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Postmodernism Millennial Christianity: the nonconformist generation

By: Jordin Billings


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Postmodernism Millennial Christianity: the nonconformist generation

Submitted for PRAC 495.01 Senior Project


North Central University
Lon Flippo

By
Jordin Billings
#0653
219-973-8485
jordin.billings@mail.northcentral.edu

Date Due 5 December 2016


Date Submitted 18 November 2016
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Table of Contents

I. Thesis

II. Overview
a. Introduction
b. Modernism VS Postmodernism
c. Millennial Generation

III. Philosophy
a. Summary
b. Modernism
c. Postmodernism

IV. Literary Review


a. Introduction
b. Chapter summaries
c. Review

V. Generational Christianity
a. Overview
b. Silent Generation
c. Baby Boomers
d. Generation X
e. Millennials

VI. Bible and Theology


a. Postmodern theology
b. Unaffiliated Millennial theology
c. Affiliated theology
d. Summary

VII. Conclusion
a. Philosophy compare and contrast
b. Generational compare and contrast
c. Millennial review
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Thesis

This paper will examine how Millennials are the nonconformist generation by examining

past generations as well as postmodernism.


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Overview

The title of my senior project reflects each section of my paper. Postmodernism is

the departure from modern Christianity and the way the church exists. It is the belief that

nothing can be proven, that everything must be questioned. Millennials are the generation

of people who reached adulthood around the year 2000. This generation has a definitive

difference from the last two generations, generation Y and generation X, as Millennials

have pioneered and lived through the technological boom. This change in the world has

affected every aspect of millennials lives, setting them apart from past generations.

Christianity is the religion being put in practice by this generation. In the counter part to

the main focus of this paper I will explore millennials within Christianity. The tag line in

the title, the nonconformist generation is a reference to the overall idea of the paper that

millennials are truly the nonconformist generation. Taking Christianity they are radically

changing the way it is presented, practiced, and marketed.

Before postmodernism came modernism, the belief that everything can be proven.

Postmodernism has been paralleled with deconstruction juxtaposed modernism paralleled

with creation. Modernism seeks to take modern thought and cultivate a connection to

tradition, creating a line of sense and reason through facts and proof. Modernism segues

into postmodernism; in order to understand one the other must be presented as well.

Modernism began after World War I. Stemming from a shift in philosophical

ideologies; modernism was cultivated out of the questioning of previous methods. With

the change that World War I brought people began to think about why things were the

way that they were and what had led them to the point that they had reached. Universal
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truths and overall trust in authority figures were being reexamined. The Modernist Era

cultivated an initiative of self-consciousness and self-conclusion. Without a holy

revelation or higher power, whether human or spiritual, modernists reached conclusions

that were final. In this time Charles Darwin published his book on Darwinism, the theory

of evolution of species by the process of natural selection. Within Christianity this book

acted the final nail in the coffin of Christianity. Modernists took this book as the final say

to whether Christianity, or God, was real or not. Out of this mindset atheism formed.

Darwins work was taken as proof that there could be no higher power that created

humanity as humanity had evolved by itself. The way that modernists viewed Darwin in

relation to Christianity is a great example of the fact based, ultimate truth, and conclusion

reaching patterns of thought that plagued their mindsets. Modernists believed that science

and mathematics were the only factual ways of knowing whether something was true or

whether it was not. Darwin created a book that was full of science and mathematics

proving evolution therefore it must be true. While the focus was taken off of the

leadership telling people what was true or not, people began reaching those conclusions

themselves through the use of science and math. This provided them a way in which to

reach conclusions on their own. The philosophical phrase, I think therefore I am, is a

summation of the modernists views. This summation equates to, I will only believe

what I can prove. With this mindset came the shift from the spiritual into the factual,

making way for proof and riding the room of God.

During this time Modernist Christians started to become rooted in strict beliefs.

With a factual mindset these believers not only took Gods word as ultimate truth but saw

the Bible as verbatim, the good and the bad. God in the Old Testament was viewed as a
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righteous and angry God juxtaposed God in the New Testament was viewed as a merciful

and loving God. This stark contrast in Gods character did not deter their faith but instead

drew them to the conclusion that God has many characteristics, both being Gods

relationship with humanity in two different time periods. Modernists in this time period

were attempting to intertwine historical Christianity with modern science, blending in

religion with modern philosophical ideologies. This came about from the modernists

mindset compiled with modernists methods of studying the Bible. The result of this was

the emphasis upon the humanistic aspects within religion. The transcendent nature of

God was then replaced by the immanent nature of God. Overall modernists used a

pragmatic method in relation to prayer, dogma, and traditions. Their revered ways of

thought caused the denial of the authority of the church, as well as the traditional view of

the Christian God.

Postmodernism can only be understood if modernism is first understood. After

World War II the world had made another cultural shift, this time from modernism into

postmodernism. This mindset alteration has melted down a philosophical balance and

cultivated opposing sides within Christianity. The church either rejected or accepted the

idea of postmodernism. This philosophical ideology has become a mindset of either

imminent death for the church or the Holy Spirits form of revitalization. The church took

opposing sides of Christianity: a deconstruction of Christianity or the building up the

church in an intimate and immanent way.

Postmodernism is the rejection of modernism. While often viewed as the collapse

of modernism, it holds the notions of enlightenment and emancipation; these equate the

idea that knowing something inessentially makes you free. While before the ideology that
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rational thought, concrete facts, and factual evidence were what was important was now

being rejected.

The important question then became, Is there more to life, to religion, than we

can just simply prove? Just as modernism distrusted authority figures the same feature

plagues postmodernism. Postmodernists began to look at all of the rules and standards

that had been set by the factual concrete evidence needing modernists and question it. A

large factor in this question came from the deliberation of the Allies in regards to whether

or not bomb the Auschwitz concentration during World War II. Whether bombing

innocent civilians for the greater good was moral or not caused postmodernists to look at

as well as think about modernist ideals in a different manner. Society looked at those who

had led the world into two world wars and debated if following them was a good idea. At

the same time postmodernists also questioned science. Modernists had believed that

science was supposed to help society, that it was supposed to make the world a better

place, and yet science had created nuclear weapons.

In the light of rigid modernists postmodernists are very pragmatic. They prefer to

comprehend the world in a sensible and practical way. After society had rejected all

previous manners of thought they were left with the question of what do they believe?

This question made room for an entirely new philosophy within a society. There is no

longer a fixed moral code. An example of this is in modernists time if someone goes

against the culture they would then be shamed, in a postmodernist time if someone goes

against the culture they are told that that is good; they are even encouraged. The moral

code has been abandoned and instead is made up of a society that desires harmony. In

lieu of a straight factual line of thought that enables progression, now lies an empty
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space, each person searching in a different way. The example of this is exemplified

through fashion, movies, music, any sort of entertainment as each of these are not

producing anything new but are instead repeatedly recycling the old. There is no longer

any progression, it is all hyperreality. The biggest catch within postmodernism is that it is

in no way shape or form factual. Postmodernism is a theory. Whether one person believes

the same thing, as eighty other people do not make it a fact, it just makes it a theory, a

theory of whether or not that belief could be true. The ultimate reality of postmodernism

is that postmodernists do not even know what it is.

Just as modernism was centric to postmodernism, postmodernism is centric to

millennials. The philosophy behind postmodernism, which will be addressed later in this

paper, is the moral compass and the hidden motivator behind the make up of millennials,

of who they are. Since postmodernism is the idea that there are no absolute truths, that

our reality is actually just made up social constructs, millennials are viewing religion,

viewing Christianity, with a postmodern theology.

Following baby boomers, Millennials are roughly any persons born from 1980-

2000. They are the generation that has grown up with the technological boom; they have

never known a life without a cell phone, the Internet, or GPS. This group appreciates

individualization as well as customization. Growing up they were allowed albeit

encouraged to thrive out of who they feel they are, no labels have ever been impressed

upon them. They also grew up in a time of customization, from choosing which color will

be on their braces to what their job will be; this generation has never lacked options.

Despite gaining a media bias of being entitled and lazy Millennials are actually hard

workers who value their personal growth within their projects. This is seen through a rise
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in personal branding, social media professionalism, and self-titled positions. Millennials

place a high priority upon authentic relationships. Essentially, they desire genuine

connections. With the rise in technology millennials have the world at their fingertips.

With this advanced age they are able to look up information on anyone at anytime, which

leaves no room for false information. Authenticity drives millennials because it is

through this that they form lasting relationships. While the previous generations were

highly independent Millennials seek deep connections, always looking to learn from each

other as well as grow together. More factors will be introduced later in this paper, but at

the time being it is clear that millennials have been shaped by the philosophical

ideologies of their generation, postmodernism.

The tagline of this paper, the non conformist generation is a summation of who

Millennials are overall. While previous generations were under strict authority

Millennials are under the freedom of no authority. This generation runs on individualism

within the postmodern concept. They no longer hold to a set of rules or traditions but

instead reject any form of restraint. Postmodern millennials are cultivating a world where

boundaries no longer exist but are instead replaced by harmony and acceptance.

Looking at postmodern millennialism within a Christian context reveals a

generation that is following God and doing church in a way that has never been done

before. Compared to generations before them millennials are taking the box that has been

so firmly pressed around Christianity and what it is supposed to look like and are

breaking down the box. No longer sticking to rules or tradition and not believing in

absolute truths provides the space for a reconstructed church. Millennials are refusing to

live by the standards that have been set before them. Instead this generation is turning
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their backs upon everything their previous generation set in place. Church is no longer a

building, God is no longer a voice in the sky, and religion is no longer a set of practices.

Millennials are refusing to conform to the previous generations way of Christianity,

making them the non-conformist generation.


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Philosophy

In The God Who is There Francis Schaeffer analyzes the shift of modernity as

beginning with philosophy (Smith 20). Postmodernism is the byproduct of the shift in

philosophy. The cultural phenomenon reflects the philosophical movement. Before a

culture can curate into a new society there must first be a change within the

physiological. Modernism had cultivated a philosophy of experimentation and facts. As

time passed and new generations were raised up their physiological changed and

morphed. Through this mindset came the shift from definite to indefinite.

Postmodernism was first introduced into philosophical lexicon through the

publication of Jean-Franois Lyotards book, The Postmodern Condition in 1979 (in its

original language French: La Condition Postmoderne). Lyotard describes his invention of

the word by saying, The word is in current use on the American continent among

sociologists and critics; it designates the state of our culture following the transformations

which, since the end of the nineteenth century, have altered the game rules for science,

literature, and the arts (Lyotard 1). Through this book the author continuously recites the

game of linguistics with examples such as, makes no claims to being original or even

true, or in reference to his hypotheses, should not be accorded predictive value in

relation to reality, but strategic value in relation to the questions raised (Lyotard 7).

Through the authors pragmatics of linguistics comes his point of communication. There

is a strict interlinkage between the kind of language called science and the kind called

ethics and politics (Lyotard 8). Lyotard encourages that science is tied to the

government, even more so within the information age. The author proceeds to examine

the infusion of these two, ending with a tie into science and narratives. Science denotes
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and displaces narrative knowledge, according to the author; it removes the metanarratives

of philosophy. Cited to the technology boom, Lyotard emphasizes the erosion of

philosophy by saying, I define postmodern as incredulity toward meta-narratives

(Lyotard xxiv). The author provides all of this to explain that science has separated itself

so far from philosophy that it is no longer able to legitimize anything. This logic removes

metanarratives, creating the argument that postmodernism is the inability to prove,

determine, or know anything. This summation is the test basis for future philosophers to

explore postmodernism.

After postmodernism was first introduced many philosophers have come forth to

explore and pertain ideas related to this subject but it was six specific philosophers who

aided Lyotard into the definition of postmodernism that is held today. These six

philosophers are made up of French and Italian, effectively adding different biases,

origins, and overall impressions. For example, the French postmodern philosophy will

form through a lens that has viewed the structuralist revolution in Paris in the 1950s, as

well as the 1960s, from the readings of Freud and Marx. Due to this bias these

philosophers have also been nicknamed poststructuralists. On the other hand the Italians

have the bias of holding onto Benedetto Croce and Giambattista, creating a large room

for aesthetics as well as rhetoric. These two philosophers strongly emphasize history

instead of revolutions; effectively adding continuity and narratives into their bias. While

these five philosophers hold different makeups they all agree that postmodernism is not

the separation from modernism but is instead the continuation of it.

Through the method of genealogy, the Nietzschean method (a method created by

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche), Michel Foucault became a well-known


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philosopher. It is through his actions of taking genealogy and applying it to formative

moments in modernism history, as well as experimenting with subjectivity, that Foucault

is known as one of greatest postmodernism philosophers. His genealogical method to his

historical studies is examined through his 1971 essay, Nietzsche, Genealogy, History. In

this essay Foucault says that genealogy opposes itself to the search for origins

(Foucault 141). What the author is explaining is that genealogy looks at the coincidences

and accidents that occur in histories crucial moments, therefore opening the door for new

ideologies. Foucault explained this by saying, What is found at the historical beginning

of things is not the inviolable identity of their origin; it is the dissension of other things. It

is disparity (Foucault 142). Just as the author explained, he takes the false images of

history that have been identified as the origin and build up of previous ideas and breaks

them each down, effectively deconstructing them.

Alongside Nietzsche, Genealogy, History Foucault also embraces postmodernism

philosophy in his book The Use of Pleasure. In this work Foucault says, The endeavor to

know how and to what extent it might be possible to think differently, instead of

legitimating what is already known (Foucault 9). The French philosopher is explaining

that people have the ability to bypass the structure of knowledge through using the power

of self. Foucault reached this conclusion through the experimentation of subjectivity. The

ability to use the power of self allows people to create problems regarding their

conditions. Through this ideology Foucault aligns with Lyotard in the promotion of the

leading power of thought being exercised through experimentation. Just a Lyotard

combined philosophy with word play Foucault combines philosophy with history, the use

of postmodernism thought promoted in a different form.


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Kant, a German philosopher, brought forth the philosophy of reasonable thinking;

French philosopher Gilles Deleuze encourages the opposite through his work Nietzsche

and Philosophy. Published in 1962 Deleuze introduces the ideology of different not as the

denial or absence of identity but rather as a productive process. He argues that one should

think against reason rather than using the thought process of self-justifying reason by

itself (Deleuze 93). Deleuze, agreeing with Foucaults critique of reason, said that it,

is not justification but a different way of feeling: another sensibility (Deleuze 94).

What the author is saying is that instead of reason being the sole judger, it should be a

matter of sensibility; the place where thought and whatever forces it into motion collide.

Deleuze then continues on to state that reason is in no manner a method but is instead a

culture that has formed through the Nietzschean sense, which is training, discipline,

innovation, and cruelty. As thought is unable to condemn itself as thinking it must first

endure violence in order to be awoken and begin processing. This violence enables

thought to become transformational philosophy.

The term deconstruction is often paired with postmodernism. However, this

term actually represents that there are specific strategies for the reading and the writing of

texts. First introduced into philosophy in 1967, this term came about through literatures

such as Of Grammatology, Writing and Difference, and Speech and Phenomena by

French philosopher Jacques Derrida. With his books being published one after another

Derrida quickly shot up as a key figure within the postmodernism movement. Unlike his

philosopher brothers, Derrida is often associated with deconstruction but refuses to use

that word and, in fact, refuses the term postmodernism as well. Any term relating to the

sorts, anything ending with ism, cannot be found in his vocabulary. Despite not using
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the actual term in his vocabulary Derrida introduces it, as well as explains it, in Of

Grammatology. Alongside laying out the foundation for deconstruction this work also

holds modern language theories along with the non-presence of being, coined by

Heidegger, a German philosopher. Heidegger believes Nietzsche belongs within the

metaphysics of presence but Derrida combats this by saying, reading, and therefore

writing, the text were for Nietzsche originary operations (Derrida 19). This comment is

crucial for Derridas explanation of deconstruction and postmodernism as it reveals his

writing as a only a piece that pairs to his other writings, also pieces, creating one full

meaning when combined.

Derridas main function as a postmodern philosopher stems from his belief that it

is better to have the liberation of functionality rather than the knowledge of meaning. In

relation to metaphysics, a branch of philosophy that deals with the first principal of

things, the author recognizes the need for the other side of the coin. Believing his view as

superior, Derrida poses that it is vital to see the opposite end of the spectrum in order to

properly and fully encompass the side that is well favored. He encompasses this by

saying, There cannot be a science of difference itself in its operation, as it is impossible

to have a science of the origin of presence itself, that is to say of a certain non-origin

(Derrida 63). Summed up, the recognition of differences creates deconstructionism.

The shift in philosophy was aided by the shift in the technological boom. Out of

this innovation and cultural change came the idea of hyperreality. This term is a closely

tied with simulacrum, which is a copy or image without reference to an original.

Connected to postmodernism hyperreality is a large cluster of images without any

connection, inclination, or referent to an original; therefore what is being represented is a


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representation. French Philosopher, Jean Baudrillard studied this in his 1976 book

Symbolic Exchange and Death. In his work Baudrillard first examines this concept

through looking at the Lacans ideas of the symbolic and imaginary that he used to attack

orthodoxies that were opposite of politics. The author then took Lacans highlights of

power, production, desire, society, and political legitimacy and argued that all of these

are not separate original entities but are instead images combined into a symbolic

hyperreality. Once his patent examination is completed, and through this his foundation

of hyperreality laid, Baudrillard continues his discourse.

Just as hyperreality is a copy of an image with no credit to its original, Baudrillard

continues this by arguing that hyperreality has become a terminal stage within simulation.

In reference to images he says that they have come to hold no relation to reality but are

now its own pure simulacrum (Baudrillard 6). There is no longer any real but is only

now symbolic. Now images are generated, coded, and processed before anyone ever even

views them. Technology has taken the place of productive roles, a Kantian ideology. The

author continues his point by saying, From now on signs are exchanged against each

other rather than against the real (Baudrillard 7). Therefore images are producing other

images and signs producing other signs. There is no longer anything real, anything

original but in its place lies hyperreality. That of which it is possible provide an

equivalent reproduction being the original and, that which is always already

reproduced being the hyperreal (Baudrillard 73).

Just as deconstruction impedes upon functional structures hermeneutics impedes

upon interpretation. Italian philosopher Gianni Vattimo dives into this difference in his

1988 book entitled, The End of Modernity. While the French philosophers made their
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points through counterarguments against modernity, which fits into deconstruction,

Vattimo uses ontology: the philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, or

existence, which fits into hermeneutics: creating a connection with the present and the

past. This creation is meant to act as unity among meaning versus repetition of structure.

Vattimos study is only a continuation of Heideggers own examination into the

meaning of being. The difference among the studies lies in the fact that Heidegger places

hermeneutics within Nietzsches limit of metaphysics. Vattimo takes that view and

combines it with ontological hermeneutics, allowing Nietzsche to go further than nihilism

and historicism in turn with eternal return. Vattimo also states that Nietzsche and

Heidegger hold the common theme of overcoming. Nietzsche uses overcoming of

nihilism through active nihilism and Heidegger uses overcoming metaphysics through

non-metaphysical experiences of being. Through this level ground Heidegger and

Nietzsche can be interpreted through each other (Vattimo 176). Vattimo addresses this

though saying, Both philosophers find themselves obliged, on the one hand, to take up

critical distance from Western thought insofar as it is foundational; on the other hand,

however, they find themselves unable to criticize Western thought in the name of

another, and truer, foundation (Vattimo 2). With both views paralleled, overcoming

modernity must come through distorting it rather than progressing beyond it.

The ability to share experience through activities that require participation as well

as imitation comes rhetoric and aesthetics. In a postmodern world sharing the differences

that lie between the old and new is how rhetoric and aesthetic are practiced. Examples of

this include life and death or even natural and artificial. Mario Perniola, an Italian, is the

philosopher credited with this postmodern thought. Just as his fellow Italian philosopher
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Vattimo believed that postmodernity must not separate from modernity, Perniola believes

this as well. He says this in his 1995 book Enigmas by explaining, the relationship

between thought and reality that the Enlightenment, idealism, and Marxism have

embodied must not be broken (Perniola 43). Perniola bases this logic upon the fact that

modernity is still in society today, whether that philosophy is in the background it is the

fact that it still remains.

As for the aesthetic side of rhetoric and aesthesis Perniola aims to unify opposing

elements, counteracting Vattimos platform of creating meaning in order to overcome. In

the rest of Enigmas Perniola repeatedly uses the example of Romanism and how the

Roman religion is based upon myth as his proof for the need of aesthetic (Perniola 81).

Overall Perniolas postmodern philosophy is strong based upon aesthetic.

Postmodernism was first a psychological shift before it was a philosophy, which

in turn was before it was a culture. Each counterpart cannot exist without the other. While

many more are out there, seven philosophers comprised of French and Italian are credited

with the postmodernism philosophy. These philosophers include Lyotard, Foucault,

Deleuze, Derrida, Baudrillard, Vattimo, and Perniola. With the combined effort of these

seven postmodernism has taken shape through their efforts within coining the phrase,

defining it, and putting into action. Each philosopher has offered up views that cover

every possible metanarrative within postmodernism in order to create a sound proof

foundation within this philosophy. If any of these philosophers were absent it would turn

postmodernism into a theory but instead through their separate yet combined works the

philosophy of postmodernism is cultivated.


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Literary Review

Millennials in Ministry by Jolene Cassellius Erlacher the book that inspired this

paper. It only took a glance at the title of this book sitting on a library self to spark the

passion inside for millennials. This work examines who are millennials, what makes them

the way they are, and what exactly their role within Christian ministry is. Erlacher not

only speaks to non-millennials but also speaks directly to millennials in their own

personal sections at the end of each chapter. After a brief foreword and introduction,

Erlacher immediately dives into millennialism within the 21st Century in a compilation of

fourteen chapters broken down into four parts.

Dr. Jolene Cassellius Erlacher is a speaker, university professor, entrepreneur, and

intergenerational ministry expert. With a BA, a MA, and a doctorate from St. Thomas

University Dr. Erlacher founded Leading Tomorrow in 2013 with the goal of equipping

businesses, schools, and ministries in successful intergenerational leadership within a

constantly changing culture. Out of her previous leadership roles, as well as growing up

with missionary parents, Erlachers passion emerged. This eventually led to her publish

Millennials in Ministry through Judson Press on September 1, 2014.

In the foreword authored by Molly T. Marshall, the president of Central Baptist

Theological Seminary, the reader is given a light introduction into Erlachers work. This

entails a brief overview into who Millennials are, the generation born roughly between

1980-1995. The author continues to highlight millennials by giving glimpses into where

this generation differs from those who came before it, the silent and the baby boomers.

Marshall reveals Erlachers thesis as well as lays out millennials in one sentence by
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saying, Millennials, of course, are products of contemporary culture, but they also are

able to pierce the surface to interpret the holy longings at work in forms of

communication, art, and improvisatory, communities (Erlacher viii). This contributor

ends the foreword by restating Erlachers purpose in writing this book as well as

persuading the reader to take into consideration the authors meaning and purpose.

The introduction provides the reader with the details of Erlachers study. Instead

of just being a book on her own opinions and personal objectives Erlacher reveals that

this this book does pertain her personal research and perspective but that it is coupled

with an in-depth qualitative study that spanned two-and-a-half years. This study focused

on millennials who were born between 1980-1990 and were aged between 22 and 32 at

the time the study was conducted. Erlacher studied those who had served or were

currently serving in vocational ministry. The millennials being interviewed and studied

spanned ten different denominations and missions agencies as well as were serving in

five different countries and ten different states. This included everything from vocations

within rural to urban settings. The churches, or organizations, were sized from 30 all the

way up to 4,500 congregations. Each of the ministry vocations included children, youth,

and family work; music and worship ministry; senior pastoring; adult ministries;

teaching; administration; prayer ministry; missions; and community and relief work

(Erlacher xii). Alongside these positions each participant had remained in their roles three

months to six years. For those who were no longer in ministry they had all worked in

their previous ministry position for more than nine months. The majority of the

participants had ministry training through Christian university, seminary and had degrees

in ministerial or theology majors. After the breakdown of her study Erlacher then runs
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through popular questions or misunderstandings that accompany millennials such as why

are those with ministry degrees no longer going into ministry or why those desiring to do

ministry are baristas, doing freelance work, etc. The introduction sets up the reader with

the background knowledge of the depth of Erlachers knowledge on this subject as to

where her information is coming from.

Part I Generational Traits begins with Chapter 1 Generations at a Glance.

Erlacher begins this by enlightening the reader on what exactly intergenerational means

and what leadership looks like within that context. She explains that five generations are

coexisting in the world. These five include those who had served in World War II when

the radio was first used world wide all the way to the generation after Millennials, which

does not have a name yet, who have never known a life without technology such as the

internet and cell phones. Each generation is given a summary of who they are and what

they experienced. The chapter begins to wind down with Biblical proof that the church is

called to multigenerational ministry and then ends with a note directly to millennials on

why they should care and do research upon their own generation.

Disengagement Epidemic, Chapter 2 addresses the main issues of millennials

within churches. Erlacher explains her past experiences listening to millennials explain

their frustration and dissatisfaction with the local church. Most local churches hold a high

attendance with the younger generation but when it comes to membership classes,

business meetings, etc. these seem to only attract the older generations such as the Silents

and Baby Boomers. With this issue the author offers the explanation that Millennials,

unlike any previous generation, have grown up with the ability of choice. This means that

they have been given so many options that it has resulted in a lowered satisfaction to the
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outcome. With so many options being presented on every front, think education, finances,

religion, etc., these decisions can lead to decision paralysis (Erlacher 11). Essentially

this results in the generation no longer believing in fundamental truths or set doctrine but

instead they face those once believe hard truths as optional. This chapter also touches on

religion versus spirituality. The Pew Research Center did a study that revealed Americans

aged 18 to 29 are notably not as religious as older Americans. One in four Millennials is

associated with any certain faith, proving that millennials are less likely to decide on a

certain religion or denomination cultivating an interesting mix of church attendance

across the board. The chapter ends with a look into cross-cultural experience through

studying vision and purpose, authenticity versus formality, and meeting needs. Erlacher

keeps up the pattern of ending the chapter by speaking directly to millennials on these

subjects.

Chapter 3, Divergent Worldviews, reveals the problem with motivation behind

millennials. The author pushes that it is not that Millennials are unmotivated or lazy; it is

that they are either all or nothing. Millennials either highly invest or they do not want to

participate. This has been a gap between generations as before Millennials entered the

workforce it was Silents, Baby Boomers, and Gen-Xers that all hold to a strong work

ethic. A look into the self-esteem movement is also introduced and how that has affected

the way Millennials are connected. This section ends with viewing the relationship

between community, achievements, and aspirations as well as the personal note.

More Than a Generational Gap, Chapter 4 offers generational theories such as

maturational theory, marriage, and overall environmental change. This chapter also digs

into modernism and postmodernism and how that plays into the history, environment, and
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mindsets that Millennials adopt and/or hold. Erlacher implements a chart opposing these

philosophies. Millennials are born being told that they are special. This connotation

reveals more about a Millennials makeup than a study can even prove. Once again, the

author gives a nod to current Millennials officially ending the chapter.

Chapter 5, Business as Usual, begins Part II, Millennial Values in Ministry.

Relating back to the previous notion of Millennials frustration within ministry the point is

emphasized again, this time in relationship to older generations running church as if they

were businesses. Money, numbers, marketing, and pastors acting as CEOs only add to

their dissatisfaction. The author touches on each of these chapters and ends it in the usual

fashion.

Entitled, Family Priorities, Chapter 6 introduces that Millennials value

relationships above politics, career, and religion (Erlacher 59). This plays into the type

of job that they look for and would commit to. This generation is looking for their boss or

supervisor to act as a mentor versus as commanding officer. Alongside this notion is how

Millennials place family before anything, including their jobs. The rest of this section

focuses on being married in ministry versus being single in ministry accompanied by the

note to Millennials at the end.

Chapter 7, Ministry as Family, begins by revealing millennials comfortability

with ambiguity. Erlacher tells the story of Sean and how this came out in his own life

when he disagreed with his older generation senior pastor by saying, I know for him,

things are just black and white, but for me, theres just a lot of gray, and theres a lot of

personal judgment and personal taste and personal conviction. For him, everything is

black and white and for me, its just not (Erlacher 69). This passage exemplifies the rest
24

of the chapter as the author finishes by speaking on how to facilitate a family beyond the

four walls of a church and once again, speaks to millennials.

Part III Ministry Needs and Expectations begins with Chapter 8 The Call to

Ministry. Erlacher draws attention to the stories of the studies participants when they felt

called into ministry. The rest of the chapter follows this theme but touches on what is a

calling, how Millennials have felt it, whether there was confirmation or not, and the value

of it. The author is very particular in making sure that Millennials are not entering

vocational ministry under the terms of it being a family business but instead only doing it

if God has specifically called them. In the Millennial endnote this is repeated but on a

personal level.

Due to being relational based millennials require Vital Relationships, which is

covered in Chapter 9. This chapter describes what makes a good leader. These qualities

include accessibility, support and trust, empowerment and freedom, friendship and

personal connection, as well as mentors, role models, colleagues, and teams. Erlacher

ends her Millennial note by expressing the importance of gaining a mentor that desires to

pour into their generation.

Chapter 10 entitled, Communication of Vision and Value speaks on the need this

generation has for gaining and then giving a clear vision. Erlacher pushes that they need

feedback coupled with affirmation. A relationship and response is crucial in their lives

and can be achieved through servant leadership. Per tradition, the book ends with the

usual nod to the millennial reader.

After reading about the need for affirmation Chapter 11, Fulfillment and

Effectiveness in Role, quickly follows. Starting off with a story of a student who was in
25

the mission field but did not have good communication or a clear vision from her

leadership team this Millennial found fulfillment through the success within her role. The

author follows this by speaking on each individuals personal gifts and how those play

into what God has called them to do, once again ending in the typical manner.

The final part in this book, Part IV Practical Applications starts off with Chapter

12, A Word to Millennials. In chapters one through eleven Erlacher was predominantly

speaking to non-millennials but in chapter twelve the author flips the script and writes

directly to the millennial reader. Beginning with the story of Joseph in Genesis 37 then

transitioning into practical advice the author shares her heart for Millennials to be humble

and open to God, encouraging them to follow their calling while holding an appreciation

for the generations that came before them.

The script is flipped once more in Chapter 13, A Word to Leaders of Millennials.

While the previous chapter was Erlacher speaking to Millennials this time she is

approaching those who are currently, or will, lead Millennials. She goes over the

frustrations that the older generations have when attempting to lead the new generation

but breaks it down as why, and how, it is biblical and beneficial to mentor them, training

them in the way of vocational ministry.

The final chapter, Chapter 14 Putting It into Practice is Erlachers last nod to her

experience. Before, everything was all talk, it was all just scripture and advice, but in this

chapter the author is able to dig into how to do vocational ministry as a Millennial with

examples like, knowing their valued, being collaborative, staying connected, etc. She

ends the work saying, My hope in writing, training, and coaching on the topic of
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Millennials in ministry is to equip the body of Christ to serve effectively (Erlacher

144).

Millennials in Ministry is widely successful in terms of reaching both older

generations as well as the generation being written about. Erlacher excels at providing

relevant information that relates to both generations while simultaneously adopting each

chapter into two perspectives in order to properly communicate across the board. It

comes as no surprise that the author is extremely educated in this area as her insights

provide an entirely new meaning to the knowledge she gives the reader.

Alongside facts and the authors insights this book is relational through sharing

stories and perspectives from other Millennials. These snippets within the book hold

great importance as in the book Erlacher explains how they are relational focused and

centered by using stories from their own peers and generation. The author effectively puts

her own advice and wisdom into practice.

As a Millennial myself I found great insight through hearing about the

experiences of those within the same age group as me. It is harder to relate to a story that

did not take place in your time, especially if that person holds a different way of thought

and life because of being in a different generation. I personally found it effective and

clearly communicated, fulfilling objectives of Millennials.

While reading through this work not only was I able to gain a deeper insight into

my generation through my peers experiences and their own insights, but I was also able

to gain a deeper insight into my generation through Erlachers approach of focusing on

the non-millennials juxtaposed Millennials. The chapters were geared towards non-

millennials but she in no way shrugged at or pushed aside Millennials, in fact, she gave
27

them their own personal note at the end of each chapter. This was empowering for myself

as I truly felt that the author definitively knows what she was saying but that she knows

the importance in relaying information directly to the source. Even in the introduction

Erlacher reveals her heart for millennials to read this as well and after reading it is

obvious why; this work is geared towards everyone. It is not just a rebellion letter to the

older generations telling them how they are wrong for negatively stereotyping

Millennials but instead encourages and pushes them to not adapt to their ways but to

allow God the room to move through the new generations style of thought, action, and

vision.

Just as she encouraged the older generation to be open to the new generation

Erlacher implores millennials to be willing with the older generations, the Silents, Baby

Boomers, and Gen-Xers. Ideologies such as relational motivation, mentors and role

models, as well as connectedness are brought forth but turned to that Millennials are

understanding that because that is how they function and operate that they need to be

willing to function and operate that way with the older generation, not just their peers. It

can be easy as a Millennial to tune out the older generations due to a stigma that they will

not ever listen, they are too set in their ways, etc. but instead of tuning them out Erlacher

encourages Millennials to reach out to them. Millennials are pushed to form bonds with

the older generations, whether that means having one as a mentor or simply being

coached by one.

The author does a great job of connecting every generation of reader to her points.

This was seen when Erlacher relied on her knowledge and qualifications to reach the

older generations, her use of her own words in action with the newer generation, and her
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two tones within each chapter. The greatest asset from this book was not necessarily one

certain piece of information or another but the fact that Erlacher is able to take her own

personal experiences and knowledge and put them into action through the form of the

actual book itself.

The area that this book lacks is depth. It is understood that Erlacher took two and

a half years to conduct the qualitative study but the depth of the work as a whole seems

knee deep. The author has a bad habit of bring up outside studies but never giving any

actual statics. An example of this is in Chapter 4, More than a Generation Gap. Erlacher

provides statistics by explain that a study was done in 2002 and then compares that

study to a study done in 1990 but never provides an actual statistic. She instead uses

words such as larger and older. These ambiguous pronouns provide no actual sense

of record and leaves the reader wondering if the surveys were real or if they were just

brought up to make her points sound better. Without an actual statistic to accompany an

introductory thought the author leaves the reader feeling conflicted and confused with no

actual jumping off point.

This book excels at reaching both generations but fails in its practicalities. While

going through the book the reader is able to pick up nuggets of wisdom and gain

meaningful insight. The end of the book leaves the reader with no real practicality. Even

with two chapters addressed specifically to the Millennials and to the leaders of the

Millennials it can be brought into question how to proceed forward. If information is

made known but is not accompanied by an action plan there is no option for growth. At

times the book seems to highlight everything that is being done wrong and what needs to

be done instead but yet it never provides the reader with the bridge to get there. Stating a
29

problem and then giving what the answer needs to be does not give any leeway or room

for the reader to establish personal growth. Erlacher does a great job of bringing issues or

main factors to light but fails in lending practical steps to obtain the solution.

Erlachers methodology of tackling non-millennial perspectives, millennial

perspectives, and providing personal stories alongside facts proves her thesis true.

Failure to invest in Millennials and prepare them for effective and enduring leadership

deprives the kingdom of God of leaders desperately needed to guide churches and

organizations through tumultuous times ahead (Erlacher viii). Millennials in Ministry by

Jolene Cassellius Erlacher states the obvious and the hidden notions about millennials

while simultaneously emphasizing that these differences are not only God called but are

needed for the current day and age. Ministry would fail on every attempt without

Millennials in ministry in todays day and age.


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Generational Christianity

The silent generation, or Traditionalists, is children that were born between 1925-

1950. This generation grew up in a time of war, strife, and economic downturn. During

their era they experienced the likes of the Great Depression (1929-1939), World War II

(1939-1945), and the beginning of the Cold War (1947-1991). This population of 55

million made up the largest voting population as well as largest population to go to war.

Despite going through the largest economic crisis this generation remained one of the

wealthiest. Out of this era came the Civil Rights Movement as well as the popular phrase

Children are to be seen, but not heard.

A unique generation, the Silents were born too late to have been World War II

heroes but yet too early to be a part of the new-age revolution. Their early lives began

with crises, World War II and the Great Depression. They discreetly made their way into

society as adults in a time of post-crises, a time when no one was looking to disturb social

order. The Silents never looked to change the system but instead they sought to work

within it. They held a high regard for their integrity and sought no issues on their

permanent records. Also living during the McCarthy period (a period of paranoia within

the United States of America) caused the Silents to become just that, silent. It was

because of this that Time Magazine gave them their nickname, the Silents in a 1951 essay

(Religion: Youth for Christ 1).

A large difference among the Silents juxtaposed the generations to come lies in

their motivation. While their parents and grandparents suffered under a collapsing

economy this generation was on the cusp of an economic breakthrough. Being forward
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focused this generation was marrying younger and having children younger. During their

interviews this generation was likely to have their first question pertain to their pensions.

These young adults were making more by the age of 30 than the average wage of those in

the same profession. Due to their being a small birth rate this generation benefitted from

job opportunities that they would have no had if their generation had been larger. They

were hardworking and rigid in their belief that working within the system is what is best.

The Silent generation were not strong leaders but were the wisest.

During the Silents lifetime there was resurgence within the church. Families were

suffering from the failing economy during the Great Depression which turned them to

faith. Before this crisis church attendance and membership was falling into alarming

rates, but with the need for hope these numbers began to climb by 5% (Haraldsson 1).

The majority of churchgoers during this time were made up of middle age women. There

was a high religious piety among the young adults, causing the Silents to be the ones

within the church from their parents.

It was during this time that many churchgoers began to view the Great Depression

as an act of God in order to get people back to Christianity. It was also during this era that

radio Christianity became popular. Just as televangelism today is a large ministry radio

was the Silents choice of evangelism. Their style of sharing Christ was beginning to shift

into a new era, one where technology was being utilized.

It was also in this era that Pentecostals emerged. Despite the failing conditions

surrounding their every day life Silents grew up hearing about radical and emotional

conversions from sinners to Jesus Christ. This belief led them to seek the presence of the
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Holy Spirit and become filled, speaking in tongues. The Assemblies of God, the

Nazarenes, and the Holiness churches stemmed as well as grew from this time period.

The Silent generation also gave rise to fundamentalism. In the 1940s, when

Silents were teenagers and young adults, there was a rise in youth rallies such as Youth

for Christ which held rallies in New York, Washington D.C., St. Louis, and

Indianapolis. These rallies split Christians in half. One half was pleased; they had been

hoping that a movement like this would occur. Time Magazine quoted Baptist Torrey

Johnson, pastor of Chicagos Midwest Bible Church as saying, This is what I hoped

would happen in America (Religion: Youth for Christ 1). The other half was not

pleased. Time Magazine then continued on to say, But not all Americans are so sure.

Some view with alarm the pious trumpeting of the Heart press on Y.F.C.s behalf, also

the support of rightish, rabble-rousing nationalists like Gerald L.K. Smith (Religion:

Youth for Christ 1). Smith was an early American exceptionalist who led the Share Our

Wealth movement, the Christian Nationalist Crusade, and founded the America First

Party. With his counterarguments to the youth rallies and open opinions against the

government fundamentalism began to take shape.

Many leaders, including Smith, emerged during the birth of fundamentalism.

Another popular leader was Charles Coughlin, an anti-Semite as well as Catholic priest.

Coughlin caused a large uproar within the Christian community the 1930s through his

treatment of President Roosevelt. A great example of his treatment was his continuous

comparison of Roosevelt to that of a communist. Just like Coughlin many Christian

fundamentalists from the 1940s have been found mainly in the south as well as rural

areas. They have also been found to hold extremist political views alongside
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politically intolerant perspectives, dogmatic cognitive styles, and antimodernist

outlooks (Haraldsson 1).

The Cold War has often been cited with producing people who have capitalized

on fundamentalists and political conservatives, with those who were a part of the anti-

Communism. Billy Graham, American preacher, summed this up by saying, If you

would be a true patriot, then become a loyal Christian (McLoughlin 482). This

movement aimed to take those aligned with communism, whether that was in secret or

not, and change their heart from communism to Christ. When discussing the communism

paranoia that triggered religious movements Smith explained, In the popular mind, the

conflict between communism and capitalism was clearly reducible to a spiritual

interpretation. That Christians on this account often ignored the economic facts of

international life in their preoccupation with the so-called battle for the minds of men

does not diminish the significance of this factor in the current wave of religious concern

(Smith 18).

The Silents young adult time in Christianity was made up of a wide scale of

beliefs. They entered into an era of rebirth within the church to them no longer believing

because their mothers did but now believed on their own. They then entered into a time

of big precessions such as youth rallies, centered on bringing their generation into

passionate and emotional encounters with God. Their time also held radio evangelism,

which changed the game completely in terms of evangelism. Towards the end of their

prime fundamentalism began to take shape, forcing them into a rigid and righteous

mindset in regards to their faith. This gave them a confusing perspective of Christianity
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and an unsure conscious when it came to the actions of believers. The Silent Generation

entered into a rich religious experience but ended during a time of piety and solidarity.

After the Silent generation came the Baby Boomers. With World War II over,

husbands back home, and families growing came this generation. Born between 1946-

1964 these babies grew up and naturally distinguished themselves into two groups. The

first group is those who were big into the hippy movement, they took part in the save-the-

world revolution. The second group consisted of the partiers; they were the yuppies

(young upwardly mobile professionals) of the generation. This era saw the likes of

divorce, both parents working; change the world mentality, and youth culture.

Laying out Baby Boomers and their parents, the Silent generation, the contrast is

stark. In their parents time life was simple, there was no television, divorce, or separation

from government. When the Boomers began to get older they ventured down a very

different route from their parents. With the new era came new technology, the television.

This allowed the new generation to consume media at an incredibly quick rate. With the

news broadcasted daily the Baby Boomers view of the world expanded further than any

generation before them, creating a shift in mindset. No longer did they see the world as a

rigid strict environment but began to question the government and think in a new wave

free form of thought.

Not only were new technological advances now possible but this new generation

was also made available to recreational drugs, political activism, and a disinterest in the

church as a result to all of the previously mentioned. Alongside these factors this

generation saw the death of very influential people such as President Kennedy, Bobby

Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During this time came the Vietnam War,
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Watergate scandal, and many protests. Each of these events curated into the mindset that

Baby Boomers hold: trust nothing.

With no one to trust Boomers began to turn to religion. With the 1970s came the

rise in Eastern religions. Long gone were the days of Sunday morning church services,

these young adults were now on street corners chanting Hara Krishna (Bell 25).

Following the likes of George Harrison, inner-peace, and Maharaj Ji, this generation was

surely seeking enlightenment. Turning from Christianity these new age leaders

abandoned their mothers Christianity and sought to discover themselves through Yoga,

Zen, Buddhism, and more.

The 1960s and 1970s saw the rise of theologians who were attempting to mold

Christianity into something marketable to the masses. German theologian Dietrich

Bonheoffer realized that society had begun to live etsi Deus, non daretur (Bell 25).

Translated this means as though God did not exist. Following this notion many

theologians followed in attempting to connect God to a secular world. These theologians

quickly failed and instead many adopted religion without God also known as secular

Christianity. In this religion there was no higher power but instead it was all about one

coming to oneself, man coming of age. Essentially what this generation was doing was

taking the piety and dogma that was plaguing Christianity and stripping it away so that it

was no longer a hindrance on faith. Throughout the 1970s Americans spent millions of

dollars on seminars, tapes, and workshops in order to discover their inner self (Bell 26).

This led the generation further into the self-centered ideologies that would entrap them

for the majority of their lives.


36

This new radical theological movement ended up cultivating the death of God

theology. This new movement attempted to market God in a manner that was more

pleasing to society. While not necessarily atheism, theologians did not attempt to answer

the question of whether or not God was actually dead. Instead what they said was that

God was an absentee God, they advocated that God had created then abandoned

humanity. This new theology quickly caught wind and began spreading. Time Magazine

even covered it in an issue with the headline GOD IS DEAD as well as a funeral

background (Bell 23).

Counteraction to the death of God theology followed Harvey Cox, an American

theologian. Cox published The Secular City and in this work he emphasized that

Christians should view God as alive but in the manner of architecture. In this image he

describes a city with high rises that dwarf churches. Cox encourages his readers that God

dwells among the buildings; that God dwells among their secular world. Therefore he is

asking his readers to reject the false lie belief that God is separate from the secular world.

Instead he urges Christians to view God as who he truly is, human and divine. In order to

do this Cox claims that the church must stop talking about God for the time being and

instead join those who are similar in their mindsets and who desire to better the world.

Despite intentions, both dogmas created a culture full of false theology and

ideologies. Neither view encouraged Christians to be the body of Christ in a manner that

builds up the kingdom of God. Instead these theologies encouraged those to better the

world. The issue lies in that bettering the world and building up the kingdom of God are

not necessarily one but instead can be two separate entities. Also, neither view

encourages Christians to be suspicious or use discernment when listening to doctrine.


37

This is especially vital as Baby Boomers were the first to grow up with the television.

They were the first to hear doctrine and propaganda on a daily basis. Each of these issues

would then go on to be an underlying issue within the church.

Coming to faith in a modernist world cultivated the way the Baby Boomers

thought, taught, and practiced. The philosophy of modernism, that everything must be

proven and factual, was at its pinnacle, as the Boomers were becoming Christians.

Essentially, this stands that Baby Boomers hold a well thought out faith, one that boils

down to conductive reasoning. Intellectual clarity was the center of their doctrine as well

as the aim for their preaching and teaching. Avid learning was applied to their faith in

order to draw clear and concise conclusions. This intellect allowed Baby Boomers the

ability to simplify their doctrine and in turn simplifies their beliefs, making them easier to

market, easier to evangelize.

Another large factor in how Baby Boomers do church is their centric focus upon

church programing. This generation is largely known today for being church planters. An

ode to that success falls on their ability to program their churches well. They hold the

strong desire to be effective, once again pointing back to modernism, using their ability to

budget and plan according to their churches needs as well as desires and dreams. Their

churches are often times strong in each area across the board. These areas include:

preaching, childrens ministry, youth ministry, worship, and outreach. They view the

church as being the focal point for their outreach; in order to effectively impact those for

God they must first be stable in themselves. A great example of this would be the senior

pastors of Hillsong church, Brian and Bobbie Houston. Both happen to fall under the

Baby Boomer generation. They are church planters, and effective ones at that with
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campuses across the globe. They have cultivated a mega church with hundreds of

campuses, congregations in the thousands if not millions, and place a large focus on their

churches programming. The majority of their success can be credited to their ability to

effectively plan and execute a church service, which in turn, has drawn thousands to

Christ.

The Baby Boomers are a unique generation. They were raised with the mentality

of their culture, which was passed down from their parents, but instead of growing in a

similar fashion to the Silents they instead grew into a new sense of self. This sense led

them to begin revolutions, ask questions, and seek new discoveries. They gained the

advancement of the television but rejected previous teachings. Boomers sought out new

enlightenments all while retaining the old in the back of their minds, only to return to

them later. They experimented and in that helped advance society for the generations to

come, especially within the church.

Once the Baby Boomers grew up and had children came Generation X. Born

between 1965-1980 Generation X, or commonly named Gen Xers or Baby Busters. This

group is often looked over. Sitting at around 65 million, they are situated right between

two large groups with the Baby Boomers (77 million) behind them and the Millennials

(83 million) to come. With a shorter span of only 16 years to the generation, there was

much difficulty in the naming process. World War II photographer Robert Capa first used

the term Generation x but it was not until author Douglas Coupland wrote Generation X:

Tales for an Accelerated Culture that the term stuck (Taylor 1).
39
40

Known as one of the most opinionated generations, the Gen-Xers have touched

upon political, social, and religious values. During their time they also had to deal with an

economic and crisis left to them from the previous generation. The graph above, done by

Pew Research Center, represents four areas that by large cover the Baby Busters:

religious affiliation, married, religious unaffiliated, and those with a high school diploma.

It is seen that Gen-Xers held religion as a primary factor in their lives as well as

education but little were married young. These areas are a large part in the definition of

who this generation is and what they stand for.

These results can be concluded as to the way they were raised. While Baby

Boomers were getting divorces and creating a culture that revolved around them, Baby

Busters began a journey of self-discovery. They no longer had two parents in their home

raising them but instead saw an influx of separation as well as their parents bringing

home new partners. With the statistic of Generation Xers who got married between the

ages of 18-32 it comes at no shock that it was only 36%. With the example that their

parents had set before them this generation did not hold a strong belief for marriage or

saw much of the benefits from that. Their parents were living in self-indulgence and at

times emotionally neglecting their children therefore this generation would grow with an

innate desire for acceptance and attention. Naturally this was found through religious

affiliation, 61% considered as a part of this.

The stereotypes that surrounded this generation revolved around self-indulgent,

lazy, aimless, and unfocused. The media consistently pulled them over the coals, at one

point using the shows such as F.r.i.e.n.d.s and MTV in order to cultivate the image they

were attempting to portray. It was not until the Baby Busters grew into adults that the
41

media began to retract their statements, revealing that Gen-Xers were starting

technological start up companies and creating small businesses. This group went from

being pitied to being envied. Self-employed and prosperous they have been dubbed the

entrepreneurship generation by the Harvard Business Review (Taylor 1). This group

started up companies that are still running today and helped to boost their economy, the

high tech world was created during this time. This includes Apple, Google, Amazon, and

YouTube.

Despite their initiative within themselves Gen-Xers are largely known for their

lack of involvement. They grew up hearing the daily news through their television yet

never paid any attention. When of age they were able to vote but instead chose not to.

Instead of working for established corporations they decided to start their own.

Watergate, Union Carbide and Chernobyl, Corporate Greed, and Clinton-

Lewinsky Scandal all happened within their time of growth. Through this came the

distrust of government, corporations, and leadership. This generation strived to be set

apart from the downfall of those previously listed so instead they turned to themselves.

They became self-educated, self-employed, and self-trusting.

The shift into postmodernism actually began with the Baby Busters, although it

was never solidified within their generation. The idea and possibly that there is no

absolute truth started to take shape. Gen-Xers decided to become more tolerant, more

open, and more understanding. This led to a rise in pro-choice, in regards to abortion, as

well as pro-life, in regards to animals and wildlife. Coupled with this mindset came the

notion of fear. They grew during an era of distrust. With distrust came the mindset that

every single thing around them was broken. This included their government, education,
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and even their families. No longer was the Earth pure because people were killing trees,

no longer was sex fun because of the outbreak of AIDS, and no longer was marriage

sacred because everyones parents were divorced. Even their generation nickname, Baby

Busters, was discouraging.

Juxtaposed their mindsets and lifes circumstances, Gen-Xers consistently tried to

hold a positive and hopeful outlook. This generation sought to create a world they never

had. This happened through humanitarian efforts, civil rights movements, and creating

their own corporations. Overall they decided that since they could not change their past

that they were going to change their future.

Holding a new outlook gave religion within this generation a boost. They were

searching for transcendent meaning, meaning they were spiritually hungry. They were

looking for meaning from other than science and the empirical method (the belief that

science alone can solve problems). They began to see that the world was not a good place

and wanted to help change that through the spiritual world. This desire made them

susceptible to revivals.

Previous styles of evangelism formed through a person attending a church for a

period of time. When the Baby Busters arrived on the church scene they changed the way

that evangelism was done. No longer did evangelism happen by attending church for a

long time but instead it happened through pushing small groups or designated ministries.

The idea of relational evangelism was also introduced during this time. Gen-Xers realized

that if there was no relationship outside of just church services or ministries then they

were not effectively communicating the Gospel. The idea of reaching secular people on
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their own home turf was introduced and the Baby Busters began to leave the church in

search of lost sheep.

Compassion ministries were highlighted. No longer were rough topics, such as

abortion, talked about but instead ministries that were able to aid in that area were

presented. Through this the notion of the church as a corporation began to diminish and

the rise of personal ministries took its place. Leadership rose, with the previous

stereotype of Busters being lazy fading into the background. Christianity began to form

and shift into a similar Christianity that is happening today.

The Bridger Generation, Generation Y, Echoboomers, and Generation Next: each

of these nicknames stands for one generation that has seemed to have more talk, media,

posts, and primetime than any generation before them, the Millennial generation.

Millennials, while not the newest (i.e. Generation Z), are the generation that is in their

prime within the world right now. They are anyone born between 1980-2000, which

means that they are either currently or about to reach adulthood.

This generation currently makes up 25% of the United States of Americas

population, 21% of consumer discretionary purchases (estimated to be over one trillion

dollars), 53% are already parents (which is 1 in 4 Millennials), 46% have over 200

Facebook friends (compared to 19% of non-millennials with the same number), 56% are

the first to try new technology, and 75% want to travel abroad (Millennials Infographic

1). This is a generation unlike the rest, a generation that is refusing to conform to

normalitys across all fronts.

Unlike the previous generations, Millennials have grown up in a day and age that

is ruled by rapid change. This has given them the default of different priorities as well as
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different expectations that are vesting unique and different in comparison to history. In

history the largest generation was the Baby Boomers who sat at 77 million. The

Millennial generation has taken that place with 92 million (Millennials Infographic 1).

Not every countrys group of Millennials are the exact same but with the aid of the

internet, social media platforms, the expansion of Western thought and culture, as well as

globalization Millennials across the globe are significantly more similar than older

generations within just their nation. This has helped to cultivate a unified mindset as well

as unified beliefs and stances.

This generation grew up receiving participation trophies, constant affirmation,

and their demands being met at their will, because of this Millennials have cultivated a

greater is me mindset. This means that they are reliant on themselves to the point of

ignorance. 40% of Millennials believe that they should receive a promotion every two

years, no matter what their performance is. The National Study of Youth and Religion

found that the guiding morality of 60% of Millennials is that they will just know

whether something is right or not, that they will be able to feel it (qtd. in Stein 1). The

rise of social media platforms and celebrities have no aided in this problem. In a 2007

study it was found that three times more middle school aged girls desire to work for a

famous person than as many who want to be a Senator. This study also found that four

times as many would choose the famous job over being a CEO of a corporation (qtd. in

Stein 1). Millennials desire a better platform rather than a better foundation.

On the opposite end of the self-indulging attitude is the narcissistic approach to

life. According to the National Institutes of Health narcissistic personality disorder is

around three times higher for Millennials in their 20s than for those who are currently 65
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and above. This study also found that 58% of college students scored higher on the

narcissism scale in 2009 than those who took it in 1982. This issue does not like just

within the upper class but is also a problem within the middle and lower classes curating

a rounded issue (Murphy 1).

Millennials are highly dependent. In 2012 Clark University Poll of Emerging

Adults reported that more Millennials in the United States of America ages 18-29 live

with their parents rather than live with a spouse (qtd. in Stein 1). Pew Research Center

found that American men ages 18-34 are living with their parents 35% of the time and

only with their spouse 28% of the time. As for women 35% are living with a spouse and

only 29% are living with their parents (Domonoske 1). It has also been found that the less

educated the person is the more likely that they will live with their parents rather than the

college-educated. Staying at home longer has become a trademark of the generation.

Another dub that has been added onto the Millennials long list of descriptors is

the me, me, me generation. Comparing the 1950s household to a 2016 household the

makeup and even decorations will greatly differ and not because of styling preferences

but because of cultural shifts. In the 1950s one was likely to find a photograph of a

wedding or perhaps even a military photo. In 2016 homes are full of photographs of the

owners themselves, on average a middle class family walks past 85 photos of themselves

when walking through their home. Millennials have grown up with and adopted this

mindset ten-fold. The average Millennial has devices that record their number of steps

daily, an app that track their location daily, and a program that rapidly provides options

whether that is food, clothing, or recreational activities. This generation is living with

endless options that all cater to Millennials, making it all about them.
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The largest reason behind the me, me, me attitude, as well as expectation,

within Millennials stems from the 1970s. In the 70s there was surge in desire for

improving childrens success rates through advancing their self-esteem. When asked

about this Roy Baumeister, a psychology professor and author said, The early findings

showed that, indeed, kids with high self-esteem did better in school and were less likely

to be in various kinds of trouble. Its just that weve learned later that self-esteem is a

result, not a cause (qtd. in Stein 1). The issue revolves around that when attempting to

excel an individuals self-esteem it can cause narcissism instead. Growing up and being

told that they are special and perfect only sets up that individual for failure as when they

get older and the world refuses to affirm them it leads to disappointment. Confirming this

Sean Lyons, co-editor of Managing the New Workforce: International Perspectives on

the Millennial Generation said, This generation has the highest likelihood of having

unmet expectations with respect to their careers and the lowest levels of satisfaction with

their careers at the stage that theyre at (qtd. in Stein 1).

The largest denominator within Millennialism, riding off the coattails of

narcissism, is entitlement. The statistic previously mentioned on Millennials believing

they should receive a promotion every two years, no matter what their performance, only

exemplifies this behavior. The basis of this mindset relies on the fact that Millennials

have held prolonged life stages. Each life stage has not always be recognized or named.

The term teenager did not even exist until the 1920s. Before that teenagers held no

education but instead went straight to work therefore never holding the culture of a

teenager. Fast-forward to 2016 and Millennials are living there teenage years long past
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18, instead their teenage years are lasting until they become young adults, a term that did

not even exist until the early 2000s (Henig Twentysomething).

While everything previously given about Millennials is the typical drone of older

generations and the media, what has failed to be seen are all of the good that Millennials

are doing. For example, narcissism and entitlement are not necessarily bad qualities

within the Millennials; instead they are their adaptation to their environments. These

negative stereotypes are only given to them because the ones giving those titles do not

understand the environment that Millennials grew up and currently live in. They may

have a narcissistic sense of humor but Millennials are more accepting than ever before.

This generation has opened its arms to women, minorities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+

community. On the other front, they are not negative and self-absorbed but are instead

adapting to the world of abundance. Millennials have the luxury of putting off decisions,

which was not an option for the previous generations. They also obtain the ability to gain

knowledge at their fingertips, making them smarter and faster than anyone before them.

Millennials are the most innovative generation due to the world at their fingertips. All of

this has definitely effected and changed the world around them, especially within the

church world.

Commonly referred to, as the lost generation Millennials are the largest non-

Christian, or unaffiliated, generation throughout Americas history. Church Central

conducted a study where they surveyed over 1,300 Millennials. In this study they asked

them basic evangelistic questions. In their results they found that only four out of 100

Millennials were able to describe anything even resembling a salvation experience (Botts

1). Another research done by Barna reveals that nearly six in ten (59%) young people
48

grow up in Christian churches end up walking away from either their faith or from the

institutional church at some point in their first decade of adult life (5 Reasons

Millennials 1). The study also continued on to prove that unchurched Millennials have

seen a surge in the past ten years, ranging from 44% up to 52%, this shows that there is a

cultural shift away from churchgoing (5 Reasons Millennials 1). Author of You Lost Me

David Kinnaman said, Millennials are rethinking most of the institutions that arbitrate

life, from marriage and media to government and church. They have grown up in a

culture and among peers who are often neutral or resistant to the gospel. And life feels

accelerated compared with 15 years agothe ubiquity of information makes it harder for

many to find meaning in institutions that feel out of step with the times. Millennials often

describe church, for instance, as not relevant or say that attending worship services

feels like a boring duty (qtd. in Martinez 1). These studies and quote only further the

proof that Millennials are walking away from the church; that they are rejecting what it

stands for.

There are three possible deductions as to why Millennials are leaving the church.

The first is spiritual nomads. These are Christians who have abandoned the church

community but still consider themselves to be Christian. The second are prodigals.

Prodigals are those have lost their faith. They are typically known for saying that they are

no longer Christians. The last type to leave the church is the exiles. These are

Christians that are still engaged and bound in their faith but are struggling between their

faith and the current culture. While there are other possible Millennials who are

unchurched that could fall into subcategories these are the main three that are most

commonly seen.
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A large portion of Millennial Christians does not, and will not, define themselves

as Christians. Millennialism Christianity has turned to Millennials now labeling

themselves as spiritual. Only 20% of them say that going to church is important, 30%

say church isnt important at all, with the other 50% completely ambivalent toward the

idea of going to church (Botts 1). Alongside of these statistics lie the fact that 35% of

Millennials are not currently attending church and do not feel that church is even

relevant. 17% believe that they do not need church because they are able to teach

themselves everything that they need to know (Botts 1). Once again, pointing to the fact

that a large portion of this generation holds no interest in church and does not believe it to

be beneficial.

What is the church doing to reach Millennials? This has been the question that has

plagued the church for the last decade. The main answer to this question is that the

church has a strong resistance to change. The Millenials are unlike any other generation

before them. In order to effectively reach this generation, who does not hold value to

traditions like past generations have done, the church needs to, for lack of better words,

get with the times. If this generation does not value traditions in such a high regard then it

is time for the church to loosen the reigns on traditions and grab hold up the new hope set

before them. Millennials are likely disengaged from church because they have been shot

down when attempting to effect change or have just simply never seen it happen. When a

church is unable to update and improve upon programs, actives, or itself as a church it

will not be able to reach anyone from the present and onward. Millennials are a

generation that seeks adventure, new experiences, and overall amazement. When a

ministry repeats itself over and over to the point that it becomes mundane then they have
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already lost the interest in those who they are trying to reach. The church should not

conform by any means but it should be able to adapt in order to effectively evangelize

and reach those, past, present, and future, for the kingdom of God.

On the other side of the Millennial Generation are those who are currently

attending and actively engaged in church. Countless studies have proven that this

generation is the least religious generations in history. Automatically this seems like a

bad factor but it could instead be a golden opportunity. While around three in 10

Millennials (around 29%) hold no religious affiliation there is still 86% that claim to

believe in God (Francke 1). In the grand scheme this does not seem, in the slightest, to be

saying that the Millennial Generation are atheists. In fact, this statistic only deepens the

likelihood that this generation could experience a revival.

A common underlying denominator in millennialism is individualism. This is the

reason why Millennials are hopeful for their futures but yet distrust society in general. It

is why Millennials are disengaged from the church but are still professing personal faith.

Looking at individualism through a Christian context proves that, while being most

notably known as negative, it is not necessarily a bad thing. The Bible repeatedly (i.e. see

Bible/Theology section) stresses the importance of community, of the body of Christ,

but it also reveals the importance of personal faith. The greatest example to this is Jesus.

Jesus was continuously in community with his disciples as well as evangelizing, but also

spent a lot of time away from them in order to pray and seek God. A mixture of

community and individualism could prove successful through such a unique generation

as the Millennials.
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Millennials question everything. Part of their postmodern mindsets is that they are

constantly worrying, questioning, and distrusting. Another nickname of this generation is,

Why? Accurate and fitting, this nickname sums up the mentality that Millennials have.

Their consistent re-examining and contemplative attitudes allow this generation to seek

the truth or what it is supposed to be, not just what is being served to them. A large issue

within church history is the confusion that has built up over years of misunderstanding

and misconstrued information. This has stemmed from ministers misinterpreting the

Bible and then teaching that misunderstanding to the congregation, and so on. Millennials

have come like a fresh wave to this. They are coming into the church taking a second

look at things that were never relooked at and, in turn, figuring out what is true and what

is not. This could be highly beneficial for the church, especially in the long run.

There is statistics to prove that Millenials are the least faith based generation but

does that stand for the entirety? There are also statistics that prove that Millennials who

are dedicated, committed, and engaged in Christianity take their faith seriously. David

Kinnaman, the president of Barna Group, said that there is real evidence that those who

are staying connected in the churches and connected into their faith are taking matters of

faith even more seriously than do previous generations of Christians (Hanbury 1).

Kinnaman continues on to explain that Millennials actually hold a higher standard for

themselves within their faith. This generation is more interested in the Bible, what it

teaches, and overall hold a larger understanding on the importance of theology than those

who came before them. Millennials realize that Christianity is meant to be a life long

commitment, not just a phase or a trial run. Barna Group ran another study that revealed

96% of Millennials believe the Bible to be the actual and inspired word of God. Compare
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that to the 56% of the general population and it reveals that Millennials are placing a

higher importance on the Word of God (Hanbury 1). Barna Group ran this study in

different countries, such as Scotland, and found the exact same results among the

millennial generation there. The trend of Millennialism Christianity holding onto a firmer

faith than previous generations is ringing true throughout the world.

Millennial Christianity looks vastly different in comparison to previous

generations of faith. Gone are pews, Sunday morning services, and church potlucks. This

unique generation holds no value in old recycled church traditions but instead seeks deep

rich fulfillment within personal faith. Statistics show that Millennials are abandoning

church but not abandoning faith. Defining themselves as spiritual rather than

Christians, this unchurched generation is seeking the fundamentals of Christianity in a

manner that has never been done before; a manner that refuses to conform.
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Bible and Theology

Postmodernism is the mindset and the philosophy that Millennials hold. Within

this context it is vital that one must first examine and understand postmodernism in

relation to Christianity before one can dissect Millennials in relation to Christianity.

Dubbed emerging churches, these new church movements are happening through

churches that are embracing postmodernism theology. Where postmodernity says that

there can be no absolute truth, the church definitively believes in truth. This paradox has

raised red flags within the church but has also helped to surge the church into the forward

thinking movement.

Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior, who was born as a human, crucified and died,

and rose again. These are absolute undisputed truths within Christianity. The evidence for

these truths can be found in verses such as John 1:14, And the Word became flesh and

dwelt among us, Matthew 27:32-56 where Jesus is crucified and dies, and in Luke 24:6,

He is not here; he has risen! (Fire Bible, John 1.14, Matt. 27.32-56, Luke 24.6). These

absolute truths seem as if they would counteract postmodernism but the church is not

viewing postmodernism in the same fashion that the non-religious, or secular, world is

viewing it.

The emerging churches view of postmodernism is not based in a place of denial of

the existence of truth but rather is based in a denial of humanities ability to understand

the certainty of truth. Essentially emerging churches postmodernism mindsets are in the

belief of objective truth but they reject the notion that one is able to know the certainty of

their objective truth. The church is weary of the acceptance or denial of truth and
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recognizes that they must know that are limitations. An example of this is the ideology

of, Here is what we believe but who is to even say that we are right. The philosophical

background of this new movement is not the denial of truth itself but is instead the ability

to know truth. An example of this is that the postmodern church believes that Jesus left

his divinity in favor of humanity in order to die for everyone. With this truth comes the

flip side that that is a truth to them but the mechanics of that truth are disputable. The

church then wrestles with the notions of defining exactly who Jesus is in his entirety as

well as what exactly he needs from each one of them. They recognize the truth but also

know that there are limitations upon that truth.

The limitations upon the emerging church are due to their current time period,

overall situation, and culture. These are the restraints that bind them from being able to

access the full truth. Postmodernism within the emerging church has stripped away any

distinctions that first divided the church. The many different denominations are a result of

those differences. The theology and beliefs within the differentiating denominations have

left many Christians beguiled and confused due to their modernists mindsets, that there

are absolute truths. Since postmodernism has come about, and as a result shifted culture,

churches are no longer looking at or even believing in absolute truths, effectively

disassembling denominations. Emerging churches are no longer distancing and separating

themselves due to differentiating beliefs but are now opening the possibility that they

could be wrong. This in turn is welcoming an entirely new group of people into

Christianity, Millennials.

Apophatic theology is theology that negates or denies. Before the postmodern

church took up this theology it was most commonly seen in the Eastern Orthodox
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Church. The main point of this theology centers on the idea of mystery. Bible verses such

as Job 11:7 which says, Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the

limits of the Almighty? as well as Daniel 2:28, However, there is a God in heaven who

reveals mysteries are only a few of the many verses in the Bible which entail that

there is more to God than humanity could ever know (Fire Bible, Job 11.7, Dan. 2.28).

The new generation of churches have adopted this theology and made it the summation of

their beliefs. Unlike previous generations they are no longer seeking to define God but

instead to stand in awe of their lack of understanding. The church stands by the idea that

they do not go to church to learn about God but instead go to church to worship him. Or

that they do not go to church to be able to articulate and defend their beliefs but instead

go to church to be in fellowship and community with their fellow believers. Their

ultimate goal is no longer confirming their beliefs but is now deconstructing them.

The emerging church, or the postmodern church, no longer seeks to understand

but seeks to be open. They desire a connection to God that is not stemmed through rigid

knowledge and factual information; instead they desire to connect with God through the

means of worship, community, and mystery. The emerging church holds fast to the

postmodern notion that the only thing that they can be certain of is that they are

uncertain.

Different can be scary and seemingly negative. The emerging church has received

a lot of flack from the remaining modernists churches who have failed to recognize that

churches that are moving into a postmodernist philosophy are not necessarily bad. They

are following Pauls command. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 Paul says, For now we see in a

mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I
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also have been fully known (Fire Bible, 1 Cor. 13.12). What Paul is encouraging is

growth in the ability to reform. The principle of semper reformana (always reforming)

allows Christians the ability to grow and learn more about God than where they

previously were or what they previously knew, growing further than past generations.

Through postmodernism the church has seen a rise in theology. As modernist

churches believe in absolute truths their absolute truths were discovered and figured out

years ago, this means that these churches have been recycling passed down beliefs for

years without actually digging into any of the theology themselves. With the rise of the

emerging churches practicing deconstruction these churches are reexamining everything,

including the recycled beliefs. From their viewpoints they are deconstructing beliefs that

are not rooted in proper theology, therefore allowing them the room to create theology for

their own. This focus has reopened fundamentalism and revealed all of the issues within

the belief. Fundamentalism has become pharisaic through its rule and regulations such as

not to smoke, drink, dance, etc. It took strict policies and limited Christians, making them

believe that that was what Christianity was about. Postmodernists have deconstructed

fundamentalism and allowed room for rebellion against old traditions as well as room for

new and improved theology.

Postmodernist churches are effectively reaching Millennials but are still failing to

reach a portion of them. This portion of Millennials, around 29%, claims no religious

affiliation of any kind (Drake 1). Out of this 29% there are two divided schools of

thought. The first school of thought is atheism. Atheism is a theological belief that there

is no God. This belief can be further broken down into there being no creator, no ultimate

judge for mans actions, or no supernatural being. This theology is the basis for Secular
57

Humanism as well as Marxism but it is ultimately the belief within secular

postmodernity. Author Kevin J. Vanhoozer said, Postmodernists agree with Nietzsche

that Godwhich is to say, the supreme being of classical theismhas become

unbelievable, as have the autonomous self and the meaning of history (Goldblatt 57-65).

What Vanhoozer is saying is that atheism holds its own downfall; in order to deny

something you must first recognize the possibility of its existence. Every key postmodern

philosopher was concluded to be an atheist such as Lyotard, Foucault, Derrida,

Baudrillard, etc. While speaking at a convention in 2002 Derrida was asked why he does

not classify himself as an atheist, why instead he claims that he might pass for one, he

responded, Maybe Im not an atheist (Barrow 1). In his book, The Future of Religion,

Richard Rorty goes on to say that atheism is not the evidence for the nonexistence of God

but is instead the objective evidence for the existence of God (Rorty 8). The idea that

secular postmodern Millennials are atheists is not that they are actually denying the

existence of God; instead they are truly denying the modernist view that there is proof of

the existence of God. This opens up an entirely new market of individuals that emerging

church is attempting to reach.

Through the downward filtration of the unenlightened, the notion that one does

not have to be public with their beliefs has become a common quota for many religiously

affiliated, especially within Millennials. Religious pluralism is the belief that one should

be tolerant of any and all religious beliefs. Combine that belief with postmodern theology

and it turns into no one specific religion can be true. This has cultivated into the idea that

ones spiritual or religious beliefs should remain private in order to live in harmony. This

is why countless Millennials have bumper stickers that encourage religious harmony or
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why they will not publically speak on their beliefs. Just as postmodernism says that there

are no absolute truths, this notion of religious harmony echoes that. Another example of

this is seen between the new surge of peace between Christianity and Islam. Both sides

are saying that there is no point in arguing or partaking in hatred because they both

worship the same God they just view him differently. This is not true as seen through

studying the names of God. God takes his name seriously, so seriously that one of the

Ten Commandments is to not take the Gods name in vain. God reveals himself through

specific names in the Bible that Islam does not use, such as heavenly father. The issue

within religious pluralism among Millennials is that religious claims are being made

based up preferences rather than on their objective standards. With the emerging

churches using objective standards as their rule of thumb this could combat this issue all

the while revealing the truth to the religiously plural Millennials.

Atheism and Religious Plurality are plaguing the 29% of Millennial Christians

today but other 71% are leading Christianity through their thoughts, actions, and plans.

Despite being the least religiously affiliated generation Millennials are the most likely to

believe the Bible came from God and read it multiple times a week more than any other

generation by 87% (Zylstra 1). The way that Millennials are engaging with the Bible

looks similar to their parents generation, only in higher numbers. Gleanings did a study

where they surveyed Millennials, Gen-Xers, and Baby Boomers in 2016; the graph below

reveals the findings on Bible engagement among all of the generations (Zylstra 1).
59
60

Alongside this study Gleanings also found who held the best definition of

the Bible in which Millennials had the second highest number of 30% believing that the

Bible is the inspired word of God (Zylstra 1). Barna Group found that this generation is

one of the most likely to believe that the Bible pertains to every aspect of their lives. 96%

believe that the Bible holds the key to living a meaningful life (Millennials and the

Bible 1). Each of these studies reveals a common theme: Millennials may not view the

Bible in the same manner as the generations before them but they are still viewing it as

Gods divine Word.


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Millennials not only believe differently but also are also doing the fundamentals

of Christianity differently. Millennials, through deconstruction, have begun to take

Christianity back to the basics. Through this they have reopened the fundamentals of

faith, deepened theology, and also brought forth doctrinal roots. Paired alongside the

emerging church, Millennials are operating the church differently than ever before.

A huge character difference is the way Millennials are ministering. They

emphasize the large story of the Bible rather than metanarratives individually. They

understand that Christians need to be grounded within the foundation of the narrative of

Scripture. In order to effectively communicate this they use resources from the

chronological Bible, to reading plans, to even childrens Bibles. Church leaders eyes have

been opened to the need of theological education and through this have catered their

teachings to this need.

The return of theology has vastly changed the church dynamic. Millennial led

study groups are popping up all over the country. These study groups are typically

meeting weekly and are a safe place to study the Bible through asking questions in hopes

of cultivating sound theology. Through this an increase has risen within theological

education as well as evangelistic fervor.

One of the most talked about and largest differences between Millennial led

services and non-millennial led services are the worship services. This generation is

changing the way worship is led by saying that it is not so much about the style of music

but is instead about the content of the music. In a typical Millennial led worship service

one can find hymns alongside current music. Another factor into their worship services

are not only the content of the music of the content of the entire service. This generation
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desires authenticity over anything else. This includes the music, the leader, and even the

congregation. This attitudinal viewpoint determines whether they will join in or not.

Whether all of this is through content or authenticity Millennials are challenging the older

generations to review and revise their current styles of worship (Millennials and

Worship Style).

The last largest difference within the church is the way that Millennials are using

technology to advance their churches and ministries. Gone are libraries on campuses and

in their place are digital libraries. Many emerging churches have separate sections on

their fresh and updated websites where a congregant can search books, reading plans, and

other educational or sermon related material. Alongside the reading lists are the sermons.

Most pastors now place their sermons on their websites as well as live audio. The church

is also seeing a rise in live video sermons being streamed. This has driven a surge of

congregants from being in church to going on line.

Leading through authenticity, content, and foundational teachings have been the

mark of Millennials within ministerial leadership. These fresh groups of leaders have not

only challenged the older generations but have shifted the direction of the church as a

whole and sailed it into a new wave of thought. Theological bible studies, authentic

worship services, and an online presence has aided in directing the church into the

postmodern millennial generational school of thought and belief.


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Conclusion

Looking at all of the information in total, each topic is related. For example, in

order to understand postmodernism one must first understand modernism. In order to

understand Millennials one must first understand the Silents, Baby Boomers, and Gen-

Xers. Then, in order to even understand the generations one must first understand

modernism or postmodernism. Each subject presented is interwoven with the other

subjects. Philosophy and the generations go together as they are equivalent. One cannot

understand one without understanding the other just as one cannot explain one without

explaining the other. The most interwoven out of the previously listed are modernism and

postmodernism.

Philosophy is complex. It is made up of ideologies, theories, beliefs,

metanarratives, etc. Each factor feeds into and drives the next factor. For example, each

philosophy is made up of smaller philosophies, metanarratives. Without each of the

metanarratives one single narrative is not complete and therefore is not an actual

philosophy. A great way to view philosophy is to view it as a cell. Within a cell is the

membrane, nucleus, etc. If the cell were missing just one piece then it would be missing a

function and therefore would not be able to function at all; modernism and

Postmodernism function in this same way. Because of this, modernism and

postmodernism are deeply connected.

In one summed up sentence, modernism deals with rationality, scientific

reasoning, factual evidence, and proof. It typically deals within Neo-Classical and

Enlightenment periods of time when humanity desires reasoning and logic to


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explanations and beliefs, in this sense reasoning and freedom are intertwined. Modernists

believe that freedom can only happen through a factual, or scientific, understanding. This

philosophical view has been the running force behind government, education, and the

church since World War II, although it is dated back to the French Revolution in 1789 as

well as Communism in 1989 (Krejcir 1). Due to this long history modernism has been the

philosophy behind generations such as the Silents, Baby Boomers, and around half of the

Gen-Xers.

On the other side of the coin is postmodernism. Summed up, postmodernism deals

with objectivity, constructs of modernity, and holds no absolutes. Postmodernity

examines modernism and completely deconstructs it. This philosophy is also the cause of

rebellion against the government, educational system, and the church. This mindset shift,

and as a byproduct cultural shift, came around the last half of Gen-Xers generation but

truly took form in the Millennial Generation.

This philosophical shift is a large reason of why Millennials are so disconnected

with the previous generations; they have two separate philosophies that contradict each

other. It is also the reason as to why Millennials are set apart when it comes to

technology, consumerism, and overall beliefs. When looking at any statistic the chances

are that Millennials will either have an extremely higher or an extremely lower

percentage on that scale simply due to the change in mindsets. This has caused a split

between the generations as well as another split within the older generations. Millennials

and the generations before them are already divided due to their separate philosophies,

but with the rise of the Millennials the older generations had to quickly decide whether

they were going to embrace the new generation or reject it. They did not have the option
65

of keeping with a modernist mindset. Postmodernism has begun to take over and it is

doing so through Millennials.

Modernism versus postmodernism creates a large gap among the Millennials from

the Silents, Baby Boomers, and Gen-Xers but they are not completely separated. Within a

secular and religious context Millennials are a lot closer to their ancestors than most

would believe. From everything such as the economy all the way down to how much they

often they read the bible is in a similar fashion to those before them.

Comparing the Silent Generation to the Millennial Generation the differences

seem large. The Silents held strong affiliations with the government, religion, and

marriage. Juxtaposed Millennials who hold no value in any of those establishments.

Millennials are challenging the government, have the lowest numbers of any generation

of being unaffiliated with religion, and are regularly in relationships without ever getting

married. The shift between these generations comes not just through their philosophy but

also through the world around them. Since the Silents there has been a rise in the racial

and ethnic DNA of the country as well women becoming work independent.

Even though there are definite differences between the two, the Silent Generation

and the Millennial Generation still hold more in common than typically thought. A large

similarity between the two furthest removed generations is their economic situations. The

Silents grew up in a time of economic crisis as well have Millennials. Instead of the Great

Depression they grew up in the Great Recession. Both generations understand what it

means to gain an entry level job that does not cover the cost of living, neither have or will

likely ever experience financial security. Accompanying this factor both generations

married later than either the Baby Boomers or the Gen-Xers just for the fact of the cost. It
66

was more experience to get married and start a family for these two generations than the

other two; therefore they put off getting married in hopes of holding a stronger financial

situation than they would if there were to marry and start families younger. The similar

factor of economy binds these two generations together in many ways.

Adding a Christian lens to their similarities Silents and Millennials are in a similar

situation here as they were with the economy crises. Just how in the Silents day they were

faithful Christians because of their tough financial situations it is the same with the

Millennials, although they would use the word spiritual in place of Christian.

Another similar factor is that Silents were the generation who saw the beginning of the

revival movements within Pentecostalism. It has been posed over and over again that the

Millennials have a good chance of experiencing a revival. This is estimated because of

their similar situations as well as their more charismatic beliefs due to desiring miracles

for their rough life situations. All of these things are parallel to where the Silents were

right before their movement broke out.

The Baby Boomers and the Millennials are often pinned against each other. The

media places the bias that these generations are too far removed from each other due to

things such as technology and work ethic. The workforce is mainly made up of half

Boomers and half Millennials. With two generations colliding it can be seen where the

stereotype of the two generations corralling comes from. While Millennials are

technologically advanced Boomers hold a dislike as well as disinterest for the use of it.

Work ethic divides the two as Millennials are largely laid back and prefer to use

technology to their aid whereas Boomers are very work driven, constantly having

meetings and checking off their to-do lists, all without technology.
67

Millennials and Baby Boomers hold many vast differences but where they are the

same they stand close. Baby Boomers were the first generation to grow up with advanced

technology in their homes. Follow that years later and Millennials are having the same

experience. Both understand what it is like to have the daily news and entertainment at

their fingertips. Both of these generations also experienced a surge in personal

revolutions. While Baby Boomers were seeking personal freedom from society and the

man Millennials have been seeking the same freedom. There has been a rise in feminism

as well as a greater acceptance to those different from them.

If the word Christianity was never mentioned while comparing the way Baby

Boomers and Millennials practiced and experienced religion then one would never see

the differences. Both generations sought, and are seeking, personal enlightenment. The

only difference being Boomers turned to Eastern religions while Millennials have

returned to Christianity. These two refused to affiliate with a church or denomination and

preferred to keep their faiths to themselves but at the same time were experiencing

specific ministry phenomenons. The Boomers saw rallies such as Youth for Christ while

Millennials are seeing the likes of mega churches such as Hillsong. Both professed

personal enlightenment while experiencing cultural movements.

Generation X and Millennials, parents and their children, hold their differences

and similarities not in their actions but through their characteristics. Born in the closest

time periods to each other these two generations differ more in how they think and

respond. Gen-Xers are generally lazy and cynical; on the other hand Millennials are

optimistic and are often idealists. Another characteristic difference is that overall Gen-

Xers have proven to be angry, ignore leadership, and desire to be free agents. Millennials
68

are on the opposite end; they are positive, enjoy team dynamics, and desire to work in

cohesive environments alongside colleagues. Their descriptors are the biggest differences

among these two generations.

The greatest similarities lie in their backgrounds. Generation X saw the rise in

technology, media influence, and times of distrust just as Millennials did. Both saw

technology boom and consumers beginning to cater to them. They both also grew up

during hard times. Gen-Xers experienced events such as Watergate and increased divorce

rates whereas Millennials saw 9/11 as well high divorce rates. Both learned that there is

more than what is usually presented to them, causing distrust in leadership.

On a Christian front both have lowered church attendance. While it could be

argued that Millennials do not attend church because their parents did it boils down more

towards mentalities. Both generations have grown up in a postmodern Christian world

meaning that their values have been the most similar. Millennials and Gen-Xers both

value faith without the church establishment. Their view of the Bible is also the most

similar. Pew Research Center conducted a survey, the graph below, and found that out of

all of the generations Millennials and Generation X hold the most similar view of the

Bible. Their view being that it is Gods inspired word (Millennials: A portrait 99).
69
70

Millennials are a generation unlike the rest. Even when compared to their

predecessors this generation stands alone. This is a generation that grew up during the

Great Recession but who are also the most educated, resulting in a large quantity of debt.

6 in 10 have bachelors degrees, 1 in 10 have masters or a PhD, and 1 in 4 are full time

students at a university. They are the most ethnically and racially diverse generation.

Environmental concerns and equal pay are the two most important issues in their society.

Millennials are also living through prolonged life stages as well as spending half their

income on rent alone. 1 in 10 are self-employed with 55% holding a full-time job. They

are also the least married generation in history (Jorgenson 1).

Study Millennials from a characteristic standpoint and they still separate

themselves from the rest. Despite prolonged marriage this generation is still committed,

they maintain long-term relationships before marrying later. Growing up in an economic

crisis should derail them but instead Millennials remain optimistic and are still chasing

their dream jobs. Knowing they will rack up a good amount of debt has not stepped this

generation, as they are still educationally motivated. Statistically, the world is against this

generation but despite the facts and the numbers the Millennials have risen above and

pressed forward unlike the generations before them who never even tried.

Just like they are in the secular world, Millennials separate themselves within

Christianity. Instead of Sunday morning services with the same humdrum this generation

has chosen to not partake. Despite having the lowest numbers across the board for

anything religious Millennials are taking Christianity and molding it into a new practice.

Gone are typical Sunday morning services, they have replaced by weekly theology Bible

studies, instead of outdated worship services they are seeking authentic experiences, and
71

no longer are evangelism efforts recycled but they are practicing relational evangelism.

Millennials are refusing to practice Christianity the way that it has always been done.

They fight the serotypes of what should be as well as peer pressure from older

generations and continue forward. From their viewpoint advancing the world as they go.

They refuse to eat from the spoon fed to the masses. Instead of even looking at the spoon

they are out creating their own. Refusing to rely on those before them they instead have

chosen to rely on each other. Marching to the beat of their own drums Millennials are

taking over government, education, and religion, making each of those better than they

previously were, this time under a new philosophy. Millennials truly are the non-

conformist generation.
72

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