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How Theology Takes Shape in the Faith of Young People: An Introduction to

Youth Theology Based on the Example of an Empirical-Theological Study
Among Young People

Article  in  Journal of Youth and Theology · January 2014

DOI: 10.1163/24055093-90000080

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 “How Theology takes Shape in the Faith of Young People. An
Introduction to Youth Theology based on the Example of an
Empirical-Theological Study among Young People.”
Tobias Faix1

SUMMARY
How does theology take shape in the lives of young people? This is an interesting and
challenging topic. Over the last few years, this has been discussed on two levels and in
different theological disciplines - on one hand within the context of a theology of young
people and on the other hand in empirical studies. This paper will combine these levels
together and by doing so, lend an insight into the current status of research. Therefore, this
investigation focuses on the question of how theology is displayed in the lives of young
people as defined by themselves, and is structured as follows: (1) A theoretical framework is
set by an introduction into youth theology considered as a subjective setting for young
people's faith. (2) A description of the empirical survey of the study “Spirituality of Young
People“ and a commentary on the most important results. (3) Finally, a discussion on the
position of the results within a wider context of mission research and the results' significance
for youth theology.

1. YOUTH THEOLOGY AS A CHANCE FOR A SUBJECTIVISM OF THE FAITH OF

ADOLESCENTS
One of the problems with contemporary research into the faith of young people is that most
of the studies undertaken make the young people objects of the research, rather than
subjects. It is precisely this issue which the newly coined term 'youth theology' intends to
overcome.

1.1 BRIEF INTRODUCTION INTO YOUTH THEOLOGY

Ever since the memorandum produced by the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) “Kirche
und Jugend. Lebenslagen – Begegnungsfelder – Perspektiven” (Church and Youth.
Circumstances of Life – Places of Encounter – Perspectives 2010) explicitly called for a
theology for young people, the topic of youth theology has been receiving considerable
attention. While the academic debate has been discussing 'children's theology' for a decade, it
is now, in German-speaking Europe, also looking at young people's theology. In research, a
new term has become established within theology: 'youth theology'. Of course, the topic of
'youth and theology' has always been under discussion, and yet the specific area of youth
theology unveils new horizons that we will describe in the following paragraph.
Not only is the term youth theology new, but in particular a specific reference to theology.
While the discussion has so far been focused on faith, spirituality or religiosity of young
people, the term youth theology sets clear boundaries for the topic under discussion, which
can be explained by the following.

1Dr. Tobias Faix is Professor for Practical Theology at the YMCA University in Germany and in the Dep.
Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology at the University of South Africa and Director of the Institute
empirica for Youth, Culture and Religion in Kassel, Germany.


a) YOUTH THEOLOGY AS LAY THEOLOGY:
First of all, we need to ascertain that 'doing theology' is not a generic academic discipline, but
that theology has, from its very beginnings, been an intellectual and reflective investigation
of the Christian faith2, and can already be undertaken by children or adolescents.

b) YOUTH THEOLOGY AS ACTIVE PARTICIPATION:

One of the consequences of young people growing up in the post-secular world of today3 is
that, on one hand, there is a decrease of traditional faith, and yet there is a fresh interest in
theological topics, since they are new and do not carry the burden of prior preconceptions
for the young people. In addition, this generation of youth are self-confident, interested in
relevant social and political topics, and want to be actively involved. In many church youth
groups, it is normal for young people to actively participate in theological interpretations
and debates about the Christian faith.

c) YOUTH THEOLOGY IS ALWAYS ALSO COMMUNICATION OF THE GOSPEL.

As well as reflecting the Christian faith in the ways mentioned above, the discussions are
also meant to communicate the different understandings of faith. In this process, the task of
finding their own language and mode of expression for their theology is left to the young
people. Surely, this is a central and challenging point which we often fail to achieve in
practice.

1.2 YOUTH THEOLOGY: TAKING YOUNG PEOPLE SERIOUSLY

Theological discussions among - and with - young people were always undertaken in the
context of churches or schools. The systemisation of theological discussions has also been
done, e.g. by Nipkow, since 19804. Youth research has increasingly focused on young
people's own ways of communicating their faith5. And yet, with the term youth theology,
there is an intention to place a new and important emphasis on that which children's
theology has been based upon these last 20 years: that young people are to be taken seriously
as subjects and are independent theological protagonists in their own right. Theologian
Friedrich Schweitzer from Tübingen said, in the emerging debate about youth theology, in
2005: “Young people also think about their faith; they can become partners in theological
conversation, and the quest for theological insights which are helpful for them is important
here as well.”6 Youth theology needs to be dependent on the subjective viewpoints of the
young people and needs to relate to them. This notion of the subject engaging in, rather than
being the point under discussion, is a first and central point for understanding youth
theology. Religious educator Carsten Gennerich, from Darmstadt, defined this as an essential
foundation of youth theology in his book “Empirische Dogmatik des Jugendalters”
(Empirical Dogmatism of Adolescence). He wrote that “the explicit and, even more
importantly, the implicit theological leanings and orientations of young people need to be

2 Wilfried Härle, Dogmatik (Berlin: Verlag De Gruyter, 2012), 13.
3 Udo Bußmann, Tobias Faix, Silke Gütlich (ed.), Wenn Jugendliche über Glauben reden. Gemeinsame Erfahrungsräume
gestalten. Ein Praxisbuch für die Jugendarbeit (Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 2013), 22.
4 Thomas Schlag and Friedrich Schweitzer, Brauchen Jugendliche Theologie? Jugendtheologie als Herausforderung und

didaktische Perspektiven (Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 2011), 26.

5 Bußmann, Faix and Gütlich, Wenn Jugendliche über Glauben reden, 18.

6 Friedrich Schweitzer, Elementarisierung im Religionsunterricht: Erfahrungen, Perspektiven, Beispiele (Neukirchen-

Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 2005), 46.

empirically ascertained and brought into a conversation with interpretative perspectives of
theology”7. This predominately implicit theological orientation undoubtedly has great
strengths, but it has also been criticized by Schlag and Schweitzer, since in their opinion,
Gennerich remains focused on adolescents' implicit theology, thus generating the need for
outside interpretation, i.e. by the adults8. This is why Schlag and Schweitzer distinguish
between youth theology, where implicit and explicit leanings and orientations of the
adolescents are both made a priority, and a 'theology of adolescence', in which the
adolescents' implicit theology is interpreted explicitly by adults9. Both models have their
merits and can be employed in diverse contexts; although, to my mind, it is doubtful as to
whether the clear distinction introduced by Schlag and Schweitzer can be upheld in practical
application. They themselves state in their fundamental work “Do Young People need
Theology?” that there are three distinctive perspectives in youth theology:
a) Theology with Young People: Religious educational practice in schools and youth
ministry. Understanding theology as a form of dialogue.
b) Theology of the Young People: Providing insights into ways of thinking, feeling and
acting common to the faith of adolescents.
c) Theology for Young People: From Luther's “Small Catechism” to the Volxbibel (Bible
translation for young people). Theology for the adolescent developmental stage.
It is necessary for all three points to be taken into consideration in order to produce what
they call youth theology. From these three common perspectives, Schlag and Schweitzer
developed five theological dimensions of youth theology:
a) Implicit Theology: Life experiences of young people, which are not explicitly labelled
religious and yet can be theologically identified.
b) Personal Theology: Describing the individual and personal conception of God and faith
in one's own beliefs and interpretive patterns.
c) Explicit Theology: Portrayal of the explicit expression of one's own faith; not
necessarily using theological terms, but the adolescents' everyday language.
d) Theological Interpretation with the aid of Theological Dogmatism: Attempting to connect
ones' own theological language and interpretation with aspects of theological
dogmatism.
e) Adolescents debate using distinctly Theological Arguments: The application in diverse
settings such as church groups and religious education etc.
Displaying these two lists in a cross tabulation, enables the respective focal points to be
apparent at a glance:

Theology of Young Theology with Theology for

People Young People Young People

Implicit Theology X X

Personal Theology X X

7 Carsten Gennerich, Empirische Dogmatik des Jugendalters. Werte und Einstellungen Heranwachsender als
Bezugsgrößen für religionsdidaktische Reflexionen, Praktische Theologie heute, Vol. 108 (Stuttgart: Verlag W.
Kohlhammer, 2010), 11.
8 Schlag and Schweitzer, Brauchen Jugendliche Theologie, 38.

9 Schlag and Schweitzer, Brauchen Jugendliche Theologie, 38-39.

 Explicit Theology X X

Theological X X
Interpretation

Young People debate X X

using distinctly
Theological
Arguments
Illustration according to Schlag and Schweitzer10

One can only speak of youth theology if the entire table is considered. This is a central and
essential point.

1.3 YOUTH THEOLOGY IN PRACTICAL APPLICATION: CHANCES AND CHALLENGES

In order to implement these considerations practically, Schlag and Schweitzer speak of
“elementarisation”, describing the learning places in which youth theology can emerge. They
arrive at five different rudimentary dimensions.
a) Elementary Structures: Young people independently work out central contents of
faith and theology, in order to identify with the subject matter.
b) Elementary Approaches: Young People formulate and develop their own topics and
questions about faith from their viewpoint in their particular life situation and life
world.
c) Elementary Experiences: Young People formulate and describe their own experiences
of faith from their viewpoint in their particular life situation and life world.
d) Elementary Truths: Young people formulate absolutes, whereby conversation is
important, dialogue, existential connections, certainties or truths, which may be
influenced by experiences, the Bible or one's formation.
e) Elementary Forms of Learning: Didactic methodology featuring diverse aspects of
creative learning (cognitive, affective, action-oriented).
These five rudimentary dimensions can be applied to the three basic forms of youth
theology:
Theology of Theology with Theology for
Young People Young People Young People

Elementary Structures X

Elementary X
Approaches

Elementary X
Experiences

Elementary Truths X

10Thomas Schlag and Friedrich Schweitzer, Jugendtheologie. Grundlagen – Beispiele – kritische Diskussion
(Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 2012).


 Elementary Forms of X X X
Learning
Illustration according to Schlag and Schweitzer11

Schlag and Schweitzer proceed on the assumption that in each youth theology, all 15 fields of
the table are taken into account and that different focus areas only occur in individual
phases.
What youth theology may look like when practically applied was outlined by theologian
Petra Freudenberger-Lötz from Kassel in her book “Theologische Gespräche mit
Jugendlichen. Erfahrungen – Beispiele – Anregungen” (Theological Conversations with
Adolescents. Experiences – Examples - Ideas) within the context of Religious Education
(most of her experiments and experiences relate to Religious Education lessons in a sixth
form). In a very plausible and easily comprehensible manner, she shows how it is possible to
think, reflect and discuss theology in dialogue with adolescents. In this process, theological
questions of the adolescents are received and integrated into a didactic model, such as “What
appearance would Jesus have today?”, or, “Did Jesus do miracles himself?”
When reading the book and discussing the question of youth theology in general, it becomes
necessary to consider the adolescents' social and educational backgrounds. Youth theology
may seem imaginable in a sixth form, but what about a secondary modern school? What
about young people who have no Christian faith? Are these not precisely the challenges with
which we are also presented in church youth ministry? What can we do if there is no
common language about faith from the young people, with the young people and for the
young people?
We are confronted here with a central problem concerning the development of youth
theology: The compatibility of semantics.
a. How can we enter into a dialogue with the young people if we cannot understand
what they are saying and they do not understand what we are saying?
b. Can young people actually express what is understood to be their theology? What
does theology developed by young people look like in practice?
The semantic problem needs not only to be taken seriously, but is the fundamental basis for a
youth theology which is more than a new academic game.

2. METHODOLOGICAL POSSIBILITIES PORTRAYED USING THE PRACTICAL

EXAMPLE OF THE STUDY “SPIRITUALITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE”
In the following the basic theoretical principles will be applied to an empirical example. It
will be shown that young people want to talk about their faith and that they are able to do
so. The focus will be on the “implicit theology“ of young people.

2.1 MAKING YOUNG PEOPLE'S SPIRITUALITY MORE VISIBLE

A religious semantic, 20 years ago still a regular feature of German society, is now crippled
by a barely surmountable barrier12. This hurdle spans the supposed (church) definitions of
the research topic “spirituality”, and the reality of the surveyed youth defined by their every-
day world and can only be surpassed by acquiring new communicative skills. The researcher

11Schlag and Schweitzer, Jugendtheologie. Grundlagen – Beispiele – kritische Diskussion.
12Tobias Faix, ‚„Über Gott kann ich nicht reden” – Gott als semantische Leerstelle. Deutungsmuster individueller
Spiritualität von Jugendlichen in Deutschland,‘ in Religion & Theology, 18 (Leiden: Brill, 2011), 93–117.


needs to introduce the interviewee to a new communicative ability by way of a specifically
selected methodology, in order to gain access to their spirituality, whatever kind it may be.
Fixed definitions and subsequent operationalization, which are intended to bring the
research topic into a survey form, are not helpful at this stage. Rather, the challenge is how to
overcome the linguistic barrier without the researcher prompting the interviewee with terms
that are not “their own”, which are sometimes injected as a last resort in the attempt to
communicate. The epistemological interest must first be customized into a survey form,
which will fill the “semantic blank space” of the adolescents, without imposing on them
prefabricated interpretive suggestions in the process. In order to overcome this, the
semantics of young people between the ages of 14–19 years old, who lived within the district
of the Protestant Church of Westphalia, were made a particular focal point. This inductive
approach is an essential point of the study and will be explained in the methodological
analysis. In the next section, the methodology and study design will be described, then,
building upon this foundation, the most important results of the study will be presented.13

2.2 METHODOLOGY, DESIGN OF THE ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY OF THE MOST

IMPORTANT RESULTS
The study design has been shaped by a 'mixed methods'-approach, which fuses quantitative
and qualitative methods in a single study. Furthermore, various associative methods were
also used (such as the 'religious mapping' described below). The method theorist Udo Kelle
poses important questions for successful methodological work with the mixed methods
approach in his book. "For which social-scientific research topics are qualitative methods
most suitable, for which research questions are quantitative procedures best placed? Which
methodological problems of qualitative and quantitative research are caused by particular
research objects? How can the strengths of both methodological traditions be used to solve
these methodological problems?"14. Mixed methods means that the empirical approaches
selected (whichever they may be) are interlinked in all phases of the research project, with
regard to methodology and contents15. In order to ensure that these diverse methods are
compatible, we will first describe the methodological approach. This research project applies
methods taken from empirical social sciences to reality, while combining diverse empirical
approaches in the process. This present research is guided by the empirical research cycle.
This cycle is a methodical pattern developed from experiential processes, which involves
several sub-processes: Observing, experimenting, testing and evaluating.16 As applied
methods, the grounded theory according to Strauss and Corbin17 and the methodological
amendments made by Kelle and Kluge18 blend well into the procedures of empirical research

13 Results and Reflections of this study see Tobias Faix, „Semantics of Faith. Methodology and Results regarding
Young People`s Ability to speak about their Beliefs,“ Journal of Empirical Theology, Vol 27.1 (2014): 36-56.
14 Udo Kelle, Die Integration qualitativer und quantitativer Methoden in der empirischen Sozialforschung. Theoretische

Grundlagen und methodische Konzepte (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2008), 15.
15 Uwe Flick, Triangulation. Eine Einführung (Heidelberg: VS Verlag, 2011), 82.

16 Thomas S. Kuhn, Die Struktur wissenschaftlicher Revolution (Frankfurt: Suhrkamp, 1971); Ziebertz, Hans-Georg,

„Religionspädagogik und Empirische Methodologie,“ in RP im 21. Jh. – Herausforderungen und Zukunftsperspektive,

ed. Friedrich Schweitzer and Thomas Schlag (Gütersloh/Freiburg: GTVH/Herder, 2003), 209-222; Tobias Faix,
Gottesvorstellungen bei Jugendlichen. Eine qualitative Erhebung aus der Sicht empirischer Missionswissenschaften (Berlin:
LIT, 2007).
17Juliet Corbin and Anselm Strauss, Grounded Theory: Grundlagen Qualitativer Sozialforschung (Weinheim: Beltz

PVU, 1996).
18Udo Kelle and Susann Kluge, Vom Einzelfall zum Typus. Fallvergleich und Fallkontrastierung in der qualitativen

Sozialforschung (Opladen: Leske + Budrich, 1999).

in general, since the grounded theory is not a fully-fledged theory itself, but a theory-
generating concept. In this process, the grounded theory needs to be applied in terms of its
contents and methodology, by enabling individual coding procedures (open, axial and
selective coding) to take place in the research. The analysis of the collages ('religious
mapping’) was undertaken according to Bohnsack19 and ties in with the whole process of the
theory-generating grounded theory. Thus, the study design can be subdivided into three
phases20:
Phase 1: Theory of the study: 20 empirical studies on the key topics of youth and
religiosity, which were produced in the last ten years, were evaluated and a theory for the
relevant subject matter of the study was developed.
Phase 2: Qualitative research: 20 individual interviews and 5 group interviews were
conducted, in order to give altogether 47 adolescents a chance to speak. For this, the
adolescents taking part in the individual interviews and group interviews made their own
“collage” about their faith and interpreted these collages themselves after their
completion.
Phase 3: Quantitative research: From the results of the two previous phases, a
questionnaire of 50 questions was produced and completed by altogether 1,330 people, so
that altogether 66,500 responses could be recorded and analyzed. 1,085 people were then
selected for the final evaluation according to fixed criteria.
The methodology of these three phases will be outlined in the following paragraph, then,
directly afterwards, the most significant results will be explained in detail.
We will follow now just the phase two.

2.3 PHASE 2: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH AND ESSENTIAL RESULTS OF THE

QUALITATIVE STUDY
In total, 25 case studies were carried out. When drawing the samples, we had to ensure that,
on the whole, the case was analyzed in a multi-faceted way21. The adolescents were selected
in line with the method of criteria-guided case selection and case contrast22 according to
specific criteria (their gender, school type, social background, interreligiosity,
interculturality, city - village etc.). They were surveyed in 20 individual interviews involving
collages, which they were given the task to create, as well as five group interviews
(discussion about the collages with half-standardized guidelines). The collages produced by
the adolescents reveal two things: Firstly, the adolescents were allowed to structure their
understanding of faith according to their own ideas. This meant that whatever the
adolescents identified and associated with their faith, was possible and permissible.
Furthermore, more than 60 symbols were given to them as inspiration, reflecting diverse
spheres of life experience and ideas about faith held by the adolescents. They were also given
a moderator's kit, which gave them the freedom to put their ideas on paper in creative ways.
Working with symbols is a constitutive element of religious identification, language and
actions. A symbol is an icon and usually has an (associative) meaning for those who use it23.
Paul Tillich, a classic author in symbolic theology, has made us aware of some of the

19 Ralf Bohnsack, Qualitative Bild- und Videointerpretation: Die dokumentarische Methode (Stuttgart: UTB Taschenbuch,
2008).
20 Faix, „Semantics of Faith,” 48.

21 Hans Merkens, Jahrbuch Jugendforschung (Opladen: Leske + Budrich, 2003), 291.

22 Kelle and Kluge, Vom Einzelfall zum Typus.

23 John R. Anderson, Kognitive Psychologie, Sav Psychologie (Heidelberg: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, 2007).

characteristic criteria of religious symbols24. This background seems to be of great
significance, when attempting to find ways to overcome the adolescents' religious aphasia.
The symbols are intended to demonstrate a multi-dimensional form of understanding to the
adolescents, and lead them from a purely linguistic and cognitive approach to a collective
and meaningful perception. The hope is that, through this approach, the young people will
be prompted to use their own ability to speak about religion. 60 symbols were selected
according to Fowler25, Schweitzer26, Anderson27 & Elmhorst28. After finishing their collages,
the young people explained and interpreted their own collages. Following this, the half-
standardized interviews were conducted. In order to apply the inductive method
consistently, the self-interpretation of the selected symbols using the adolescents' own terms
was an essential point of the research. The interviews were transcribed and evaluated with
the help of Maxqda 2010, following the grounded theory29. Through a construction of types,
as theory-generating conception, according to Kelle/Kluge30the qualitative results were
summarized. Additionally, in the analysis and interpretation of the collages and interviews,
we tried to work as much as possible with original quotations and also include extracts of
considerable length from the interviews. With regard to the theoretical background of the
study, this seemed to be an important point particularly for the “semantics of faith”. The
portraits disclose a rich and realistic impression of the interviewed adolescents. In order to
interpret the adolescents' language appropriately, it is necessary to establish a connection
with their worldview and ideas of God. Only then can the expressions they use be
understood and interpreted correctly. Therefore, after a first open coding, the individual
interviews were classified in worldview categories. They were then inductively evaluated
once again. From these two perspectives, the adolescents' ideas about God were identified, in
order to then ask what is “typical” about the adolescents' faith. At the end of the qualitative
analysis, the results were typologised according to Kelle/Kluge31 and generalised into three
types of youth theology32:

TYPE 1: „THE RELIGIOUS“:

Traditional faith, as found in the various churches. This category also includes a general (not
institutionally bound) faith with transcendental reference. In the collages, this is portrayed in
traditional Christian symbols such as the cross, a picture of Jesus, a fish, church, dove, love
etc. Along with these symbols, other icons relating to faith were added to the collages. These
include family, friends, fun, peace, music, happiness, etc. A central theme in this typology is
prayer. Adolescents seek prayer from the most diverse motivations and needs. It gives them
a sense of security, hope and comfort, is used in emergency situations, is a source of strength

24 Paul Tillich, Wesen und Wandel des Glaubens. Weltperspektiven (Berlin: Ullstein Verlag, 1961).
25 James W. Fowler, Stufen des Glaubens. Die Psychologie der menschlichen Entwicklung und die Suche nach Sinn
(Gütersloh: GTVH, 1991).
26 Friedrich Schweitzer, Lebensgeschichte und Religion: Religiöse Entwicklung und Erziehung im Kindes- und Jugendalter

(Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 2001).

27 Anderson, Kognitive Psychologie.

28 „Jugend und Religion – Trägt die Konfirmandenzeit etwas zur Entwicklung individueller religiöser Identität

bei?“ accessed March 10, 2010, http://bieson.ub.uni-bielefeld.de/volltexte/2008/1395/.

29 Corbin and Strauss, Grounded Theory.

30 Kelle and Kluge, Vom Einzelfall zum Typus.

31 Kelle and Kluge, Vom Einzelfall zum Typus.

32 Faix, „Semantics of Faith,”45-46

and also a ritual. With regard to the connection that this faith has with a church, two groups
emerge:
a) Some adolescents see their faith within the framework of the Church. Identification
mainly occurs on two levels: 1) Friends from church and 2) Volunteering. Their faith
reaches into their everyday lives and shows itself in their prayer in and for everyday
situations. They are skeptical towards the Bible and rarely read it. From the perspective of
these adolescents, the Church has a good image, but they rarely attend services, because
they do not appeal. Some adolescents from this same group take part in services,
regarding them to be important for fellowship.
b) Adolescents in this category believe in a God, without making a connection between
this belief and a church. Some of these youth have disengaged from their Christian
socialization; they have kept their faith, but deliberately left their church tradition. Some
may have never been familiar with this tradition and have developed their own faith from
individual experiences. They are not against the Church, but neither are they for it.

TYPE 2: “THE EVERYDAY-BELIEVERS”:

For these surveyed youth, faith has a functional effect. Their understanding of faith has,
therefore, an inherent relevance for everyday issues such as family, home, happiness, peace,
etc. However, these adolescents are clear that they are not looking for a transcendental
connection. Faith is related to their immediate everyday-world yet is detached from any
ideas about God outside of their own world. For a large group of adolescents (those longing
for a sense of community), values like community, relationships, friendship and family have
great signficance. They express this by committing themselves firmly to different community
groups. The category “family” features prominently, as expected. This is caused by
biographical influences, which are particularly dominant. For a certain group of adolescents,
it is of utmost importance to fill their concept of faith with “family”, or even to believe in
their family. For them, family is something which offers them security. It is interesting that in
one collage, a heart was used as a symbol for family. Within this typology, faith in one's
personal happiness has great meaning. This concept crystallizes many of the functional and
immanent ideas about faith found so far. It involves finding fulfillment (a meaning) in that
which provides personal satisfaction for the adolescents.

TYPE 3: “THE PRAGMATIST”:

In the life and faith of the pragmatic adolescents, there are a number of contradictions for
which they have developed different coping strategies. This is particularly striking in the
integration of contradictions within their own faith. Sabine says that she believes more in the
sciences than in God. However, she would believe in God if one could give her proof of his
existence. She believes that there are always two sides to every occurrence, that there is not
only one way and that every person has choices to make. In some ways, the adolescents live
between the conflicting priorities of their personal faith, the faith of others and of other
religions. At the same time, this tension appears to be viewed with great tolerance. It is clear
to them that there are different ways of believing and that one's own faith is not the gold
standard to which all others have to adapt their faith. Everyone is allowed to live their faith
the way they like. Everyone is allowed to believe in whatever and whoever they like. Thus,
faith is also associated with a certain freedom. Often, a tolerant and enlightened view is
found in adolescents with a higher level of education and this has proved to be independent
of denomination and religion. Similar to type 2, their own faith is essential to them, and

beyond this, an acceptance towards other “faith-definitions” is clearly a priority. It is obvious
in the collages of the participating youth that personal attributes of an intervening God were
combined with a general, impersonal concept of fate. Apparently, the adolescents did not
have a problem uniting these two different views in their faith. The results of the qualitative
survey were valid in their own right, but were also, along with the theory, used as a semantic
and systemic basis for the quantitative survey.
This last point will bring together the (primary qualitative) results of the study and the quest
for a youth theology.

3. HOW DOES THEOLOGY TAKE SHAPE IN THE FAITH OF YOUNG PEOPLE?

In order to achieve this, the implicit results of the adolescents' statements about their
understanding of faith will be set in relation to a wider context.

3.1 THE 'SCHENGEN AGREEMENT' OF FAITH. A REFLECTION ON CONTENTS

In summary, we can ascertain that adolescent faith in a post-secular world is often a
subjective borderline experience for the adolescents themselves, in which former traditional
and denominational boundaries are crossed. Their own faith-constructs are individual and
developed according to their own experiences. This is first and foremost revealed in the way
the adolescents speak about their faith; dogmatic definitions and interpretations of
traditional faith-concepts are recharged and interpreted subjectively. Figuratively speaking, a
fitting image to depict the adolescents' faith may be a “Schengen Agreement of Faith”33
whereby previous boundaries of faith, denominations, social norms and traditions are
dissolved, former boundaries become blurred and new avenues are explored, so that new
identities of faith emerge. This can be condensed to three essential points:
a. There is hardly any connection to the traditional denominational belief systems of the
churches
b. There is hardly any connection to the institutional organizations/churches which have
traditionally been responsible for the first point
c. There is hardly any connection to a semantic understanding of basic theological
concepts of faith (basic dogmatic statements)
The adolescents themselves regard the crossing of these boundaries as normal and right for
themselves. They know what they believe and can express this in their own words, but they
are only prepared to do this in a safe environment. Problems arise, when they encounter
denominationally defined terms within the context of the churches' youth ministry and
experience problems of understanding and communication. At this point, we need to find
new ways and places to enter into a constructive dialogue together. Thus, for young people
at the age of 14-19 years, faith has an essential role to play in their lives and shows itself
predominately in relationships and community structures. The subjective borderline
experiences and the crossing of former boundaries of faith open up a new space for dialogue
in youth ministry between the young people and the volunteers. These are challenging and
exciting prospects for the future, which need to be swiftly addressed.
The results confirm, on the one hand, the research results of former studies as portrayed in
the first part (theory), as far as the subjectivism and denominational detachment of the
adolescent understanding of faith is concerned. On the other hand, they disprove, at least

33The „Schengen Agreement“ is the agreement of the European Union, which guarantees the opening of the
borders between the individual member states.


within the context of this study, the question of the “semantic blank space” of faith, as it is so
often proclaimed34.

3.2 YOUTH THEOLOGY AS AN OPPORTUNITY

The discussion about a youth theology is supported by the results of the study. The
qualitative study made visible the implicit faith, i.e. the faith of young people, particularly.
Young people can and will speak about their faith, if this is undertaken within their
boundaries (small, safe places) and using their language (low-threshold, symbolic). If the
implicit theology of young people is to be taken seriously, then their boundaries need to
respected and they need to be allowed to speak in their own language. Then the three
theological dimensions stated in the first part are confirmed.

Theology of Empirical examples

Young People

Implicit Theology X “Everyone's got their own opinion on faith!

Faith can also be lived without God,
religion and church.“
Nathalie, 18 years old

Personal Theology X “I like being protestant, because it is a

confession of freedom, in which Yin and
Yang are in balance.“
Janine, 15 years old

Explicit Theology

Theological Interpretation

Young People debate using X “People can believe whatever they want to,
distinctly Theological you can just feel to believe or not believe
Arguments whatever you like.“
Jenny, 16 years old
“You can only discuss faith if the other
person is interested in it. If others want to
believe what I believe they can go ahead
and do that. But they don't have to!“
Nina, 15 years old

Furthermore, the five different dimensions of elementarisation by Schlag and Schweitzer are
being confirmed by the study. Along with the three elementarisations the analyzed
interviews also showed “Elementary Truths“. Not as a determined dogmatic truth, but as a
subjective truth for each of the young people. Some of the young people are really sure about
their truth and they think their perception of God and faith cannot be altered.

34 Faix, „Über Gott kann ich nicht reden”.


 Theology of Empirical examples
Young People

Elementary Structures

Elementary Approaches X What are young people's questions

regarding faith, church and God?
Elementary Forms of Learning:
Writing a story/letter: “If there is a
God then...?“

Elementary Experiences X Where do young people experience

spirituality and how do they
identify these?
Elementary Forms of Learning:
Interview: “Where have you
experienced God?“

Elementary Truths X What are the implicit beliefs/truths

of young people?
Elementary Forms of Learning:
Collage: Symbols as an expression
of personal faith.

Youth theology provides an opportunity to take serious the faith of young people in their
context. Also, it would be helpful to use it in practice (youth work, religious education, etc.)
Finally, the results will be presented within a bigger missiological frame, which shows that
we still have a lot to learn when it comes to putting into practice youth theology.

3.3 RELATION TO CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGIES & MISSIOLOGICAL REFLECTION

Developments in youth theology and the results of the study's qualitative research reveal a
key tendency: Young people want to be taken seriously with their own ideas about faith and
with their language. They cannot relate to the traditional dogmatic concepts of the Church
and cannot find adequate points for connection and identification. Often, they even feel
alienated and excluded by these concepts. However, there are important points of contact, in
particular in missiology, which we will briefly outline:

A) MISSIOLOGICAL CONNECTION: CONTEXTUALIZATION

While in the beginning stages of contextualization, it was mainly the so-called “third world
countries“ who challenged us to “bid farewell to the God of the Europeans“35, by now the
Europeans have largely bidden farewell to their God and thus, a new chapter of
contextualization must be opened. In particular, developments in the course of post-
modernism reinforce the influence of contextual theology on Western culture, since
traditional dogmas of the Church in Christian Western civilization are progressively losing
significance in the eyes of this new generation, as shown above. The religious de-

35Robert J. Schreiter, Reconciliation: Mission and Ministry in a Changing Social Order. (Boston Theological
Institute Series, 1992).


institutionalization of the Christian religion has begun and individualized religious
orientation is spreading in the Western world. These fundamental changes in recent decades
have left their mark especially in theology, and have given rise to a new discussion about the
understanding of theology and also missiology36. Contextual theology is always also “action
theology“, it seeks a connection with people, not only with dogmatic theories. In his book
“Transforming Mission“, mission theologian David Bosch describes five essential features for
contextual theology37: 1. Western theology has so far only served to legitimize the world as it
is now. 
2. The world is not a static object which only needs to be explained, but a real and
human world which needs to be changed. 
3. Action for the poor and marginalized is a first
step in theological work. 
4. Theologians do not sit in the ivory tower of their science, but
have to do theology with others and with those affected. 
5. Theology is, first and foremost,
action and not knowledge.
At this point, parallels can clearly be drawn to youth theology (see point 1.2); and Western
theology can learn from diverse contextual approaches. Perhaps this is easier to do in a new
development such as youth theology than in the classic dogmatic approaches.

B) MISSIOLOGICAL CONNECTION: EXAMPLE. SCHREITER'S LOCAL THEOLOGY

This learning process is described in more detail in Schreiter's local theology. The objectives
of his theology are identity and integrity. Both are central points of youth theology as well as
of the qualitative results of the study. Schreiter's approach describes dialectic interaction and
communication. In this sense, the gospel is not only the message of salvation in Jesus Christ,
but also fellowship in practice. Faith and Church are thus a complex mixture of cultural
patterns, through which the gospel takes on flesh. And culture as expressed in traditions,
values, symbols and lifestyles, is the context of a particular time and a particular place. Our
objective here is not to adopt Schreiter's theological thoughts and ideas, but to apply the
principles to theology with adolescents. Youth theology develops from its context, as
Schreiter himself wrote so well: "Theology does not fall from the sky. Theology does not
develop in a social vacuum or dwell within some abstract ideas about history”38. The issue
mentioned e.g. of small Christian communities describes the adolescents' desire for 'safe
places' in which they can speak about their uneasy and private faith. Here, the young people
indeed seek to reflect on their faith, but in the context of being an equal dialogue partner
rather than in the role of one being taught.

C) MISSIOLOGICAL CONNECTION: DIALOGUE: YOUTH THEOLOGY ON AN EQUAL

FOOTING
David Bosch wrote eight hypotheses for a missiological understanding of dialogue which
form a good foundation39. Two of them are selected here for youth theology:
1. The relationship between mission and dialogue is, above all, a decision of the heart
and not of the mind. This is not about reluctantly accepting the existence of different
persuasions, but about whole-hearted recognition.

36 A.J. Kirk, The Mission of Theology and Theology as Mission (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1999), 7-22;
Theo Sundermeier, Was ist Religion? Religionswissenschaft im theologischen Kontext. Ein Studienbuch. (Gütersloh: Chr.
Kaiser Verlagshaus, 1999), 214-248.
37 David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, American Society of Missiology

Series, Book 16 (New York: Orbis Books, 1991), 425.

38 Robert J. Schreiter, Constructing Local Theologies (New York: Orbis Books, 1985), 261.

39 Bosch, Transforming Mission, 483-485.

 2. Real dialogue requires both partners to have their own convictions and does not
require one to give up their own position. Rather, it is the opposite: Without my own
commitment to the gospel, the dialogue deteriorates to mere chitchat.
In conjunction with the 'safe places’, the dialogue offers an excellent possibility to speak with
young people implicitly and explicitly about their faith. The results clearly showed the
following: Young people want to believe and can, in specific situations, speak about their
faith. They are also able to do this in their own language, if they do not feel 'crushed' by a
deductive and dogmatic approach. These results should encourage us in interdisciplinary
settings to continue to take young people and their theology seriously.

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