After the Baby Boomers : How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion

by Wuthnow, Robert

• ISBN13: 9781400831227
• ISBN10: 1400831229
• Copyright: 2010-03-14
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

Much has been written about the profound impact the post-World War II baby boomers had on American religion. But the lifestyles and beliefs of the generation that has followed--and the influence these younger Americans in their twenties and thirties are having on the face of religion--are not so well understood. It is this next wave of post-boomers that Robert Wuthnow examines in this illuminating book. What are their churchgoing habits and spiritual interests and needs? How does their faith affect their families, their communities, and their politics? Interpreting new evidence from scores of in-depth interviews and surveys, Wuthnow reveals a generation of younger adults who, unlike the baby boomers that preceded them, are taking their time establishing themselves in careers, getting married, starting families of their own, and settling down--resulting in an estimated six million fewer regular churchgoers. He shows how the recent growth in evangelicalism is tapering off, and traces how biblical literalism, while still popular, is becoming less dogmatic and more preoccupied with practical guidance. At the same time, Wuthnow explains how conflicts between religious liberals and conservatives continue--including among new immigrant groups such as Hispanics and Asians--and how in the absence of institutional support many post-boomers have taken a more individualistic, improvised approach to spirituality. Wuthnow's fascinating analysis also explores the impacts of the Internet and so-called virtual churches, and the appeal of megachurches. After the Baby Boomersoffers us a tantalizing look at the future of American religion for decades to come.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables	p. ix
Preface	p. xiii
American Religion An Uncertain Future	p. 1
How to Think about Younger Adults	p. 3
The Population of Young Adults	p. 7
Coming of Age at Forty	p. 9
The Religious Significance of Young Adults	p. 12
A Generation of Tinkerers	p. 13
An Uncertain Future	p. 17
The Changing Life Worlds of Young Adults Seven Key Trends	p. 20
Delayed Marriage	p. 21
Children-- Fewer and Later	p. 24
Uncertainties of Work and Money	p. 28
Higher Education (for Some)	p. 36
Loosening Relationships	p. 37
Globalization	p. 42
Culture--An Information Explosion	p. 44
Summing Up	p. 49
Going To Church--Or Not Who Participates in Congregations?	p. 51
Attendance in Two Time Periods	p. 52
The Reasons for Declining Participation	p. 54
A Closer Look at Marriage and Children	p. 62
Communities	p. 65
Is the United States Becoming Like Europe?	p. 66
The Profile of Regular Church Goers	p. 68
Religious Attendance in Perspective	p. 69
The Major Faith Communities Thinking Beyond Winners and Losers	p. 71
The Significance of Young Adults	p. 72
The Major Faith Traditions	p. 75
Evangelicals and Mainline Protestants	p. 77
Black Protestants, Catholics, and Jews	p. 84
Other Faiths and the Nonaffiliated	p. 86
Beyond Winners and Losers	p. 87
The Bible Tells Me So (I Think) Recent Trends in Religious Beliefs	p. 89
Some Possible Scenarios	p. 90
Decline in Orthodox Beliefs	p. 96
Orthodoxy, with Rising Secularity	p. 98
Countervailing Effects of Diversity	p. 101
Orthodoxy Mixed with Heterodoxy	p. 103
Different Trends among Educational Categories	p. 107
Changing Relationships with Education	p. 108
Different Trends among Faith Communities	p. 110
Spirituality And Spiritual Practices The Role of Faith in Personal Life	p. 112
Church Shopping and Hopping	p. 114
Social Networks	p. 117
Civility	p. 120
Are Converts Different?	p. 123
Seeking Answers	p. 124
Spiritual Practices	p. 127
Music and Art	p. 129
Spiritual but Not Religious?	p. 131
The Nature of Spiritual Tinkering	p. 134
Faith And Family Facing the Difficult Choices	p. 136
Considering Marriage	p. 136
Having Sex	p. 138
Weddings	p. 139
Marital Happiness	p. 141
Parenting	p. 142
Right and Wrong	p. 145
Empathy	p. 148
Threats to Today's Families	p. 149
Seeking Support	p. 151
Religious and Ethnic Diversity	p. 152
Faith Matters	p. 155
The Divided Generation Religion and Public Life	p. 157
The Split between Conservatives and Liberals	p. 160
Civil Religion	p. 163
Voting in Presidential Elections	p. 167
Mixing Religion and Politics	p. 171
Hot-Button Issues: Abortion	p. 173
Hot-Button Issues: Homosexuality	p. 174
The Religious Right	p. 177
War and Peace	p. 179
Why It Matters	p. 180
Emerging Trends Immigration and Ethnic Diversity	p. 183
Hispanic Catholics	p. 183
A Note on Hispanic Protestants	p. 187
Asian Americans	p. 188
Hospitality or Hostility	p. 193
A Closer Look at Church Involvement	p. 197
The Virtual Church Religious Uses of the Internet	p. 201
Religion Websites	p. 201
Social Issues	p. 203
The Internet and Religious Music	p. 206
Staying in Touch by E-mail	p. 207
The Internet and Spiritual Seeking	p. 209
Congregations and the Internet	p. 212
Vital Congregations Youthful and Diverse	p. 214
The Profile of Youthful Congregations	p. 219
Minichurch or Megachurch	p. 221
Alternative Styles of Worship	p. 223
Meeting the Changing Needs of Families	p. 225
Interreligious Programs	p. 226
Opportunities for International Ministry	p. 227
Opportunities for Service	p. 228
A Future for Congregations	p. 230
Appendix	p. 233
The National Young Adults and Religion Study	p. 233
Methodology	p. 234
The Surveys and Other Data	p. 238
Qualitative Interviews	p. 247
Supplementary Tables	p. 251
Notes	p. 255
Selected Bibliography	p. 279
Index	p. 293
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