72: Revisiting Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (Kenda Creasy Dean)

Nearly twenty years ago, the largest study on youth and religion described the religious worldview of youth and young adults as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. The teenagers and young adults in that study are now the parents of GenZ, which prompts the question, “Is MTD still a good description of youth spirituality?” 

Discussion Questions

• For our listeners who don’t know about the National Study on Youth and Religion, could you share an overview of what that was all about and about your role in it? 
• The most enduring finding from NSYR was Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. What is that, and could you give a few examples of the way it was understood at the time? 
• How does MTD relate with tolerance culture today? 
• What are some lessons from NSYR that we continue to overlook today?
• Your book Almost Christian really struck a nerve when it was released in 2010. What were some of the messages from that book that resonated with people at the time, and how do you see those continuing or changing in youth culture today? 

Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean is a youth ministry legend and is Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Dean has written or co-authored a dozen books, most notably Starting Right, The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry and Almost Christian. 

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Soul Searching, by Christian Smith and Melissa Lundquist Denton
• Handing Down the Faith, by Christian Smith and Amy Adamczyk
• Almost Christian, by Kenda Creasy Dean
• The Polaris Young Adult Leadership Network at Princeton Theological Seminary