Book Review: Almost Christian by Kenda Creasy Dean

Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church by Kenda Creasy Dean

In Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean responds to the alarming results of the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). The NSYR was a comprehensive study of "religious" American teens earning notoriety in Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton's book Soul Searching. Christian Smith used the term "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" to best describe the religion that most American teens fall under, a religion that has nothing to do with the Christian faith. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism defines the religion that has completely saturated churches throughout America where believers worship a god that created the world, wants people to get along, wants people to be happy, remains in the background unless summoned during trials, and only throws really, really, really bad people into a prison called "hell". Unfortunately for the Christian church, many churches that teach Moralistic Therapeutic Deism call themselves Christian churches and those that attend also call themselves Christians.

The first couple of chapters are very enlightening and alarming. Dean first outlines the results of the NSYR, what they say about American teenagers, and what they say about the future of the American church. To say the least, the findings are alarming. The most alarming finding is that American teenagers that remain in the church after their sophomore year of college (a very low percentage) typically follow in their parent's footsteps, and that's not a good thing as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism saturates the church today. Unfortunately, most teenagers today would call themselves religious and Christians, but very few of them are able to define, confess, or describe what they believe. To most of today's teens, religion is good thing, but not a "big deal". As 80% of the American population calls themselves Christian, the NSYR did a good job of showing that the label is being misused and misapplied grossly in regards to our nation's young people who cannot really explain what Christianity is (and those few that can miss the mark completely, describing a traditional works based moralism that is more similar to Roman Catholicism).

Dean goes on to outline what separates the "highly devoted" teens from the rest. Dean describes why the NSYR found that Mormon teens are faring the best in regards to being highly devoted, knowing what they believe, and setting a foundation within the church that encourages young people to take their beliefs seriously. Dean rightly recognizes that it all comes down to catechesis -- not only in the church but in the home. She recognizes a stark contrast between Mormon teens that attend "seminary" every morning before their school studies and protestant teens who attend church only every once in a long while

Sadly, although Dean seems to be headed in the right direction, the last few chapters of her book take a nose dive. After recognizing the real need in the church for catechesis in the church and in the home, she goes in a direction that I find unwise to follow. Although many of her suggestions are somewhat valid, it is evident that Dean is approaching this problem from within the box that the problem has been created in. Unfortunately, Dean references very little Scripture in order to substantiate and reference her ideas. Instead, she only references her experiences as a youth pastor and seminary professor of youth ministries. Although she seems very capable and knowledgeable about youth programs, Dean seems to dance right around what I recognize as the pivotal problem among youth in the Christian church today -- they're progressively Bibleless.

I do not assume that my experiences as a youth are at all the norm and can substantially describe the majority of teens within the church. However, I also do not assume that my experiences were outlandish and dissimilar to the majority of teens. Growing up in the Evangelical Free Church, I know firsthand how detrimental it is to the faith of teens to try to make Christianity relevant, hip, cool, appealing, and marketable to teens by watering down the message, serving it lukewarm, and expecting youth to come back for seconds. The church today does not seem to take children and youth seriously, and much of that probably has to do with our culture's diminishing views of maturity and teen responsibilities. More alarming, however, is that youth programs look for everything new under the sun in order to make their ministry more appealing to teens to get them in the door, but once in the door, they throw the grace of God out the window and expect to assimilate youth into the church through fun activites, junk food, meaningless evangelism, and "big brother" or "big sister" experiences.

I feel it is safe to say that the modern American church is focusing and niche marketing towards teens so much that we are completely oblivious that the reason American teens are leaving the church is because the church is trying too hard to appeal to them. Dean suggests better youth programs and ministries. I would suggest fewer. Stop isolating and removing teens from the whole body of believers within the congregation during the preaching and teaching of the Word. Likewise, stop approaching teenagers as rebellious, alien, foreign entities within the church (as if the Word of God has no effect on them and more "extreme" tools are required to reach their hardened hearts with force fields). The church today gives teens everything we think they need, but neglect the greatest tool we have at our fingertips. Throughout my experiences within youth groups, over half of those attending did not bring their Bible, and all who attended did not need their Bibles. The message was "Jesus loves you so love others too" and I guess that message just comes naturally to people (sarcasm intended).

During my experiences, we went on camp outs, short term missions trips were conducted every year in Mexico, we met once a week for Bible studies and prayer group, and once a month we were invited to a mega-church's youth ministry called "Surge" (named after the Mountain Dew wannabe soda). I remember being sixteen years old and just dying to read the Bible and hear the Word preached. My parents can attest to this because at one phase in my life they were surprised to find me adamant that I desired to sit in during the adult service. Thankfully, my family left the EV Free Church and became members of the RPCNA. Needless to say, I had a lot of learning to do as I attended Sabbath School classes for high-schoolers where we were going through the shorter catechism. I quickly learned and determined that I was Christian illiterate. Not only did I not know Biblical terminology, Biblical doctrines, and essential truths, but I hardly knew the books of the Bible. Although I had a Bible for every year of my teenage life, no youth pastor, youth ministry, or youth program had ever truly challenged me to open my Bible and read it. The few times I remember reading the Bible during out "Bible" studies was for isolating a portion of Scripture and watering it way down to a Moralistic Therapeutic usage. Youth groups love to try and make the Bible practical without making it applicable. Over and over, we were encouraged to listen and heed what the Bible had to say on every minute situation we were going through as teens, but the entire message of the Bible that we were fallen sinners desperately in need of a Savior to make atonement for our sins through His death on the cross was not very applicable to teenagers. Perhaps we were viewed as too young or too stupid to grasp the truths of the Word, but whatever the perception may be, the perception is pushing more teens out of the church rather than pulling them in.

From my past experiences in youth groups, I determined that almost all of my interactions with numerous youth groups had one thing in common: no Bible necessary. I think this is where Dean and my views on the main problem amongst American teens differ. Dean rightly recognizes that many parents in the church are dropping the ball when it comes to leading their children in the Christian faith, teaching them what the Scriptures teach, and helping them deal with problems with a Christian perspective on life. However, Dean does not recognize how to fix this problem from a Scriptural standpoint. Quite honestly, I found the last part of her book very hard to read because it sounded too much like sociological mumbo jumbo and not enough like ideas that were consistently followed by Scripture proof texts.

In one of her last chapters, Dean narrates the story of a young girl that went on a short term mission trip as a nominal Christian and returned as a "highly devoted" teenager Christian. Throughout the mission, the teens were encouraged to keep a journal and to write about their perceptions of the world and how their involvement with the mission is starting to change that perception. At the end of the mission trip, all of the teens are encouraged to go home, find something that they treasure the most, and to give it to someone else. The girl struggles to find what she treasures that she could give up and others would appreciate it. In a touchy, feely fashion, Dean narrates how the girl gives up her journal entries to her youth pastor. I have heard similar stories and have had very similar experiences in my own life. Someone always made a profession of faith after being enlightened by something on a mission trip or a youth retreat, but after a few weeks or months, that same person was right back where they used to be: Godless and rebellious.

Dean continuously uses alien ideas to describe what teens need today in order to grasp and understand the Christian faith better. The ideas are strange and often left me wondering, "Where did she get that?" The ideas included "a peculiar God story" that teens needed to share with others in a missional fashion (as Christ's incarnation took on a missional role). All in all, it was a little to "out there" for me to take it too seriously, but after giving a grain of salt, I came around a little bit, but not enough to excuse such strange representations of some very simple Christian principles.

I know what's missing amongst American teens when it comes to the Christian faith. It's not a program that helps them interact with their peers. It's not a program that helps them get more involved with their community. They don't need more programs and more micro-managed ministries. We don't need more youth ministers and "how to" books that aim to give us the upper hand over Mormons when it comes to having the most "highly devoted" religious teens in America. Our church and our youth need the same exact thing: we need the good news preached to us every Lord's Day from behind the pulpit!

Too much emphasis rests on "What else can the church do?" and not enough on "What isn't the church doing?" American teens are leaving the church in droves because it's nothing but another institution to them. It's like school, the YMCA, Walgreens, and Glee club. It's just a business. It's just a club. It's a good thing, but they could take it or leave it. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism didn't just creep into the church overnight. It's a result of what happens when pastors and churches shy away from preaching Christ and Him crucified and rather teach about how to manage finances in a supposed Christian manner and be a better you. If our children and teens are not sitting under the preaching of Christ, then why are we acting surprised and astonished to find out that they are leaving the church in droves? Why are we surprised that they are illiterate when it comes to what the Bible says about Christianity?

The church today needs to stop pitching Christianity like it's the next big thing. We need to stop trying to appeal to teens with big screen TVs, Foosball tables, caffeinated drinks, "extreme" sports, and a watered down, lukewarm Gospel. We have no right to act surprised that American teens aren't buying into the "Christian" religion we keep throwing at them. There's nothing Christian about it. We could be surprised that they are not little geniuses on niche marketing and product placement, but not Christianity. Let's stop trying to make Christianity appealing to teens, stop watering it down, stop making it about having fun, liking who you are, and having a "kumbaya" experience with your friends. Let's preach it like it is! Let's put a Bible in their lap, sit them under the preaching of the Word as a true means of grace, and let God build His Kingdom!

American teens do not need better youth ministers and better youth ministries. American teens and adults need better ministers and churches that understand that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17)! There's no cure-all for the teen dilemma in the church, but we can start with a treatment that Christ himself teaches us works the best. In the Great Commission, Christ tells his disciples to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). There's no footnote in the Bible telling us "This command only applies to adult ministries. You're on your own for youth ministries."

This is not at all to say that all churches are neglecting the means of grace when it comes to evangelizing teens, but rather I am trying to say that there are a fair share of churches out there today that think that the Bible is too "old fashioned" to be appealing or applicable to teens today. I have witnessed firsthand the effects of youth groups and their approach to "Gospel" ministry. Out of all of my childhood and teenage friends who were professing Christians that attended church regularly every Sunday with their parents, not a single one attends church today. I remember having theological discussions with them,  talking about our Christian beliefs regularly, and going back and forth about doctrinal disagreements (i.e. Was playing N64 games where you kill people similar to murder?). Sadly, since graduating high school, they have all abandoned the church and moved on to a different lifestyle. Why? Because the church only got them in the door by trying to appeal to them as teenagers. Teenagers grow up, move out on their own, start their own families, start their own careers, and become practically new people after they graduate high school. Churches don't cater to their needs anymore. There is no longer a "group" that they can relate to socially. They aren't Christians, they don't know the Bible, they disagree with many stances that the church takes, they live a lifestyle that church not only does not cater to but abhors, and they become church rejects.

Think about it. Everything in the teen sphere of youth ministry is encompassed by "extreme" Christianity. Basically, youth groups try to cater to teens by telling them, You can be awesome, cool, rebellious, and extreme for Christ! That's not a Biblical message. But we keep dishing out left and right, and now we are astonished by the results of the NSYR. I find it sad and pathetic, honestly. We're trying so very hard, but the answer to reaching teens is right under our nose. Children, teens, and adults are all spiritually dead apart from the grace of God. What we all need is not another program or another specialized ministry. We all need someone who can raise the dead to life. We all need a message that speaks to our situation as sinners and gives us hope beyond any earthly comprehension. We need good news. We know where to find that. The answer we're all looking for is forever appealing and relevant to all peoples who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We need the Scriptures. We need preaching. We need the means of grace that God has given us. There's nothing clandestine or secretive about it.

In closing, the book is interesting and telling. Dean makes a lot of good points and recognizes a true need for change within the American church. She also recognizes the need for parents to stop taking the back burner when it comes to their children's Christian walk, hoping that their church's youth pastor is doing an adequate job. I found Scripture truly lacking throughout the book, and Dean's final arguments all encompass a sociological approach to fixing a spiritual problem. The book is easy to read, easy to follow, and provides numerous "case studies" that are interesting and peaked my interest. Overall, however, I cannot recommend the book as a helpful study into what American teenagers are lacking. Dean gets so close to the answer to the problem, but skips around it and ends up taking a quite pathetic and "therapeutic" approach herself. I was just hoping that she would finish the book recognizing the need for American teens to pick up a Bible and read it, to attend church and sit under the faithful preaching of Christ and Him crucified, and to be encouraged and catechized by their parents and spiritual fathers. Alas, I did not find the grand finale' I sought, but her approach only fueled the fire as to why teens are leaving the church. Dean's book, although unintentional, does a wonderful job of demonstrating why Bibleless teens who think of Christ as nothing more than a moral man and think of church as a time to hang out with their buddies and talk about how they are going to be nicer to their friends are leaving the Christian church!

I give it 5 out of 10.