I’ve written about The Theory of the Fourth Turning a number of times on my other blog, but wanted to also bring it up here because I think it provides an interesting framework in which to look at some of the issues facing the church.
I can’t even do it justice to try to explain it here. You have to look at the charts and just read about it. But I think when you do, some things will start to make more sense.
For example, Marie left this comment today:
I consider Lindsay’s characterizations of Rachel Held Evans to be unsubstantiated and quick to judge. She considers Rachel as trying to be hip or cool–ever read her post “Blessed are the Uncool?” In fact, even a cursory reading of her blog belies indications of attempts to have some kind of popular, “cool” persona. Lindsay, you may disagree with RHE’s conclusions, and that is one thing, but your judgmental commentary is out of line.
Which was in response to this comment written by Lindsey:
I get turned off by RHE & Hatmaker and those progressives because they try so hard to be controversial in a “hipster” kind of way. Like you said, the book’s premise was just silly and weird. But silly and weird sells in those circles.
I like some of what RHE & Hatmaker, et al have to say. I do. But when they start talking about the Bible being a “good story” they lose me.
It’s like this – they try so HARD to be “out of the box” for Jesus they forget who Jesus is and was along the way. Or that’s my take. It seems like a constant reinvention of being hip, cool, whatever.
People can talk about postmodernism and all that. But so much of what the church is going through is just part and parcel with the HUGE shift taking place right now in our nation’s history. If you want to understand more about why Obama was reelected, why people in their twenties are acting hip and people in the over forty group are turned off by it, etc. then read the following links. It is really fascinating and I think it will help people understand their own generational perspective and those around them.
There are many more links you can read in their left sidebar. These are just three that give you a general overview.
If you are wondering when things are going to get better and we will move from the Crisis that started in 2008… They predict we will hit the next High somewhere around 2029. Strap yourselves in for the next 17 years. And ask yourself how the Body of Christ should look at this information. What kind of impact will this Crisis period have on the church? How can we most effectively minister in this context? For those of us with young children, how do we effectively raise them into adulthood during a Crisis?
And even more interesting as it relates to our discussions here about women in the church, is this chart that mentions gender roles in the ebb and flow of history. If you scroll down and look at the line “Gap Between Gender Roles” it looks as though we have left the time of minimal differentiation between the sexes and are moving through a widening gap and on toward maximum.
That generational stuff is really intriguing, and worthy of some thought. I never felt like I really “belonged” to Generation X–on the younger end (1978), too conservative an upbringing, etc., but I am starting to realize that I really do: I feel like the systems were broken by my predecessors, like they didn’t work for me, like we need to hunker down and find ways to make things work again and I need to look out for my own primarily. I find people even a few years younger (20s) to be crusading idealists who can get away with it because they haven’t really dealt with trying to raise a family through the turmoil of the past few years.
If the system is right, then a couple of ideas appeal right off: to appeal to the teens and twenties of today, we need to phrase things in a communal, positive light. Less “Jesus is all about me” or “culture war” stuff and more community, outward focus: how can we live out the life of Jesus together? It’s going to be a time now for reestablishing social structures; time to stop tearing down (which I think was a Boomer, “Prophet,” thing) and time to start building. (I feel this very strongly.) We need to think about the kind of social institutions and structures we want to establish for the following generation.
By “Fourth Turning”, I assume you mean the Strauss-Howe Cycle.
According to the Strauss-Howe cycle, here in 2012 we should be in a Zeitgeist similar to that around the time of the Roaring Twenties or the American Civil War. Idealists (Baby Boomers) ascendant and in power, Reactives (Gen Xers) fighting their way up to where they can act as damper rods in the reactor of the Idealists’ Pure Ideology, and the Millenials primed and conditioned to serve whichever of their elders’ generations prevails.
Right now, before the Gen-Xers age into positions of power to where they can act as the damper rods, we are in the period of maximum craziness. Where any Revolution in society will follow the French or First Russian model, where Purity of Ideology justifies anything. (And each Idealist faction has a different Pure Ideology and the universe cannot have two centers.)
In another ten years or so, we should be in a configuration similar to the American Revolution or WW2 — Idealists as elder statesmen, Reactives in day-to-day control, and the younger gens raised to serve — the best possible configuration to weather a deadly crisis.
And here we are eleven years later…. In the midst of the Second American Revolution or WW3.
So fascinating to go back to these old posts.
I fit Strauss and Howe’s Generation X descriptions quite well, but I grew up with non-Christian parents, and mostly outside the Church. Our church recently went through some mission-defining exercises; Generation X members were able to put in some good ideas, and take on some new leadership roles.
I’ve read a lot of Fourth Turning stuff, but still have no idea how this Crisis is going to play out, and even less idea about what we’ll end up with afterward. It doesn’t seem like the election got us any closer to facing our collective problems–the country is divided almost right down the middle–and my generation still isn’t really positioned to act effectively. About all I can do now is to brace myself spiritually, and prepare to assist with the practicalities of survival and charity while these things get hashed out.
I do not completely understand this ,but it seems “familiar” in that there is a kind of pattern of conservative type behavior to more lenient as the generations progress and then back again. I have seen it as I have done geneology in various branches of my famillies , adopted and birth. This must also be what it means to be “born before your time” I see a real “snapping out” of an extreme liberal position , which many people my age (50’s) adopted as we went through the 1970’s , some people ,including myself, seem to be taking a strong conservative outlook.I do not think society is there, but I see our children seem to be VERY conservative in their views on family espeially, many are Not becoming sexually active in their teens , opposed to what society tells us. It must be the forerunner of a morality change perhaps.
I’ve been out of the loop for a few days and had no idea what I said was controversial 🙂
Oh well, still stand by what I said 100%. I’m such an uncool non-hipster, but that’s fine by me.
FYI I’m nursing a brown recluse bite and have been pretty sick for awhile.
Should also add that while I was born in 1977, I don’t really identify with my peer group too much. My mother has always said I’m ten years older than I should be. So that makes me 35 by my date of birth, 45 by nature…
Lindsay–yikes, I hope you heal quickly from that spider bite!
If I could go back, I would have edited out the phrase “out of line” from my original comment. That was a little strong. My only point was that it seemed uncharitable to assume Rachel was intending to strive for a certain persona–a little too judging of her heart. I don’t disagree with criticizing beliefs, but intentions. BTW, I probably have more in common with Lindsay than she may realize; I was born in 1978 and have felt I was born old most of my life! 🙂
Fascinating!
I was born in ’78 also! Small world! I wonder if being born on the cusp like that has anything to do with it. My husband and I have often felt like we don’t neatly fit either niche.
I read the summaries of Gen X and Millennial and I see parts of myself and my upbringing in both. Interesting.
The gender gaps thing is interesting. On one of the charts, it looked like the gender differences would be minimal for Gen Xers but more pronounced for Millennials? Did I read that correctly? I can’t say that I really see that. Do you?
I think the gender differentiation thing is very true. Look at toys. When I was a kid, legos were legos–now the “girl” legos are clearly differentiated. Walk down a toy store aisle and find anything that isn’t pink with flowers or black with weapons. I have no idea how it will play out when they grow up, but I do think today’s children are being raised with far more drastic gender differentiation than most of us grew up with.