VIRTUAL FAITH
BY TOM BEAUDOIN

GenX + Spirituality + Pop culture = ?

How do the religious relate to a generation naturally suspicious of institutions? What is Generation X? What's the importance of popular culture?

Tom Beaudoin's Virtual Faith attempts to unpack and subsequently relate spirituality, Gen X and pop culture. Pete Pert cast a sceptic's eye over his interpretation.

I’ve always found it quite ironic that the term Generation X has come to represent a typical person of the 18-30 age group. It’s amazing that a GenXer could be recognised as a stereotype if parodied. After all, Douglas Coupland’s 1991 novel, Generation X, of which the term takes its name, was about three young people who opted out of mainstream society because they were sick of being the next "target market". And now they are it. Recognised as the apathetic, uninspired generation; the slacker generation, consumerism their only tool of expression. Of course, this isn’t true. Maybe the reason we find it so hard to "reach" this generation is because the very thought of trying to reach a generation who will do anything to get out being put in a box seems all wrong. Its often the hardest thing not to generalise about ‘types’ of people, but maybe that’s why there are so many strands to this generation, because they will avoid being predicted by those they distrust.

So when I was recommended Tom Beaudoin’s new take on a GenX theology, I approached it with some scepticism (aren’t I so GenX!), simply because of the very idea. However, I was still intrigued and with a hope that he may have something interesting or new to offer, I bought the book.

Beaudoin starts the book by explaining his most recent "religious experience" at the "GenX musical" Rent. Immediately, this endears me to both his character and his style. It’s exciting to be able to relate to someone who sees God move in secular culture. Beaudoin’s preface lays out the aims and intended audience of Virtual Faith. The aim? How do we relate GenX, popular culture and religion. In his words, "I hope to clarify the ways in which we are religious through a theological interpretation of Generation X’s popular culture."

For whom? Without a hint of arrogance, Beaudoin claims Virtual Faith could be "the first sustained attempt to develop a theology about, by and for Generation X by attending to popular culture." He goes on to say the book is meant for the "faithful, as well as those who consider themselves unfaithful." Beaudoin’s attempt at this new theology, he explains, is intended to steer clear of "needless academic theology" and thus presented in an "understandable manner". Nevertheless, Beaudoin, a Master of Theological Studies at Harvard University, can’t help his intelligence, nor does he apologise for it and the book most definitely demands an attentive reader.

Part 1 of this book (of which I will solely concentrate on for this article) is entitled #Why Religion Still Matters - GenX, Pop Culture and the search for God.# He begins to talk about his own journey and a childhood that fed from popular culture whilst attempting to hang on to some form of faith or belief system. He takes us through - in a truly post-modern way - how he juggled regular attendance of a catholic church, a Baptist church and a Jewish synagogue. One of his most interesting points is in his examples of how the ‘unfaithful’ have challenged and criticised his own faith, to the point of re-evaluation and change. The question being, how much does God use non- Christians to speak to us?

What surprises me though, is his use of the words ‘religion’ and ‘religious’. It seems somewhat bizarre coming from someone so immersed in his surrounding culture that he should use such words to describe his faith or spiritual experiences. He even sounds surprised when he discovers that when looking at Xers distaste for religion, "it could even mean that Xers associate religiousness with a traditional institution and therefore hesitate to call themselves religious." Well, yes, I’d say so Tom! That’s exactly what I associate with being religious. Why, then, would we want to continue using the term? For some reason he doesn’t make the association between ‘being religious’ and dogmatism!

So what of pop culture? Well, the author’s interpretation sees a generation brought up by it: "For a generation of kids who had a fragmented or completely broken relationship to 'formal' or 'institutional' religion, pop culture filled the spiritual gaps." This "deep immersion" in popular culture served its generation as "surrogate clergy," whereas in previous generations, religion had taken this role. Popular culture, argues the author, was their touch-base, their reference board, where everyone could relate in reminiscing about: Knight Rider, friendship bracelets, Atari, Star Wars, Live Aid, Frogger or whatever else you could raise a laugh in sentiment to.

A lot of the first section of this book reflects on other authors who have looked at the relationship between GenX and religion, whilst Beaudoin continues to add his own insights. One author compares GenX anxiety about a lack of meaning to their lives to that of war veterans who suffer post- traumatic stress disorder! Another writer, who interviewed many Xers, found that the most common charge against the church is hypocrisy. One Xer he interviewed commented on going to church: "What the hell’s going to church for? These days you’ve got to take religion into your own hands." This opinion would support the idea that many Xers, without the framework of institutionalised religion in their lives, seek to live "religiously" through pop culture. And when that doesn’t fill the gap? Beaudoin comments: "Xers take symbols, values, and rituals from various religious traditions and combine them into their personal 'spirituality'." He quotes a GenX friend of his: "My spirituality is drawn from Hinduism, Buddhism, Christian and Muslim mysticism, and Native American religions." The pick ‘n’ choose ethic that is seemingly common throughout GenX - an openness to all, but no commitment to one.

Going back to the importance of popular culture, Beaudoin asks the question, can pop culture reveal the "mystery of God?" He looks at three ways in which pop culture is produced: "first, as produced by a culture for the people (people consume what is fed to them); second, as the culture of the people (people consume what resonates within their own values); third, as the culture by the people (popular ways people live daily lives)." The writer adopts the second definition, stating that although he had earlier compared pop culture as "surrogate clergy" this doesn’t mean it is simply preached or forced upon the consumer, it is also produced by the generation. "Xers, in other words, are 'creators' as much as 'receivers' of popular culture." Looking at the sociological conditions in which GenX grew up, Beaudoin looks at GenX authors Rob Nelson and Jon Cowan who wrote Revolution X, a manifesto that lists the "100 harshest facts" about this generation. Here are some of the trends they noticed: "A decline in real wages and an increase in the length of the average workweek over the past twenty-five years; an increase in young adult poverty and a concomitant decline of real income; the devastation of AIDS, the top killer of Xers in many cities; the continued socio-economic crises of many minority communities, particularly of young African American men; continuing crises of divorce and suicide; over-qualification of college graduates for available jobs; unacceptable levels of violence in schools and neighbourhoods; and a steady drumbeat of drug abuse." Beaudoin goes on to say: "These conditions collectively amount to a 'critical mass' of social pathologies that help mark the uniqueness of this generation."

I think that some of those facts are really scary, but we all know that they’re normal, and they may not have shocked a lot of you because of this.

I’ve heard a few people say ‘what’s so special about this generation? Why do we make all the fuss?’ Well, putting aside the messed up world we’ve grown up in and subsequently accepted because it’s all we know, I think one thing that makes Generation X so different to previous generations is that it doesn’t have a common cause to fight. We haven’t got a WWII to fight, we haven’t got a revolution to bring, like our parents did in the ‘60s. In fact, what we learnt from our parent’s efforts is that there isn’t much point fighting anyway, because it doesn’t make much difference. What do have as a generation? All we have is our culture - and look at what that tells us...

As a God-fearing people, what can we bring to this generation, what have we got to say... anything?