Theological Implications of The X Factor

Based on Findings of Christian Research Association (CRA)

onAustralian Youth Spirituality in “Putting Life Together” (PLT)

‘Moses & Generation Y’Power Point prepared by Norman Habel - daughter is Generation Y’

What is the Spiritual?

Definition 1: ‘A conscious way of

life based on a transcendent reference’

BUT not always conscious

Not always with specific transcendent reference

A hope for the next life

Commitment & love

Definition 2: When youths view

life/the world & discern something very important beyond the normal relationships with self, close others, society and nature.

‘Something beyond’ 'A deep relationship' ’The X Factor'

PLT - Table 3: page 21

Spiritual – commitment and love in relationships

1. Commitment to personal growth and excellence

2. Love for family and friends that surpasses care

3. Commitment to the wellbeing of society

4. Commitment to nature, sense of unity with natural world

5. View of world – encompassing commitment to God or philosophy of life

When is a relationship spiritual?

Not one-off mountain top experiences

Not specific religious connections

BUT a certain dimension/quality of relationship

Something more The X Factor

5 CRA Categories With self With close others With society With nature With a world view EACH relationship may be spiritual or

not

The X Factor

Title comes from a boy I interviewed

Relates to any or all of the 5 spiritual relationship categories above

The X factor is the unknown, the mystery, the something more, the spiritual, the Y gene

Theological Starting Points

Is the situation hopeless?

Can we locate the X Factor?

Do our theological roots help?

What mysteries might we explore with youth?

The challenges to our theology?

PLT Survey Part 1: Spirituality and Self

Few said ‘Life Sucks’

Sense of peace & happiness as vital

Prayer a lost cause Vague sense of

purpose Feeling of

belonging Constructing selves

in terms of their world

BUT none of these elements – high self-esteem, feeling good about self, belonging etc are necessarily ‘spiritual’

What IS spiritual? Is the question OK? What is the X

Factor?

The Spiritual and the Self

Key start is being true to one’s self – not the hypocrisy in churches

There is something more to life somehow

Something other than oneself –not nec. God

Life may fit into a great scheme of things

Is there an inner self?

c. 80% probably c. 20% definitely BUT do not pursue it Potential is there

BUT Creating their own

world rather than exploring the world within!!!

1a. ImplicationsThe Self & The X Factor

This challenges our traditional theology:

Of soul/spirit as a discrete entity!

That the self/soul sins Faith as total trust of soul

in a divine person/being

Youth see a vague X presence within rather than an entity, have a vague belief – not faith in traditional sense

The vague X presence inside does not necessarily pray

Does the X inside sin? How? Against what?

Does the X inside need to be saved? Or found?

Is it seeking to discover a deeper self?

What is the X inside?

1b. The Self & Sola Fide

Does this X factor challenge theology that

Soul goes to heaven/hell

Faith as accepting beliefs/teachings

Faith not works saves us from sin

Faith as trust in Christ alone

Soul = searching self – listening?

Inner self on journey somewhere

Searching as incipient faith?

Search alone, not requirement to believe a doctrine?

Search – many paths

Paul’s Approach - Acts 17

Image to the ‘Unknown God’ – “X”

Humans ignorant but aware of something there

All humans search for the Unknown, for God, groping to find –

The search as incipient faith?

And God NOT FAR from each searcher

Then Paul quotes Greek poet! Or H.P today?

PLT Survey Part 2a Spirituality & Family

Towards spiritual in commitment and love

Relatively high levels of satisfaction with life at home & friends

Still admire parents, their sacrifice, care, ‘sticking with’, strong bonds, commitment

Is there a sense of parents as source of the spiritual, the deep, wisdom, connection with the other?

Is God a ‘super dad’ really present?

Projected guess from family into ‘other’?

Survey Part 2b Spirituality & Friends

Friendships valued Have deep

friendships! Confidants in pain! Ready to support Care for those in

need or crisis Self interests with

needs of others

Church once social centre & source

Now new networks

Signs of spiritual??

‘Something in deep friendships that transcends us as individuals’

H.P and J.C. model ?

2. ImplicationsFamily/Friends & the X Factor

Challenges theology that baptism binds us into new family

That together the church is the body of Christ – one in love: ‘Those who live in love - live in union with God and God lives in union with them’ 1John 4.16

The X factor and family caring?

The X factor in hanging out? Excitement?

Is hanging out as spiritual as Eucharist?

The X factor in playing together?

X factor rites today? Music? Forms of bonding?

Close Others & Corpus Christi Challenges

concept of Church As church viewed

as all do same, believe same, say same

Authority based bodies offer security

Key rites as marks of church

Is there a wider spiritual domain?

Is the body of Christ a mystery or an institution?

On what grounds do we exclude/include youth from being ‘in Christ’?

Alternative rites? School as ‘church’?

Is Love the X Factor?

Loving selves Loving

family/friends Loving nature Loving God…. ‘Love one another

as I have loved you’

Strong & Spong Is the 'Love of

God/God is love' a key concept lost?

PLT Survey Part 3Spirituality and Society

Low level of interest in social issues

High number watch news BUT…

Issues not seriously discussed by youth

Pro-peace = world to enjoy life and friends

Social justice means a ‘fair go for Aussies’

See importance in SJ - little understanding

Do minor things – give, volunteer, help

Everyone does their bit but few get heavily involved in a cause

No church prophets to emulate

No march on uranium mines or against war

No non-violence focus?

3. Implications - Social Justice and the Theologia Crucis

Challenges the theology of the incarnation Phil. 2

Ministry as ‘serving’ the one who came to serve

Challenges Jesus’ mission of social justice – Luke 4 – he identifies with those struggling against injustice & works to free

Christ not gentle Jesus but ‘love your enemies’

Way of cross not glory; Christ not superman!

Identify with those willing to die for the X Force – struggle for true justice as a spiritual X – models:

Gandhi Martin Luther King Daniel Berrigan Nelson Mandella Jesus Christ Archbishop Tutu Charles Strong Florence Nightingale

PLT Survey Part 4Spirituality and Nature

Some enjoy beaches, being alone in bush.Peace away from city

Rarely have deep experiences of bush

Excitement rather than protection of the E.

More consumer than nature concerned

Global warming not yet seen as violence – one of crimes against creation

Spirituality and Nature

In PLT, Paul Collins story of discerning ‘presence’ lurking – experiences

But –anthropocentric views – rule over nature

Aboriginal – spiritual bond with land ignored

Church is heaven not Earth oriented

Few find nature part of spiritual journey

No priority to experience God in nature

Science Rules!

4. Implication - Nature and the X Factor

With evolution and science a given - a vague X factor in nature challenges:

God as a Creator we owe so much

Creation as kin and responsibility to kin

God ‘revealed’ through nature

God immanent in cosmos

Luther: Finitum capax infiniti

The infinite as the X factor in nature?

Or is all finite? The X factor and

genetics The X factor and

evolution Creatio continua and

the X Factor Creating search

Job’s Experience

A crisis – senseless suffering & violence

God a hidden cause! Job takes God on and

demands showdown Challenges the

‘beyond’ to appear on Earth

God breaks through in storm & talks about nature = ecospirituality

Job 38-39

Ecospirituality

A spiritual spot A spiritual season

PLT Survey Part 5World views and Cosmos

No Aussie agreed worldview, mate!

Pluralistic society After counter-culture

revolution of 60s-70s scepticism normal

No clear God background to reject

Matter of choices – smorgasbord of spiritualities!

The grey area includes karma, psychic, astrology and God!

Clear area is science, history – based on evidence & accepted

Where is capacity to make choices wisely?

Where is the ‘Cosmic X’ option?

School science ignores the mystery element

God in the Grey Area

Generation Y Beliefs

About half believe in God BUT not deep

Maybe 15% enthusiastic about religion

20% reincarnation - karma

‘Maybe’ alternatives Images of God –

father, in sky, watcher, kind, cosmic therapist - vague

Not the U.S. warm and fuzzy God

Creator OK for some God as perfect

parent/friend for few Whatever works for

you – personal thing ‘Whatever you find

helpful is fine!’ No urgency to find

the X Factor in the cosmos

Implication 5 - The Cosmosand the X Factor

The X Factor in the wider world, in the cosmos, challenges

The God of history The God of

heaven who rules in person

The God of destiny

God who forgives sins and saves

The Trinity –v- grey

3 distinct persons –v- one indistinct X

Challenge for Churches

God in the grey area Society secular –

spiritual stays personal/private

Choose what works Challenges tradition S.J. not urgent Church an optional

extra like astrology 25% believe in God

but half immigrants

How does the church, a divided Xty, plan to have some influence on the values and vision of youth who now view God as an optional extra and an X factor in the grey and who know more about H.P than J.C?

Old God images dead?

Luther’s Approach

Deus absconditus Connected with God

hidden in nature, but especially with idea that God was ‘on the cross’, shamed! Hidden!

Deus revelatus God revealed through

crucified one – announced in Gospel and grasped by faith

What if: We view the X Factor

as deus absconditus – God in the grey

Search the mystery of the hidden & see what is revealed through youths?

Compare with other revelations

God as searcher – Job 28

Proverbs 8 – Col. 1

Challenge of Spirituality

Unclear what it is! X! Confused with Religion No clear X traditions No X symbols/rites? No heroes – H.P? No urgency! Needs someone to

'come out' and say “I am spiritual”

Grey on Grey

Possibilities:Mystery of Spiritus Sanctus

Spirit more than a third of the trinity

Spirit as the impulse for the inner self to search within...

Spirit as the impulse to relate to others is a deep way...

Spirit as the impulse to follow Christ on a social justice journey

Spirit as the impulse that renews and reveals in creation

Spirit as the impulse to discover God in the cosmos

Towards a new definition:Spirituality is the impulse

To search for meanings within the self - incipient faith

To reach for deep relationships with others – self-giving love To identify with those struggling against

injustice – way of the cross To discern presence in the natural world To search for the mystery in the cosmos -

the hidden God Are these impulses the work of the Spirit

even though youth may not recognise them as such?

A Blessing

May the spirit surprise you,

like a dove from above,

or a swallow from below,

but now and then like a blue wren

Norman Habel nhabel@esc.net.au