If you’ve worked with college students for very long, you’ve probably heard the appalling statistics regarding how many students walk away from their faith during their college years — I’ve heard estimates that range from 70% to 85%.
It’s a horrifying statistic — for parents, college students, and all of us who work with and care about this future generation of leaders.
As I’ve tried to wrap my mind around this issue, I’ve often wanted to place the “blame” for this tragedy squarely on the shoulders of these young people. But a recent article from CNN.com suggests that I might be placing that blame in the wrong place.
Kenda Creasy Dean, professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and author of ‘Almost Christian’ suggests that one of the reasons so many young people are walking away from the faith is because of what they have seen in the Church and the adults who ‘model’ faith for them.
More American teenagers are embracing what she calls “moralistic therapeutic deism.” Translation: It’s a watered-down faith that portrays God as a “divine therapist” whose chief goal is to boost people’s self-esteem.
So if this is the kind of faith that many of our students today are arriving on campus with… what are we to do about it?
- How are we countering this mis-understanding about who God is and what God is about?
- How are we creating space for students to encounter the true, living God?
- How can we do it before they decide to walk away?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!
![College Years as Desert Experience [?]](https://i0.wp.com/mentors.faithoncampus.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/desert-150x150.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
4 thoughts on “Mutant Christianity”
I’m currently reading “unChristian”. This puts some research behind why people leave the church and why so many don’t want to give the church the time of day. The older generation says, “We are saved by grace and works alone,” and the gift of confession is ignored. The younger generation says, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? YES!” And they go on sinning in the open. For awhile they still feel like their faith is strong, but slowly the world pulls them away, and the criticisms and condemnations of the churches keep them away. An example borrowed from “unChristian”: Abortion: We scream and fight about how evil it is, but we do very little to love the women who get pregnant out of wedlock and do even less to support our parents who want to adopt but can’t afford it or don’t know how.
Those are my thoughts.
Have you read Soul Transitions by Christian Smith? He thinks that research shows that the drop-out rate for this age group has been consistent over the past 30 (?) years. Then they come back after they start having kids. Not to say that this is any less of a problem because it’s been happening so long (if it is indeed an accurate portrayal of reality), but just another angle to think through. I think there is indeed a significant issue going on here and I think your idea of why is one to indeed look further into. Thanks for highlighting this issue!
Excellent post, when I entered into the support raising phase for Impact Campus Ministries, one of the first books I read was by Dan Kimball “They Like Jesus But Not The Church”. I came away with a similar thought. One thing that needs to be apparent is a real working faith that is lived out. Many who fall away or don’t want anything to do with a church usually have a certain perception about the church, sometimes justified and sometimes not. Some of this may be able to be overcome by a loving body of Christians who are not afraid to live by the same faith they proclaim.
Tom!
Yes, I would hope that this is something all of our ministries strive for, but my question is: how do you achieve it when so many of our students are coming from homes/churches that have not set them up well to do this?
I would think that as attractive as this kind of group might be to the Christian who is trying to figure out if they’re going to intentionally pursue and live out their faith on campus or not, that it could be equally intimidating.
How do you attempt to walk this fine line between something that is authentic and forward pressing, while also managing to be open and inviting to those less interested or engaged in their faith?
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