Duke study explores views of three
generations on church and religion
Durham _ The
church-going habits.
worship styles and reli
W>us beliefs of three generational
ghwps of Americans have been
examined in a new study by a
Duke University Divinity School
professor who says the results
could be used to help reverse the
nationwide trend of declining
church membership
As part of a larger study of 20
congregations of various faiths in
North Carolina and California.
Jackson W. Carroll. Williams pro
fessor of religion and society at
Duke, and Wade Clark Roof.
Rowney professor of religion and
society at the University of
California at Santa Barbara, sur
veyed a random sample of 1.150
North Carolinians and Southern
Californians.
THEY DIVIDED THE sam
ple into three groups ?
Generation X-ers. those who were
born between 1964 and 1979:
(baby) boomers, born between
1946 and 1963: and preboomers.
those born prior to 1946 In tele
phone and face-to-face interviews
and by using questionnaires, the
groups were asked detailed ques
tipns about religious and congre
gational life.
"One of the most striking find
ings of our study is the difference
between the family experience of
X-ers and that of the two older
generations," Carroll says. "Forty
five percent of the X-ers went
through some sort of family dis
ruption ? the divorce or separa
tion of their parents, or they were
raised by a single parent. That
compares to 27 percent of the
boomers and 23 percent of the
preboomers.
"IT MAY BE that the high
incidence of family disruption is
one of the defining characteristics
of the X-er generation and con
tributes to their general distrust of
institutions." he said.
THAT FAMILY d isruption.
Carroll said, could also account
for the low percentage of X-ers
who reported that thev were very
involved in religion while growing
up In the two-state survey, only 35
percent of X-ers said the> had reli
gious involvement during their
formative years, compared to 45
percent of boomers and 53 per
cent of preboomers. and the dif
ferences were greater among the
generations in North Carolina
than they were in California.
"This represents a striking
decline in involvement among the
three generations." Carroll said
"X-ers evidentlv felt less pressure
or encouragement to participate
in religious activities than their
parents or grandparents."
IN GENERAL, members of
Generation X said they are less
religious than their elders, but
agreed in nearly equal numbers
with the members of the two older
generations that religion is very
important in their lives. More than
80 percent of each group indicated
that they believe in God. and the
majority of all three groups said
they are dissatisfied with the spiri
tual vitality of their congrega
tions. X-ers agreed more strongly
than the other generational
groups that individuals should
arrive at their own religious beliefs
independently of their church or
religious group. The younger gen
eration also believed more strong
ly that people who have God in
their lives don't .need the church.
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
between North Carolinians and
Californians were evident in most
responses, with Californians usu
allv 10 or more percentage points
lower on most measures of reli
gious involvement. California
boomers and X-ers were especially
more likely to affirm cultural"
themes of individualism, choice,
distrust of institutions and accep
tance of religious diversity,
although X-ers and boomers in
both states supported these
themes more strongly than the
preboomers.
CARROLL SAID the X-ers
also stand out in other ways from
the other two generational groups:
? X-ers are more likely to
define themselves in terms of spir
ituality. somewhat more so than as
being religious.
? While all generations might
be described as spiritual explorers,
willing to learn from other reli
gious traditions, this is especially
true of X-ers.
? X-ers are more inclined to
regard the rules of congregations
as too restrictive ? much more so
than other generations.
?_ ? Denominational labels aren't
very important, especially for X
ers and boomers.
? X-ers. like boomers, are more
likely to prefer contemporary wor
ship styles, more so than pre
boomers.
? While boomers and X-ers are
about evenly split in preference for
contemporary or traditional
music in worship services, they are
much more likely to prefer con
temporary music than are pre
boomers.
? X-ers express more confi
dential! religious institutions than
do (oootaers, but less than pre
boomersT" ^
Carroll saia^ven though the
X-ers and the h&pmers aren't
strikingly different in their reli
gious involvements and under
standings. they are very different
from preboomers.
"There's much more interest in
autonomy, freedom, making up
one's own mind and religious
exploration and less commitment
to institutional involvement in
religion." he said. "Churches need
to take those differences into
account and not take for granted
that people have been raised in a
religious tradition."
CARROLL SAID he hopes
that the results of the study will
provide leaders of church congre
gations with a better understand
ing of what they're up against as
they try to minister to different
generational groups. Churches
also can't assume that young peo
ple today know much about reli
gion, Christian traditions or the
Bible. Carroll said, and that means
that there is a "major educational
task facing churches today."
GIVEN THE RESULTS of
the study, which was funded by the
Lilly Endowment Inc.. Carroll
said it's not surprising that the
most successful churches today in
terms of attendance are those that
function like a "shopping mall."
"People pick and choose
among small groups that meet
their particular needs like a variety
of shops and boutiques. And they
come in and out Churches have to
find ways of encouraging a greater
sense of commitment, longer stay
ing power and offer more direc
tion."
BUT IN THEIR desire to
appeal to X-ers. Carroll warns
churches of the dangers of aban
doning centuries of tradition.
"The ultimate challenge is to
find one's way between an over
reliance on traditional ways of
doing things and an over-reliance
on innovation for innovation's
sake." Carroll said. "There really
does need to be a discovery of
what it means to be faithful and
free to respond to new situations,
but at the same time we should
guard against tossing out tradition
just to be relevant."
iswii
I *
More than just a pretty face
*
Food producer Tracey l.dmonds. who is married to
singer/songwriter Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, says. "1 was
never the type to just sit around and be somebody's wife." in
the December Ebony.
Besides being a wife and mother. Edmonds manages Yab Yum
Records and Edmonds Entertain-ment. "I'm not going to say it's a piece
of cake." she said. "You just have to try to have the best time-manage
ment you can."
Edmonds said she could easily be a stay-at-home wife and mother
and enjoy her family in their new 15. OOO-square-foot home, but she
i finds that the joy of working with her husband on entertainment pro
jects and managing all three aspects of her life more gratifying.
The couple has five other movie projects in development for next
ycur and are producing a television sitcom. I
"Unfortunately, I think, the person who is now at the bottom of the
priority list is me." Tracey said. "I don't get much private time When
I'm working, I'm with Kenny and (my son) Brandon I might have eight
meetings during the day ... Its really hard."
But Tracey said she wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm really happy
with the way my life is now," she said. I
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