Buy This

"Religiously, the majority of America's young are postmodern, which means they do faith like jazz: informal, eclectic, and often without theme. They have largely rejected organized religion in favor of a religious pastiche that works for them. They think nothing of hammering together a personal faith from widely differing religious traditions, and many acquire their theology the same way they catch colds: through casual contact with strangers."
                - Stephen Mansfield in The Faith of Barack Obama

Mansfield's book, The Faith of Barack Obama, has arrived. It is in our bookstore.

Buy one. Read it.

Put your brain in gear.

Think.

John 7:24 - "Don't be nitpickers; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right."

Comments

[Jeff Kamp]

Ok, I get the point the Stephen is trying to get across. This is not a criticism of what he is trying to say. However as a jazz musician I have to correct his description of the music. Jazz is a highly organized form of music and it is almost always with a theme. Jazz is a highly complex music which takes thought and disciplined listening to understand, it is certainly not informal. Certainly I get what he is saying, we can't approach religion as if it is just a casual occurrence. I love all kinds of music, but I think Pop music would have been a better comparison. With pop music the artist sings to you exactly what they want you to get out of the song. That's why it is so successful. Any non-music person can "get it" without having to take the time to study the music.