In her new book, Almost Christian, United Methodist Church minister, Kenda Creasy Dean, says teenagers today are less likely to be passionate about religion, are inarticulate about religion and faith, and are likely following a "mutant" form of Christianity, which youth pastors and parents have presented to them. This form of Christianity designates God as a sort of "therapist" who only wants to boost their self-esteem, see them do well, and ensure they treat others kindly. Dean calls this an "impostor" faith and claims it is to blame for more teenagers leaving the church.
Dean participated in a controversial study which interviewed 3,300 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17. It is largely from this study that she drew her conclusions. She says parents are the primary influence on these kids, and it is the parents' own religious apathy which has created what the researchers involved in the study call ""moralistic therapeutic deism."
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
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