Evangelicalism: The Next Generation

Library Journal

Are students keeping the faith, or has secular cultural pluralism undermined the vitality of the evangelical lifestyle? In order to ascertain the future of evangelicalism, Penning and Smidt, both professors at Calvin College, have replicated the 1987 American evangelical college student study conducted by James Davison Hunter (Evangelicalism: The Coming Generation), which looked at the theological, social, and political attitudes and behavior of students attending evangelical colleges. The authors replicated and updated some questions in order to reflect the challenges of modernity. A full critique of Hunter's work is provided along with a chapter on the effect of secularization on evangelical communities. The data illustrate that some secularizing has occurred (e.g., there is a more contemporary perspective on the role of women) but that the religious beliefs and practices of evangelical college students do not significantly differ from those previously studied. The findings continue to focus on the role of the church on matters of personal life and conduct rather than on matters of politics and social justice. For academic religious collections. L. Kriz, West Des Moines P.L., IA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.