Keynote Presentation: “Allergic to Religion: The ‘Spiritual but not Religious’” by Dr. Linda Mercadante (Professor of Theology at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio; Healthy Beliefs- Healthy Spirit at www.healthybelief.org)

· Religion is not an alien territory, it is God’s home for us.

· In her family, religion was not a good thing—her Jewish mother associated religion, particularly Christianity, with the killing of Jews.

· She was a newspaper reporter on a diocesan paper and then became an atheist.

· “Unfettered Beliefs, Untethered Practice” – her Henry Luce Theology Award… she was investigating an ethos which

o rejects all organized religion

o feels all religions are the same

o minimizes belief—belief doesn’t matter

o is highly individualistic

o verges on the non-theistic

o experiments with monism, pantheism, paganism, and dualism

· This is a generalized, large ethos that is coming on like a tsunami and we’re on the shore

· Outline for her talk:

o What’s going on

§ social, intellectual, demographic changes

o Changes within organized religion

§ “Spiritual but not Religious” movement (SBNR)

o Strategies going forward

§ What to avoid, what to promote

o Hope and Challenge

· Surveys confirm a dramatic change

o Pew Forum

o News Week (“A Post-Christian Nation”)

o Parade Magazine

o every few months since 2007, there’s another survey about religion

· Decline in religious loyalty: 6 in 10 Americans have switched religions at least once

· A less “Protestant” America

o In 1992, >66% was Protestant

o In 2007, <51%

o In 2011, even lower

· There has been a rise in the “Unaffiliated”

o This is the largest growth of any group

o In 1990, 8%

o In 2007, 16%

o In 2011, 20-25%

o And this is especially among millenials (among millenials it may be as high as 75%)

· Decline in Religious Involvement

o 50% rarely or never attend services

o 22% say Religion has no place in their lives

o 24% say they are “spiritual but not religious”

· Why is this happening?

o Changes in social landscape

o Changes in intellectual landscape

o Demographic changes

· Social Changes

o Rise in diversity of religion and ethnicity

o Decline in “felt” importance of religion

o Disaffiliation and unaffiliation

§ The millenials and gen x’s are not bothered by a lack of identity (as a member of one of these groups, I would disagree with this. We’re ALWAYS talking about “finding ourselves.”)

o More (religiously) mixed marriages

o Less children are being raised with religion

o Competition and the “Spiritual Marketplace”

§ America is like a spiritual mall

o Mix of religion and politics

· Intellectual Changes

o Fragmentation of knowledge, information, roles, meanings, etc.

§ There is an information explosion, but it causes fragmentation

§ We have fragmented roles that keep us from having a core identity

o There are no longer claims of a universal truth—we hide behind subjectivity

o Humans have lost their place—we’ve lost the sense of being human beings created by God and having a special place in the universe.

o In the midst of the chaos, each human is alone to create their own meaning.

§ Bricolage

§ Spiritual Tinkerers

· Changes in Belief Patterns

o Believing without Belonging?

o Hybridity

o Syncretism

o Anti-rationality—reason is not to be trusted

§ In AA, they say that “your best thinking got you here,” in other words, don’t trust your own reason

§ “Leave your mind at the door.”

o Retreat into emotive, experiential

· Demographic Changes—Seven Key Trends

o Delayed marriage—this means we’re waiting longer and longer for the prodigals to come back to church

o Fewer children and later

o uncertainties in work and money—maybe I’ll have to move, so I don’t want to make ties at this church or parish; maybe I’ll have to work on Sundays; I don’t want to join when I don’t know if I’ll have money to tithe

o Higher Education—young people are exposed to more and more

o Loosening Relationships—people are afraid to commit

o Globalization—leads to spiritual tinkerers

o Information Explosion

· Spirituality has become a big business—look at all the different ads on tv for “spiritual” or religious groups

· SBNR ethos is shaping American faith

o many are less loyal

o many within religion are increasingly attracted to the eclectic spirituality of SBNR

· “Unchurched Spirituality is gradually reshaping the personal faith of many who belong to mainstream religious organizations.” –Robert Fuller

· Example: one of her friends is Mennonite, but claims to find God through Buddhist meditation.

· “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” (Christian Smith at ND) is what my generation is looking for.

· “Moralistic” to my generation means

o act so other people will like you (Jesus didn’t do this)

o fulfill your personal potential

o don’t be socially disruptive (He certainly didn’t do this)

o Don’t be interpersonally obnoxious

o Feel good about yourself

· “Therapeutic”

o The goal is to feel good, happy, secure, and at peace.

o Gain subjective well being

o Able to solve problems.

o get along with others

· “Deism”—a mild form of theism

o 18 Century Deism with a twist… the distant God is selectively available for taking care of your needs.

o God is a divine creator, lawgiver, keeps a safe distance, and is not demanding.

o God’s job is to solve your problems, make you feel good, not get too personally involved

o God is the divine butler and cosmic therapist.

· Basic tenets of “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” (MTD):

o God exists, created, watches over

o The central goal of life is to be happy and feel good about yourself and your life

o Good people go to Heaven

o All religions teach these things, so we don’t have to choose one.

· What does it mean to be SBNR?

o 3^rd largest group among young adults, after Roman Catholic and Baptist.

o More among Gen Xers and Millenials (can I just say I hate these terms?)

o Less likely to attend services of any kind

o about 20% of Americans and 50% of unaffiliated are SBNR

o Show little interest in church attendance and orthodox beliefs

o Ethos prevalent in much of the industrialized west (I saw it particularly in Italy).

o More likely to practice alternative spiritualities

o More interest in mysticism

o More likely to experiment with unorthodox beliefs and practices

o Negative feelings towards clergy and churches

o The idea that being an SBNR is a badge of honor

o Religion is seen as a roadblock

§ Many reject claims to absolute truths

§ many believe religion demands abdication of personal liberty

§ many feel entitled to be patrons rather than subscribers… not have to have loyalties to partake

o Trying to separate spirituality and religion

§ spiritual vs. material

§ individual vs. institutional—people don’t trust institution/authority

§ Interior vs. exterior

§ private vs. public

o What do they believe?

§ there is something sacred—a universal energy source… no actual God, it’s an energy that you plug into and use as you like.

§ human nature—the self becomes God, the self is sacred… there is no God that is outside you.

§ community vs. freedom—not a lot of community, there is no long term relationship or commitment to community

§ life after death—balancing between feeling of eternity and individuality with a droplet going back into a pool of water… energy returning to energy

o There’s a lot of hybridity here.

· There is an emerging meta narrative here…

o We are all one.

o There is no personal God out there. Instead, he’s a universal energy source that exists but is non-conscious, non-communicative.

o We are on par with nature

o The self is sacred

o You need to find your “true self”

o Tradition stifles the individual

o nothing left when we die, except perhaps energy

· How different is this? She gives a long comparison to the Abrahamic traditions, but I think we all know these.

· What are possible outcomes?

o secularization like Europe?

o highly individualized spiritual practices?

o Changes in social structure?

o More egalitarian, less community?

o New Reformation?

o “Leaner” more effective religions?

· This may be the most dramatic religious, intellectual, and social change since Christendom took root in Europe.

· Strategies that WON’T work:

o Condemning

o denying

o minimizing it

o ignoring it

· Style vs. content

o Some congregations won’t change their style, but will change their content.

o Some change style but won’t change their content… won’t address contemporary needs… or, more positively, won’t give up their basic beliefs.

o Can we change our style while still promoting our core content?

· A generalized spirituality is inadequate to provide

o a moral compass

o individual and corporate responsibility

o real human identity

o guidance for spiritual formation

o true moral freedom

o lasting conversion

o clear, guiding vision

· Promising strategies

o revitalizing our own faith

o communicating our spiritual experience

o creatively encountering SBNRs

o Thinking theologically about our culture.

o Becoming the alternative—the counter culture (isn’t this what the Catholic Church was originally?)

· Possible Scenarios?

o Organized religion as

§ counter-cultural

§ niche-oriented

§ believing and belonging

§ community and credibility

§ open minded yet confident and trusting

· Good news…

o this generation is seeking

o many want to talk theology

o searching for meaningful spiritual practices (Catechetically, this means we need stop saying, “We do this because it’s tradition” and start showing them why what we do has meaning.)

o searching for spiritual community

o 31% of millenials list being spiritual or close to God as one of their life goals.

· Things to avoid:

o unclear, anemic worship

o lack of confidence and joy

o over organizing

o judgment, intolerance

o stunting enthusiasm and creativity

o top-down leadership

o minimizing the spiritual experience

o separating mind and body in worship

o squelching honest questions and doubts

o theology disconnected from life experience

· Things to do:

o be hopeful

o show vital community

o listen, listen, listen

o figure out what’s been missing in their lives

o renew your own faith