A Critical Approach to Youth Culture: Its Influence and Implications for Ministry
Pamela Erwin
Zondervan/Youth Specialties(YS Academic), 2010, 240 pp., $34.99
”Youth culture is changing so fast, I can’t keep up with it anymore. I used to know all the songs, but now…”
“Life for today’s teen is nothing like it was when I was in high school — and I’m only 20.”
“Young people live in a totally different world from the one I know.”
These statements came from college students preparing for careers in youth ministry — young people only a couple years beyond high school themselves. The reality is, youth culture and teenagers continue to change, but you can stay connected and relevant by understanding culture and its power to influence and shape teens.
In Critical Approach to Youth Culture, you’ll engage in a multiple-discipline approach to understanding culture by looking at the:
* Nature of culture: what is it, how is it expressed?
* Theology of culture: modern and post-modern theologies of culture
* Ecology of culture: adolescent development in a cultural context
* Ethnography of culture: gaining perspective and insight, and gathering data
In this practical and concise book, you’ll develop your own cohesive plan for evaluating cultural influences, preparing you for strategic ministry to teenagers that effectively addresses the youth cultural context.
Click here to read an excerpt.
