Passing on the Faith: Transforming Traditions for the Next Generation of Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Devlin, Joseph W.

Passing on the Faith: Transforming Traditions for the Next Generation of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Edited by James L. Heft. New York: Fordham University Press, 2006. Pp. 321. $55.00, cloth; $22.00, paper.

This book is an inquiry into how representative groups of Jews, Christians, and Muslims attempt to convey their religious traditions to the young. Beginning with a national and international overview of the subject, three recent sociological studies of youth are evaluated. These studies, national in scope, are especially relevant at a time when the young and not so young are tempted to dismiss the importance of "organized religion." With the term "spiritual" opposed to "religious," 16% of Americans now characterize themselves as unaffiliated. One of the studies finds that the vast majority of American teenagers are what the researchers call "therapeutic moralistic deists." They believe in a benign God whose only function is to pull them out of a problem when it is "crunch" time. This God makes no demands, and a paradisal afterlife is promised to those who are "nice" to one another. The particulars of Jewish, Christian, or Muslim faith have no part of what they believe, and creedal commitment of any kind is generally absent.

The next section consists of reports about how Jews, Christians, and Muslims have devised ways of communicating with the young. Of especial interest is the story of Taize, the French ecumenical monastery, told by Brother John of that community. The welcoming atmosphere of Taize continues to draw hundreds of the young, despite the fact that the monks have no particular training in what we call "youth work."

Theologian Peter Phan notes that in today's world the young are encountering other faiths and not just their own. How are they to relate what these traditions say to what they have learned as children? Phan provides models for approaching the other faiths, remarking that not only are the non-Christian religions complemented by Christianity, but Christianity is also complemented by these other religions, and these other faiths enrich and even correct one another. The young are attracted to this openness to religious diversity, and their religious identity is enhanced by such interreligious dialogue.

Several articles about Jewish and Muslim youth show how they are integrated into vital religious communities. Noteworthy is the fairly "secular" approach taken by Jewish youth to the institutions of Judaism. Most are very keen on performing works of social service and very active in doing so. For Muslims, the secular is not particularly attractive.

A concluding section features Jack Miles and Diane Winston. Miles draws attention to the institutions and attitudes of international secularism, arguing that today the encounter of religion and secularism has been overtaken by the encounter of both with consumerism. He warns against "customer-is-always-right" religiosity. To use his term, the "marketization" of religion is insidious, and he hopes for the rediscovery of traditional religion as an alternative to this religion of the market.

Winston concludes with the question: Why should we want to pass on these traditions in the first place? Real dialogue could begin with that question. All in all, this is a deeply enriching book, and it would be quite helpful for those who teach and/or counsel the young.

Joseph W. Devlin, LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA