Description
Book SynopsisMuch 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 are having on the face of religion - are not so well understood. This book offers a look at the future of American religion.
Trade Review"Robert Wuthnow of Princeton has just published a tremendously valuable book, After the Baby Boomers that looks at young adulthood through the prism of religious practice."--David Brooks, New York Times "In a volume sure to change how pundits and clergy think about religion in the contemporary U.S., prolific Princeton sociologist Wuthnow assembles and analyzes a vast amount of data about the religious lives of Americans aged 21 to 45... Wuthnow argues that our society provides lots of structural support for children and teens, but leaves younger adults to fend for themselves during the decades when they're making crucial decisions about family and work. Though long passages of dense statistics make for a sometimes clunky read, this book is terrifically important."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Robert Wuthnow, [a] distinguished sociologist of religion...focuses on...a group that is not just the harbinger of the future but that already constitutes about half the country's adult population. Wuthnow has a great deal to say about marriage, weddings, marital happiness and parenting [and] describes modest changes in worship services and programs that might help congregations engage young adults, especially unmarried ones."--Peter Steinfels, New York Times "Wuthnow has analyzed an impressive array of data and provided a thought provoking argument about the future, and the present, of American religion."--Matthew T. Loveland, Catholic Books Review "[This book provides] a challenge to think more broadly about the future of the church, assisted by a leading sociologist's analysis of current trends."--Brian D. McLaren, Christian Century "As generations pass and distance grows, so do the values which issues from the body of believers gathered in...the church...Robert Wuthnow's important new book After the Baby Boomers...is a potential wake-up signal, an alarm blast."--Martin Marty, Sightings "Christian leaders who are ready for change will not find a prescription or program in After the Baby Boomers. What they will find is a challenge to think more broadly about the future of the church, assisted by a leading sociologist's analysis of current trends. And they will find something else: a sympathetic voice speaking on behalf of young adults who are highly interested in God, highly in need of guidance and support, highly networked and networkable, highly available to be equipped for vital mission, and largely uninspired by what churches are currently doing...I find myself even more eager to be part of the solution to the problems raised by Wuthnow. Much is at stake."--Brian McLaren, Christian Century "Wuthnow shares the concerns of religious and spiritual leaders because...he understands the great benefits religion provides society...[A] precise study...After the Baby Boomers is a work of social science [that paints] a detailed picture of the lives of young adults today."--Patton Dodd, Shambhala Sun "Princeton University's Robert Wuthnow, the most distinguished sociologist of religion in America today, has presented a timely and important text for pastors and those who are concerned about the future of religious communities in America. After the Baby Boomers offers pastors and church leaders an important text to ponder. Wuthnow places his finger on many issues that the church must confront."--Andrew Root, Word & World "Open any page of Robert Wuthnow's latest book, After the Baby Boomers, and you are sure to find a nugget of data that will add nuance to some of the well-worn assumptions about he religious lives of the so-called Generation X."--Michelle Dillon, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion "Wuthnow's text is a refreshing read... [He] does an excellent job of addressing the cultural shifts that explain why it is the case the young adults are less involved in religious institutions. As a macrolevel study, he astutely ties personal level practices to larger social forces, and tacitly employs the sociological imagination--a skill that non-academic readers could find informative."--Katrina C. Hoop, International Review of Modern Sociology "After the Baby Boomers is a dense but fascinating read; I had trouble deciding which chapters not to assign to my classes... Every chapter of this book contains questions churches and religious leaders must face--and soon."--Kenda Creasy Dean, Theology Today "Robert Wuthnow has analyzed an impressive array of data and provided a thought provoking argument about the future, and the present, of American religion."--Matthew T. Loveland, Catholic Books Review "This is an interesting book... The object lesson in the skillful analysis of survey data is instructive, and the call to focus more analysis on young adults (especially this generation of young adults) is timely and thoughtful."--Anthony J. Filipovitch, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly "Wuthnow's book stands out as a timely, comprehensive, and thoughtful effort. Mixing a tremendous amount of empirical survey evidence with detailed qualitative interviews, the book covers a lot of ground, including emerging issues pertaining to immigration and new technology. Posing a number of smart questions that are ripe for political science answers, it is a sophisticated and yet accessible commentary on the future of American religion that is more than deserving of a place on bookshelves."--Anand Edward Sokhey, Cambridge Journals "The strength of this book lies ... in its careful analysis of a very wide range of largely quantitative data. Wuthnow is bitingly critical of sociologists of religion--particularly rational choice theorists--whose work is long on theory and short on evidence. This volume exemplifies the opposite--long on evidence, shorter on theory and explanation."--Linda Woodhead, Religion Journal
Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables ix Preface xiii Chapter 1: AMERICAN RELIGION An Uncertain Future 1 How to Think about Younger Adults 3 The Population of Young Adults 7 Coming of Age at Forty 9 The Religious Significance of Young Adults 12 A Generation of Tinkerers 13 An Uncertain Future 17 Chapter 2: THE CHANGING LIFE WORLDS OF YOUNG ADULTS Seven Key Trends 20 Delayed Marriage 21 Children-- Fewer and Later 24 Uncertainties of Work and Money 28 Higher Education (for Some) 36 Loosening Relationships 37 Globalization 42 Culture--An Information Explosion 44 Summing Up 49 Chapter 3: GOING TO CHURCH--OR NOT Who Participates in Congregations? 51 Attendance in Two Time Periods 52 The Reasons for Declining Participation 54 A Closer Look at Marriage and Children 62 Communities 65 Is the United States Becoming Like Europe? 66 The Profile of Regular Church Goers 68 Religious Attendance in Perspective 69 Chapter 4: THE MAJOR FAITH COMMUNITIES Thinking Beyond Winners and Losers 71 The Significance of Young Adults 72 The Major Faith Traditions 75 Evangelicals and Mainline Protestants 77 Black Protestants, Catholics, and Jews 84 Other Faiths and the Nonaffiliated 86 Beyond Winners and Losers 87 Chapter 5: THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO (I THINK) Recent Trends in Religious Beliefs 89 Some Possible Scenarios 90 Decline in Orthodox Beliefs 96 Orthodoxy, with Rising Secularity 98 Countervailing Effects of Diversity 101 Orthodoxy Mixed with Heterodoxy 103 Different Trends among Educational Categories 107 Changing Relationships with Education 108 Different Trends among Faith Communities 110 Chapter 6: SPIRITUALITY AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES The Role of Faith in Personal Life 112 Church Shopping and Hopping 114 Social Networks 117 Civility 120 Are Converts Different? 123 Seeking Answers 124 Spiritual Practices 127 Music and Art 129 Spiritual but Not Religious? 131 The Nature of Spiritual Tinkering 134 Chapter 7: FAITH AND FAMILY Facing the Difficult Choices 136 Considering Marriage 136 Having Sex 138 Weddings 139 Marital Happiness 141 Parenting 142 Right and Wrong 145 Empathy 148 Threats to Today's Families 149 Seeking Support 151 Religious and Ethnic Diversity 152 Faith Matters 155 Chapter 8: THE DIVIDED GENERATION Religion and Public Life 157 The Split between Conservatives and Liberals 160 Civil Religion 163 Voting in Presidential Elections 167 Mixing Religion and Politics 171 Hot-Button Issues: Abortion 173 Hot-Button Issues: Homosexuality 174 The Religious Right 177 War and Peace 179 Why It Matters 180 Chapter 9: EMERGING TRENDS Immigration and Ethnic Diversity 183 Hispanic Catholics 183 A Note on Hispanic Protestants 187 Asian Americans 188 Hospitality or Hostility 193 A Closer Look at Church Involvement 197 Chapter 10: THE VIRTUAL CHURCH Religious Uses of the Internet 201 Religion Websites 201 Social Issues 203 The Internet and Religious Music 206 Staying in Touch by E-mail 207 The Internet and Spiritual Seeking 209 Congregations and the Internet 212 Chapter 11: VITAL CONGREGATIONS Youthful and Diverse 214 The Profile of Youthful Congregations 219 Minichurch or Megachurch 221 Alternative Styles of Worship 223 Meeting the Changing Needs of Families 225 Interreligious Programs 226 Opportunities for International Ministry 227 Opportunities for Service 228 A Future for Congregations 230 APPENDIX 233 The National Young Adults and Religion Study 233 Methodology 234 The Surveys and Other Data 238 Qualitative Interviews 247 Supplementary Tables 251 Notes 255 Selected Bibliography 279 Index 293
