Virtual Faith : The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X

Rating:
Summary: Interesting cultural observations on spirituality of Gen X
Review: I felt that the author was able to incorporate good observations on the cultural nature of Gen X. The pop nature of the book and the inclusion of various types of fashion and electronic media were of importance to his subject. As a person from this generation, I was able to resonate with many of the assumptions about culture and their inclusion in the shaping of spirituality. The irreverant and ironic criticism of institutional religion found articulation in Virtual Faith as well, as it was developed from the perspective of Gen X Christianity.

I was disappointed though, by the poor use of the four music videos. I felt that too much was read into their imagery by the author. My own thoughts are that much of the second part of the book became mired in an overdeveloped desire to place spiritual meaning upon these cultural icons. I don't think that much meaning was there, which undermined the character of the book.

I did appreciate though, the book's attempt to bring together cultural and spiritual aspects in Christianity, and express the irreverent reverence of Gen X.

Rating:
Summary: good premise, I have only two critiques
Review: I read this book for a Youth and Culture class in seminary and it was by far my favorite book of the semester. Beaudoin does a good job in describing a generalized picture of Generation X's conception of Christianity, but there are two places where I feel he misses the mark somewhat.
I feel that Beaudoin could have made better choices in his selection of videos, and this is not about personal preference or taste. Soundgarden's "Outshined" or "Rusty Cage" were both more attuned, in my estimation, to the emotions, struggles, and general attitude of Generation X than "Black Hole Sun", generally speaking. Beaudoin could have also explored why a band like Pearl Jam, which is overwhelmingly non-imagistic, could still continue to have an impact despite Pearl Jam's lack of visual exposure beyond 1992. Another example: replace "Like a Prayer" with Tool's "Sober" or with Nine Inch Nails "Head Like a Hole", and you've got something. And one last musical point: where is hip-hop? Surely the amazing success of rap music in the ninties, especially gangsta rap, says something about Generation X theologically.
My second critique concerns Beaudoin's theological engagement. I simply feel that he could have gone a little deeper. I was also looking for some wrestling with the greats. I took Systematic Theology the semester before I read this book and was looking for Beaudoin to utilize Barth, Tillich, Bultmann, etc. An examination of Tillich's views of Christianity and culture would have been especially rewarding in the context of the book. It simply seemed to me that Beaudoin could have gone a tad deeper theologically.

Rating:
Summary: good premise, I have only two critiques
Review: I read this book for a Youth and Culture class in seminary and it was by far my favorite book of the semester. Beaudoin does a good job in describing a generalized picture of Generation X's conception of Christianity, but there are two places where I feel he misses the mark somewhat.
I feel that Beaudoin could have made better choices in his selection of videos, and this is not about personal preference or taste. Soundgarden's "Outshined" or "Rusty Cage" were both more attuned, in my estimation, to the emotions, struggles, and general attitude of Generation X than "Black Hole Sun", generally speaking. Beaudoin could have also explored why a band like Pearl Jam, which is overwhelmingly non-imagistic, could still continue to have an impact despite Pearl Jam's lack of visual exposure beyond 1992. Another example: replace "Like a Prayer" with Tool's "Sober" or with Nine Inch Nails "Head Like a Hole", and you've got something. And one last musical point: where is hip-hop? Surely the amazing success of rap music in the ninties, especially gangsta rap, says something about Generation X theologically.
My second critique concerns Beaudoin's theological engagement. I simply feel that he could have gone a little deeper. I was also looking for some wrestling with the greats. I took Systematic Theology the semester before I read this book and was looking for Beaudoin to utilize Barth, Tillich, Bultmann, etc. An examination of Tillich's views of Christianity and culture would have been especially rewarding in the context of the book. It simply seemed to me that Beaudoin could have gone a tad deeper theologically.

Rating:
Summary: Seek and Ye Shall Find
Review: I was born in 1977 and I don't go to church and can thus be seen as an example of the stereotype that labels Gen Xers as irreligious. True, the generation of the unknown quantity "X" may not be flooding the pews like my Catholic grandmother would want to see, but, as Tim Beaudoin suggests in his book "Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X," we ARE worshipping in our own way.
The cover of the book features the face of Jesus tattooed on somebody's bicep, and although some may perceive this image as part of the joke that seems to be Gen X spirituality, Beaudoin takes it seriously. He is a pioneer in his explorations of "theological interpretations of Gen X pop culture," which means in his book he puts a whole new spin on such things as music videos, fashion, and cyberspace.
The book's academic style makes it a bit tedious at points, but still Beaudoin's message is clear and worth reading: there is a spiritual revolution happening in my generation. If you listen closely and set aside stigmas about piercings and tattoos, you can see that old rituals, symbols, traditions, and icons have fertilized new philosophies and ideas. Gen Xers have internalized, reworked, and attempted-sometimes subconsciously-to apply spirituality to the culture of the everyday life they face. Beaudoin, who holds a master's degree in Theological Studies from the Harvard University School of Divinity, argues that this movement has been neither seen nor reported on. "The media's simplistic caricatures of Generation X have yet to relate something substantial about this generation to its elders, particularly in regard to Gen X's unique religiousness." In the media's defense, this subtle, sometimes twisted sense of spirituality is not easily expressed, but Beaudoin is able to give this movement a voice.
In the beginning of his book, for example, he describes his most recent religious experience, which occurred as he sat in the audience of "Rent." Attending the award-winning play-he saw it four times-had become a ritual for him. Throughout each performance, he and the people around him cried and "raised their hands in the air as if at an evangelical revival," acknowledging that what they were experiencing was both about and beyond them. That same sound that my parents call "trash," he claims is "just as important to my own sense of spirituality as any commitment to an institutional church." Beaudoin, in fact, plays in a rock band and says when he feels the deep rhythm of playing tightly with a drummer and feels the way his body and soul harmonize with the low tones of his base guitar "something happens." Ultimately, for Beaudoin and most Gen Xers, any place can be a church, any song a prayer, and any person, a priest. While Beaudoin acknowledges that his message may not sit well with many people, he explains that "impropriety has been a theme in my life and of the life of Generation X."
Religious mixing and matching is also a theme in Gen Xers' unique spiritual style. For example, someone might believe in the teachings of Jesus, but not in the Catholic Church's attitude toward women, abortion, or gays. It is in ways like this that Beaudoin says, my generation "can recycle and recombine not only the present pop culture and religious landscape but also the rich past of religious tradition," a process of "active preservation, not mindless repetition."
The Gen Xers described in Beaudoins book are acutely aware of the boredom generated by empty rituals, meaningless language, and the growing gap between institutional preaching and practice, which is a sentiment expressed in music videos such as Tori Amos's "Crucify" and R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion." Therefore, one positive result of the Gen X rebellion is that it serves as "a call to humanity within religious institutions." Facing the very real prospect that they may lose their younger worshippers, religious institutions have been forced to make some changes.
Because of the barrage of unfiltered information we Gen Xers experienced growing up in a techno-world of televisions and computers, we have become cynical. The cynicism we have developed is in direct proportion to the mighty idealism of the baby boomers. As Beaudoin points out: "My generation inherited not free love but AIDS, not peace but nuclear anxiety, not cheap communal lifestyles but crushing costs of living, not free teach-ins but colleges priced for aristocracy." Thus, many of us came to the conclusion long ago that unless a serious shift occurs in our world today, the safest and most genuine place to go for spiritual guidance is within ourselves.
Ultimately, the fact that "Viritual Faith" articulates things I have kept to myself for years gives me a sense of hope. Perhaps Gen X's quest for the sacred nature of experience will eventually be honed instead of ridiculed. Informed by "Viritual Faith," the media, who depict Gen Xers as pathetic and confused, or parents, who lament the aimless rebellion of their children's generation, might reconsider their perspectives. Hopefully, they will be surprised-even better, deeply moved-by "The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X." And maybe soon a new Beaudoin will emerge and be able to explain to me what the hell is going on with Generation Y. Until then, however, I'll try to keep an open mind.

Rating:
Summary: Seek and Ye Shall Find
Review: I was born in 1977 and I don't go to church and can thus be seen as an example of the stereotype that labels Gen Xers as irreligious. True, the generation of the unknown quantity "X" may not be flooding the pews like my Catholic grandmother would want to see, but, as Tim Beaudoin suggests in his book "Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X," we ARE worshipping in our own way.
The cover of the book features the face of Jesus tattooed on somebody's bicep, and although some may perceive this image as part of the joke that seems to be Gen X spirituality, Beaudoin takes it seriously. He is a pioneer in his explorations of "theological interpretations of Gen X pop culture," which means in his book he puts a whole new spin on such things as music videos, fashion, and cyberspace.
The book's academic style makes it a bit tedious at points, but still Beaudoin's message is clear and worth reading: there is a spiritual revolution happening in my generation. If you listen closely and set aside stigmas about piercings and tattoos, you can see that old rituals, symbols, traditions, and icons have fertilized new philosophies and ideas. Gen Xers have internalized, reworked, and attempted-sometimes subconsciously-to apply spirituality to the culture of the everyday life they face. Beaudoin, who holds a master's degree in Theological Studies from the Harvard University School of Divinity, argues that this movement has been neither seen nor reported on. "The media's simplistic caricatures of Generation X have yet to relate something substantial about this generation to its elders, particularly in regard to Gen X's unique religiousness." In the media's defense, this subtle, sometimes twisted sense of spirituality is not easily expressed, but Beaudoin is able to give this movement a voice.
In the beginning of his book, for example, he describes his most recent religious experience, which occurred as he sat in the audience of "Rent." Attending the award-winning play-he saw it four times-had become a ritual for him. Throughout each performance, he and the people around him cried and "raised their hands in the air as if at an evangelical revival," acknowledging that what they were experiencing was both about and beyond them. That same sound that my parents call "trash," he claims is "just as important to my own sense of spirituality as any commitment to an institutional church." Beaudoin, in fact, plays in a rock band and says when he feels the deep rhythm of playing tightly with a drummer and feels the way his body and soul harmonize with the low tones of his base guitar "something happens." Ultimately, for Beaudoin and most Gen Xers, any place can be a church, any song a prayer, and any person, a priest. While Beaudoin acknowledges that his message may not sit well with many people, he explains that "impropriety has been a theme in my life and of the life of Generation X."
Religious mixing and matching is also a theme in Gen Xers' unique spiritual style. For example, someone might believe in the teachings of Jesus, but not in the Catholic Church's attitude toward women, abortion, or gays. It is in ways like this that Beaudoin says, my generation "can recycle and recombine not only the present pop culture and religious landscape but also the rich past of religious tradition," a process of "active preservation, not mindless repetition."
The Gen Xers described in Beaudoins book are acutely aware of the boredom generated by empty rituals, meaningless language, and the growing gap between institutional preaching and practice, which is a sentiment expressed in music videos such as Tori Amos's "Crucify" and R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion." Therefore, one positive result of the Gen X rebellion is that it serves as "a call to humanity within religious institutions." Facing the very real prospect that they may lose their younger worshippers, religious institutions have been forced to make some changes.
Because of the barrage of unfiltered information we Gen Xers experienced growing up in a techno-world of televisions and computers, we have become cynical. The cynicism we have developed is in direct proportion to the mighty idealism of the baby boomers. As Beaudoin points out: "My generation inherited not free love but AIDS, not peace but nuclear anxiety, not cheap communal lifestyles but crushing costs of living, not free teach-ins but colleges priced for aristocracy." Thus, many of us came to the conclusion long ago that unless a serious shift occurs in our world today, the safest and most genuine place to go for spiritual guidance is within ourselves.
Ultimately, the fact that "Viritual Faith" articulates things I have kept to myself for years gives me a sense of hope. Perhaps Gen X's quest for the sacred nature of experience will eventually be honed instead of ridiculed. Informed by "Viritual Faith," the media, who depict Gen Xers as pathetic and confused, or parents, who lament the aimless rebellion of their children's generation, might reconsider their perspectives. Hopefully, they will be surprised-even better, deeply moved-by "The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X." And maybe soon a new Beaudoin will emerge and be able to explain to me what the hell is going on with Generation Y. Until then, however, I'll try to keep an open mind.

Rating:
Summary: A theological dissection of this group from one of its own
Review: I'm a little bit older than this age group discussed. Okay, I'll admit it, I'm near the advance guard of the Boomer generation! However, as someone charged with developing educational offerings for my church, I found this to be compelling reading.

The age group of 18-30, no matter what generation in recent years, has typically been absent from our pews. What makes the Gen-Xers so different, Beaudoin says, is that they WANT to be in a spiritual place, and are hungry for it. He cites evidence from music, music videos and other sources of pop culture appealing to the Gen-Xers.

One of his arguments I found especially interesting was that which states that this generation has grown up not knowing war, hard times or any of the events that tend to galvanize previous generations. His theory is that this explains the rise in popularity of self mutilation, otherwise known as body piercing and tattooing, as visible signs of the theme of "suffering servant."

Whether one buys into his theories or not, there is much here to provide food for thought for mainstream churches wanting to reach out to the Gen-Xers. He looks at those aspects of Biblical stories that have appeal to this group; he speaks of styles of worship or study that would most attract them. I don't think anyone who has looked at shelves of bookstores can disagree that there is a great spiritual hunger in our world. Beaudoin's book will certainly enocurage us to think about how that hunger could be met for this demographic group.

Rating:
Summary: An intellectual, educational explanation of Generation X
Review: In "Virtual Faith," Tom Beaudoin writes an intellectual, educational explanation of Generation X and their spiritual irreverence. Beaudoin is an educator and a theologian, as well as a member of Generation X, so he feels that he is well qualified to explain and interpret this generation's theology. He explores some of the theological themes in Xer's popular culture, and how these themes are expressed in the music videos, cyberspace and the fashion statements of Generation X. Beaudoin is informative in this in-depth explanation of these themes and the way they are expressed in the pop culture of the Xers.

Although this book was very informative, and the first book on the GenX culture, I felt Beaudoin generalaized far too much. Not all young men and women in this particular generation have expereienced the suffering and turmoil that Beaudoin writes about, as his explanation of why these young people behave and react as they do. Some GenXers just like to express themselves in a certain way because they think it's "cool," or it may be a way to express their rebellion. Every generation has gone through a stage of rebellion aimed at the older generation, and each generation has found a new way of expressing itself in this rebellion. Because of the technological advances during the GenX period, it seems that their rebellion looms larger and is more irreverent than other generations. I am not sure that this is the case, as I have lived through several of these generational cycles.

I did fing Beaudoin's explanation of GenX culture very enlightening and informative even though it was too generalized. I especially appreciated his suggestions on how Generation X and the church as an institution could and should learn from each other. Both groups have much to offer, if both groups are willing to listen and learn from each other. Spiritual and intellectual enrichment can result if communication and understanding are forthcoming between Generation X and the church. Beaudoin offers a ray of hope for all concerned.

Rating:
Summary: TB knows his generation quite well & braves interpreting it.
Review: This book is great for people with questions about 'peculiar' GenX behavior and what may be behind it. Beaudoin really understands the many expressions of his generation -- has really done a lot of work to study it.

Whether you agree or disagree with his interpretations, they give plenty of food for thought and seem quite plausible. From a Christian perspective, I'd say he's a bit syncretistic, baptizing too much of the culture in the name of healthy 'spiritual quest.' But no one can deny that the inner struggles, feelings and questions of Gen-Xers tend to be as Beaudoin depicts. I found it well-articulated and very helpful and insightful, even when I disagreed about his proposals and theories.

For anyone wanting to communicate better, understand and reach out to meet the real, inner needs of this generation, I highly recommended this book.

Rating:
Summary: An inspiring approach that leaves some questions to be asked
Review: Tom's book is a most inspiring description and analysis of a generation's approach to spirituality and faith. Although I am from a different background (Germany) I count myself among the generation Tom describes. Phenomenons in German pop culture vary from America; yet I found myself in a lot of the examples Tom describes. Especially enlighting are his analyses of Music videos, irony, and the use of signs and symbols, and - most of all - the way Tom explains the spiritual questions Xers seem to ask. For a practical theologian it is a helpful book to take a look at religious elements in popular and civil culture. The book, however, raises questions concerning systematics. A systematic approach to define spirituality, religion, religious elements would do no harm. But those are questions yet to be discussed. Tom Beaudoin's approach is very helpful as first steps .

Rating:
Summary: Is tradition the answere?
Review: Virtual Faith is a free flowing theological interpretation of the heart beat of modern culture. The question the author asks is "will you be there for me?" In the modern age, this question is paramount to Gen Xers. Those who grew up in one parent or no parent households. It seems that the alienation the Xer's feel is rooted in their abandonment an isolation by their elders! This is a generation without rites of passage as found in native cultures. Xer's mistrust modern forms of establishment. Tom suggests that Tradition may offer something to Xer's who in fact are quite spiritual. This is a great book! The older generation stands to learn much in its pages! My only criticism of the book is rooted in my own alienation from the tradition he speaks favorabley about. While there is a richness in traditonal forms of Christianity it is rarely exercised in modern forms of practice these days. Patriarchal forns are oppresive and mean spirited to the Souls of women and other minorities.The Pope speaks eloquently and correctly about injustice outside the Catholic Church. About injustice within the Church he is silent and culpably negligent. I give this book my highest recommendation!