54. The Anxious Generation Goes to Church: What the Research Says About What Younger Generations Need and Want From Your Church. Thom S. Rainer. 2025. [August] 192. [Source: Review copy] [4 stars, nonfiction, christian nonfiction]
First sentence: I was well on my way to completing the research on a different book when I hit a wall.
The book I thought I was 'getting' was not the book I got. That's on me, mostly. I didn't see or pay enough attention to the subtitle. Perhaps. I have thoughts. I do. I'll try to share them when appropriate.
So what IS the book about? The book addresses from a statistical, sociological, analytical, research-oriented viewpoint how the two youngest generations--Gen Z and Gen Alpha--could benefit from the structure of the church and the church community. Gen Z refers to those born between 1997 and 2012. Gen Alpha refers to those born between 2013 and the present.
His inspiration for writing is DIRECTLY connected to his reading a secular book called The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. Much of his book is spent summarizing and analyzing Haidt's book and spinning or tilting it perhaps to see it from a Christian perspective. The concerns are roughly the same, I believe, but Rainer focuses on a possible solution to the 'problem.'
Rainer defines and describes each generation from The Silent Generation on through Gen Alpha. Each generation is defined in GENERALIZED terms--very wide brush strokes, if you will. It starts from a place that these sociological terms and generalizations are essentially true. He does not question these foundational blocks. [I'm not saying that is in and of itself a bad thing. It's just that almost all of the building blocks in this book, the foundation, the walls, the supports, etc., are all sociological and not in any way drawing from Scripture.] All people from a generation are lumped together despite unique, personal, individual differences. A very one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter approach to viewing humanity.
The Anxious Generations--Gen Z and Gen Alpha--are being shaped, rewired essentially by "the big four" : high speed internet, smartphones, social media, and polarization. Rainer spends time explaining the evils of the big four. Though high-speed internet, smartphones, social media, and polarization are so closely connected and intertwined, so knotted and tangled together that I'm not sure it makes sense to separate them from each other. You can probably guess what makes the big four evil without further explanation. Polarization is the only one that might perhaps need a little help. Essentially the polarization of society on every subject--mostly online but in person as well perhaps. (For example, how EVERYTHING is one baby step away from being a political issue.)
He spends the most time on describing, defining, illustrating, etc., the 'special' problems facing the Anxious Generation. He then begins with a big picture, distant approach to how the church may be able to help. Again, his technique is more on statistics, research, polls, surveys, etc. He spends a chapter introducing readers to a series of atheists--yes, atheists--sharing quotes from them that allegedly show how even atheists admit that church can be stabilizing and morally good for society. How they may reject all religions and religious doctrines, etc, but they like the structures of the community--in theory at least.
When he speaks of the church most often it is in a distant sociological research way. There's little to no theology in this one.
The book isn't so much THE ANXIOUS GENERATIONS NEED JESUS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR because they are sinners in need of a Savior, as Gen Z and Gen Alpha need the structure of weekly fellowship, in-person friendships, socialization and camaraderie. They need youth groups, discipleship, mentorship, to be a part of a family. It will benefit their mental health if they attend church. It doesn't really go into spiritual needs and spiritual solutions.
He encourages the church to actively invite and welcome younger people in the church. That means, most notably, bringing someone to church--literally. Not just inviting casually. But making plans, going with them, sitting with them, sharing a meal, etc. He points out time and time again, that most are not willing to go to a church alone, but if they had someone to go with them, they'd go. He also emphasizes that "the unchurched" of all ages are not hostile to the faith, to church, to Christians, they just are waiting for us to go to them and actively care about them. (I'm not sure *where* he is getting this not hostile thing. I'm not sure which polarized view is right.)
© Becky Laney of
Operation Actually Read Bible
