Our Faith, In Our Words
What does it mean to be young and
spiritual today—when the New Age isn’t exactly new,
when female rabbis and ministers are no longer unusual, and
when Eastern religion’s ideas and practices are no longer
considered exotic? Who are the faces behind today’s fresh
approaches to faith, approaches that are destined to shape the
future of spiritual life in America?
"Religion is not a crutch for the
weak-minded. It is merely spirituality in its simplest, most
rudimentary form. We have witnessed the hypocrisy, the moral
and spiritual mediocrity of succumbing to tradition for
tradition’s sake. In an age when there are books on
everything for dummies, my generation has opted to find out for
themselves. I am a new adult, with decisions to make about my
identity and my future. I am not about to surrender this
newfound privilege. I am content with discovering my spiritual
self through my own avenues. I am not in need of a crossing
guard."
—from
God Within
God Within represents
citizens of the twenty-first century who are faced with a
dizzying array of spiritualities: believer, seeker, Christian,
Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Wiccan, to name just a very
few. The result of a nationwide challenge extended to young
adults born after 1974, in this book they share their
experiences with all of these beliefs—some confident,
some questioning—and introduce us to many shades in
between.
Sometimes irreverent—but more
importantly, always relevant—this thought-provoking
collection of writings, poetry, and art showcases the voices
that are defining the future of religion, faith, and belief as
we know it.
"Let me be frank: I am scared.... As
I open myself to the light of Allah, what flaws will it reveal,
what corrections will it require? Heroes and prophets have come
and gone; the poor are still with us, and they are more ragged
than ever. Can I face the immensity of this injustice, call it
my responsibility, and taste the rust of my own powerlessness
in the face of it?"
—Eboo
Patel, contributor and executive
director of the Interfaith Youth Core
"My father was reluctant to express
his own belief system because he wanted to let my feet find the
path best for me intuitively. The downside of this liberal
religious education was that rather than choosing one religion
I made a pastiche of practices. I had, to some extent, a case
of spiritual indigestion."
—Sumi Loundon, contributor and
editor of Blue Jean Buddha: Voices
of Young Buddhists
"At my Bat Mitzvah I read from a
photocopy of a haftorah. I was not allowed to hold the Torah
with my own hands, and I was not shown that the Torah was my
book of guidance as a Jew. The absence of these gestures spoke
volumes about the double-edged sword a girl is entrusted with
when she becomes a woman...when I was given the rites of
passage, it did not feel as through I had received full and
equal rights."
—Jodi Werner, contributor and Editor
of GenerationJ.com
"What kept me interested in
Christianity was something very basic: the idea that God
lowered himself and became a man so that we could relate to him
better.... Christians...spent their time talking to a God who
knew what it was like to get hungry, to go swimming, to be
tempted."
—Lauren
Winner, contributor and frequent
contributor to Christianity Today,
Books & Culture, and The Christian Century
"[A] rather astonishing
collection...the essays are gems: mature, thoughtful and
challenging.... This book is both fresh and
refreshing."
—Publishers
Weekly
"This collection will appeal to the
older adult who is looking for insight into the complex
spiritual and religious lives of this exciting new generation.
More crucially, it will serve as a rallying cry for new adults
who, within the shock of self-recognition, will be encouraged
to explore and articulate their own spiritual wisdom, thereby
enriching us all."
—Paul
Raushenbush, multi-faith spiritual
advice columnist and music-page producer for Beliefnet.com
"These new adults are not only
searching for spiritual meaning, but are actively creating
their own spiritual identities.... A great read for both
spiritual seekers and believers."
—Joanna
Laufer & Kenneth Lewis, authors
of Inspired Lives: Exploring the
Role of Faith and Spirituality in the Lives of Extraordinary
People
