Postkiwi Duncan Macleod

Wade Clark Roof and Jackson Carroll, in their book, Bridging Divided Worlds, use the word ‘reflexivity’ to develop their alternative for complacent approaches to generational diversity.

They’re talking about self-understanding, generationally conscious reflection. They challenge congregations to cultivate awareness of themselves in social and historic religious contexts. Congregations as well as individuals can use the skills of reflexive thinking: sociological imagination, recognition of one’s own views, values, and identity in relation to others. In some ways Carroll and Roof are talking about theological reflection.

The Chambers Dictionary gives us a definition of reflexive:

“Indicating that the action turns back upon the subject”.
as in “He cut himself”

There are a few steps suggested by Carroll and Roof for reflexivity:

1. Recognise that generations have varied, and at times conflicted, views about the meaning of religious involvement itself.
2. Make it possible for institutions to evolve as clientele and circumstance change
3. Ensure that individuals from different generations are able to express themselves, put their faith into action in ways that are meaningful to them.
4. Bring generational awareness into ongoing strategic structural planning.
5. Recognise that traditions, if they are to be living traditions, are constantly being renegotiated and retraditioned through a reflexive conversation with the culture.
6. Redefine congregational strength in terms of inclusiveness: capacity to accept others, their beliefs and values, even if they are different to the interpretations of those presently in control of the institution.
7. Keep traditions with a small ‘t’ in perspective. They are historically and contextually bound expressions of the ‘Tradition’ with a big ‘T’

Carroll and Roof call for researchers in this field to explore the ways in which religious traditions are transformed by emerging generations. We need to see new generations as ‘carriers of culture and religious styles’.

I appreciate the authors’ avoidance of ‘how-to’ solutions for congregations. Contextualisation is so important. We’re given an example of a boomer program based around country music and line dancing – an approach specific to the local environment rather than a global culture.

What the authors do offer is a call to do the hard work that leads to self-aware approaches to generational diversity rather than arbitrary borrowing of programs. They lead their readers to explore deep cultural change rather than dabble with of superficial communication styles.

At times, the authors show their sympathy for a middle-ground liberal Protestant interpretation of Christian tradition. They appear to be comfortable in the negotiated blended approach to generational diversity. However they have made a strong effort to cast their research over a wide variety of congregational responses to emerging generations.