 |
|
Dialogues@RU is published annually
by the
Writing Program at
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey
Volume One
Spring 2002
The Evolving
Spiritual and Religious Landscape of American Culture -
Page 3
by Christopher J. Flor
On his website, John Barich, a Generation Xer himself, makes reference to ideas similar to the concept that Generation X lacked a "world of meaning" in his discussion about his views of his generation and it's upbringings. According to Barich, he and his fellow Xers grew up in a time "devoid of standards." This lack of standards may also have provided a deeper conflict within the generation while young parents encouraged personal choice and the current conservative Reagan administration preached traditional values. Barick also notes that his generation was not forced to "develop a religious and philosophical belief system that would allow [Generation X] to engage the world in a constructive manner." (Barich 1). Without a religious background, this generation has no language for religious belief. This lack of a "world of meaning" concerning religion makes Generation X's search for spirituality much more difficult than that of the Baby Boomers who had a basis for comparison concerning what provides spiritual needs and what does not.
Tom Beaudoin also cites examples of Generation X's sense of lost spirituality in his references to the generation's pop culture which was shaped by songs such as "Losing My Religion" by REM, "One of Us," by Joan Osborne, and "Like a Prayer," by Madonna. Such culture is indicative of the generation's desperate search for a sense of spirituality which their preceding generation more easily attained. Specifically, Joan Osborne's song "One of Us" thoroughly displays the cynically religious attitude of the generation. In the song, Osborne asks "If God had a face, what would it look like/ And would you want to see/ If seeing meant that you would have to believe/ In things like heaven and in Jesus and the saints/ And all the prophets?" In particular, the line stating, "if seeing meant that you would have to believe" demonstrates Generation X's reluctance to accept religion as reality. The verse on the whole even suggests that perhaps an individual might not want to see the face of God because it would force him to believe "in things like heaven and in Jesus and the saints." Also, Osborne conveys a very cynical attitude toward religious rhetoric when she opens her chorus with "Yeah, Yeah, God is great/ Yeah, Yeah, God is good." Her language suggests that she is merely brushing off or perhaps rejecting the commonly accepted ideas of God when she sings "yeah, yeah." The song was so controversial that the Papacy of the Catholic Church officially condemned it.
However, America's most recent generation, Y, perceives religion and spirituality in a very different and less cynical manner. Despite the youth of this generation, which is just starting to go through college, some characteristics have been noticed about its tendencies. With the internet predominating the early teenage years, they are very appreciative toward diversity and also very skeptical of what is given to them (Neuborne 83). In this sense, Generation Y is similar to the Baby Boomers due to their reluctance to trust the reality that they are given. However, this reluctance includes the idea of rebelliousness that their parents held. Like Generation X, this generation has an apathy or complacency toward change. Abraham McLaughlin, author of the article "For Today's Teens, Rebellion is Passe" points out that teens today "seem to be getting more conservative," although there may be another explanation for this observation (2). Generation Y also seems to be more interested in institutionalized religion than its preceding generations. McLaughlin cites Gerald Celente, the director of the Trends Research Institute as saying: "Kids are desperate for a spiritual guide-a model of true morals" (McLaughlin 3). Again, similar to Generation X, this generation was not given a "world of meaning" concerning religion from their parents. However, instead of sifting through spirituality and self-help books, Generation Y is returning to religion, but in a pluralistic manner. For instance, Wade Clark Roof discusses the appearance of "multilayered beliefs and practices" in the 1990s (245). This mixing and matching of religion is rooted in the religious pluralism that has been evolving in America since the 1960s.
In a sense, it seems that Generation Y may be returning to the old religious values of the early twentieth century. This is the view of many conservative Christian authors such as Beaudoin and McLaughlin. However, by finding a pattern of development between each generation, it is possible to discover how Generation Y is merely taking the next step with spirituality that its predecessors laid out. During the 1950s, the Beats began to develop a skepticism toward institutions that was soon further developed by the Baby Boomers during Vietnam. With this, the Baby Boomers abandoned their religious backgrounds and began to sift through other religions (and their own minds) for spirituality. However, the generation still had a solid upbringing in religion to provide a platform for spirituality. Generation X did not receive such a platform. On the whole, the Xer's parents left religion up to their children for their ideals of free choice-and possibly the fact that with single working parents, there was no time to bring religion into the home. For those reasons, Generation X was left to find spirituality without a constructed "world of meaning." In other words, they did not have the vocabulary of spirituality to be able to embrace it on their own. Generation Y had a very similar upbringing and is also searching to construct a world of meaning, but simply in a different manner. This Generation is returning to institutionalized religion, but with a choice, which is the most valued ideal held by the previous generation. In having a choice of religion, there is no large stress for conformity.
Generation Y's syncretism is not only indicated by the fact that teens have been returning to church. New Age publication sales are growing exponentially and are being marketed for teens. Reference to New Age cultural paraphernalia seems to be everywhere in the generation's pop culture. For example, bracelets with stones each symbolizing an abstract quality are very popular among teenagers and movies such as The Craft and Practical Magic are becoming common titles in video stores. However, the question arises of why a movement that was embraced by rebellious Hippies for its reverence of nature is now surging (and causing some controversy) in mainstream culture. The essence of this phenomenon is possibly within the choice that Generation Y has as it reconsiders religion for American culture. This generation may possibly be attempting to syncretically unite religion and spirituality (the external religion and the internal spirituality). For instance, in Wicca, a New Age religion, there are influences from a wide variety of religions in its rituals including Jewish Kabbalah, Shamanism, Druidism, and even Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Specifically, the common Wiccan belief of acosmic pantheism is rooted in Jewish Kabbalist theology. Much of the stones with mental attributes from the aforementioned bracelets are derived from Shamanism, while Wiccan herbalism stems from Druidism. The "multilayered beliefs" of New Age religions embodies the type of spirituality Generation Y is searching for. In addition, most New Age religions can be practiced individually or communally through a coven giving practitioners another spiritual choice. Therefore, New Age religions allow for the syncretism of external and internal religion and spirituality.