Recently the Barna Group published findings about how different generational groupings view the Bible. In our Unitarian Universalist churches, I experience a range of attitudes about the Bible, from reverence to painful past memories.
The Barna group discovered that the Mosaic generation (ages 18-25) and the Buster generation (ages 26-44 - hey, do we get a say in that name?) have some pretty significant changes in the way they view the Bible, versus the older generations.
Some changes in Bible beliefs in these age groups:
- Less sacred than older generations believe it to be
- Less accurate - they are less likely to believe it is accurate
- More universalism - they see the Bible teaches same spiritual truths as other world religions
- Skepticism of origins - more questions about the authenticity of the texts
- Less engagement with the Bible - younger generations spend significantly less time reading the Bible than older ones
- Bible appetite - among the Mosaics, there is slightly significant more interest in learning more about the Bible
How might this affect our ministries and programming with people under 44?
I am especially intrigued by the finding that the Mosaics are above average in their quest to just know more about this sacred text that is referenced so many times in Western culture. When I started my university education, not knowing anything about it was a big hindrance in my understanding of art, western history, and western literature. Could a class on a liberal interpretation of the Bible be a draw for a campus ministry group?
Just wondering.
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