ABSTRACT
In the late 1950s, countries like Great Britain, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia were identifiably ‘Christian’. The majority of people identified with a Christian denomination, and a large minority attended church regularly. Most people professed belief in God. Since this time there has been an appreciable and ongoing drift away from Christianity. Across all mainline Christian traditions attendance and participation has decreased. Recent research reveals that it is the young people who are at the forefront of the turn away from identification with the churches.
While Christianity is apparently waning, the proportion of the population identifying as Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim or with a New Religious Movement (NRMs) has grown substantially. The age profile of these faith communities is demonstrably younger than that of the Christian churches. Other commentators note the emergence of a new, radically individualistic spiritual culture among youth. Once, where most young people in the west were inculcated into the Christian faith, now they are variously religiously disengaged, entirely non-religious, or spiritual. A small minority are committed followers of a faith tradition. Greater pluralism, choice and diversity characterises religious life in the west, particularly among youth.
This chapter explores and explains these ‘big picture’ religious transformations. It then describes some of the key religious and spiritual trends found among young people. Such an evaluation – which recognises the diverse ways in which young people find meaning in contemporary society – opens the space for dialogue about the place of spirituality in education.
