to be achieved. Thanks Dr. B for writing this and congratulations! I’ll be pre-ordering several copies. Next time you’re in Ann Arbor… : )
February 28, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Kyle
Is the parenthetical note under the video supposed to be ironic?
February 28, 2012 at 11:41 AM
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Completely. We have a high degree of respect for our readers’ intelligence levels and attention spans — and for their senses of humor.
January 29, 2012 at 7:19 PM
Bob Myers
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Eerdman’s for having the foresight to publish this book. I worked with Tom for five years where I learned to appreciate his work in this area. It is very important and I have cited his idea of juvenilzation for several years in my own area of worship and worship renewal. I hope that it will be widely received. Congratulations, Dr. Bergler!