The Wall Street Journal's Naomi Schaefer Riley reviews James B. Twitchell's Shopping for God:
Choosing a religion, he argues, is much like choosing any other product--from breakfast food to beer. He sets out to determine why the "spiritual marketplace" in the U.S. seems so hot right now, and, more pointedly, why evangelical megachurches have become, well, so mega. His theme can be summed up in one of the book's smug chapter titles: "Christian Consumers Are Consumers First."
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If you can find a way of seeing religion primarily as a form of consumerism--skipping the (how to put it?) faith and truth part of religious belief--then Mr. Twitchell's analysis makes some sense. And in fact there are churches out there self-consciously engaged in marketing. They hire consultants and public-relations experts to "grow" their flock, and they obey a market discipline. Mr. Twitchell notices a sign hanging in Mr. Hybels's megachurch office that quotes Peter Drucker, the business guru.
Jason Janz at SharperIron gives an eyewitness report (complete with photos) of his experience at the recent Christian Bookseller's Association Convention International Christian Retail Show. He asks, "Why do we as Christians, feel compelled to plaster our 'faith' over anything and everything?" (a question I took a partial stab at recently) and offers the following reasons:
- Many people trust that wearing Jesus Junk will result in conversions.
- Many Christians believe Jesus Junk promotes Christian community.
- Many people seem to be in the business for pure commercialism.
He concludes with five thoughtful questions believers should ask before buying more Christianized merchandise.
I don't know. Jason makes a persuasive case but I'm still tempted to get my son fitted for that neat armor of God outfit he photographed.
The New York Times reports on the church-attending habits of American teenagers. According to the article, the practice of attending multiple churches is "particularly pronounced among young people" who, while they may go to church with their families, also participate in youth programs offered by other congregations. The article cites a survey conducted by the National Study of Youth and Religion under the leadership of Christian Smith, author of the book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (about which I blogged here and here).
Many parents are enthused that their children want to participate in religious services even if at another congregation.
Parents also want their children to have an "authentic" relationship to faith, and "if you don't choose it, it's not authentic for you," said Christian Smith, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina and director of the survey on youth and religion. Emily and her parents, who are evangelical Christians, say her decision to attend the megachurch, New Life, reveals the strength of her faith and the profoundly individual spiritual course each believer follows.
"I saw that my parents' relationship to Christ and my relationship to Jesus Christ were different, and my kids aren't going to relate to Jesus Christ the same way we do," said Emily's mother, Tracy Hoogenboom, 49. "And that's to be expected because Jesus Christ is your own personal lord and savior."
Focus on the Family's director of teenage evangelism, Jose Zayas, also expresses approval for the trend: "[Teenagers] gravitate to where they feel a connection. They're more pragmatic than their parents' generation. They look at what works for them. I think it's healthy."
I have to count myself among those who, according to the article, decry this approach as consumeristic. I wouldn't expect the Times to cover this aspect but something I'm concerned about is how this growing trend might adversely affect teens' ability to construct coherent biblical/theological frameworks. When I was a new believer, eager to learn all I could about the faith, I listened to Christian radio every chance I could, sometimes for hours on end. I listened to teaching from a variety of conflicting theological perspectives and wondered how they fit together. I eventually came to realize that such integration was not always possible because the assumed theological systems (which are inevitable) were contradictory in many points. I fear that in many cases, participation in multiple congregations will only contribute to further splintering young minds that are already fragmented. I'd be interested in hearing others' reactions to the article so if you read it please share your thoughts.
