The August 29, 2005 issue of Newsweek reports that 84% of Americans consider spirituality a very or somewhat important part of their daily life. Meanwhile over 30% of Protestants and Catholics and 48% of non-Christians are exploring spiritual ideas or practices of other religions sometimes or often. Increasingly people are seeking supernatural experiences. In fact a Barna Group report states that, “Three-quarters of America’s youth (73%) have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity, beyond mere media exposure or horoscope usage.”1 Recently, a new age, independent film illustrated this new cultural phenomena. What the #$*! Do We Know (2004) grossed more that $12 million at the box office and was Amazon.com’s Biggest DVD Surprise of Year with over a million copies sold,2 vaulting it onto Amazon’s top 5 list of DVD sellers in 2005.3 As the lead mind in the film, the spirit channeler, J.Z. Knight, poignantly asks, “Have you ever stopped for a moment to look through the eyes of the ultimate observers?”
A generation of young people who have rejected the institutions and philosophies of earlier centuries has emerged. Involvement in church life has seen a precipitous drop among college students. In Boston, informal surveys of student participation in Christian campus ministries or local churches generously estimates that less than 2-3% of students in metro Boston colleges and universities are actively involved in those groups. Startlingly, the church must ask the question, “Have 290,000 college students in Boston rejected the church as the answer for their spiritual experience?” (Continued...)
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