Foundations for Youth Ministry

Dean Borgman

Description

Dean Borgman, a nationally known youth ministry expert, offers a new edition of his influential classic. Reaching a broadly ecumenical audience, this book challenges readers to think about the theological nature of youth ministry. Questions for discussion and reflection are included. This thoroughly updated edition was previously published as When Kumbaya Is Not Enough.Praise for the first edition"Writing with the lens of a theologian, the heart of a pastor, and welcome doctrinal breadth, Borgman has provided a 'field book' of pastoral theologies that takes seriously the social systems shaping the lives of adolescents. This book is a significant step toward the long-awaited conversation about theology and youth ministry in postmodern culture."--Kenda Creasy Dean, Princeton Theological Seminary; author of Almost Christian"In this excellent work Borgman brings theological integrity, depth, and years of wisdom like nothing else I have seen in our field."--Jim Burns, author of Teenology: The Art of Raising Great Teenagers

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441241504
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

© 1997, 2013 by Dean Borgman
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www . bakeracademic . com
Ebook edition created 2013
Ebook corrections 11.04.2019
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4150-4
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled AV are from the Authorized Version
Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007.
Scripture quotations labeled JB are from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. And Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. Reprinted by permission.
Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations labeled Message are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Praise for the First Edition
“Writing with the lens of a theologian, the heart of a pastor, and welcome doctrinal breadth, Dean Borgman has provided a field book of pastoral theologies that take seriously the social systems shaping the lives of adolescents—never mind that Borgman knows more about youth culture than anybody alive. This book is a significant step toward the long-awaited conversation about theology and youth ministry in postmodern culture.”
— Kenda Creasy Dean , Princeton Theological Seminary
“Dean Borgman has been a wonderful mentor and teacher for hundreds of youth workers throughout the years. In this excellent work he brings theological integrity, depth, and years of wisdom like nothing else I have seen in our field.”
— Jim Burns , president, HomeWord; executive director, HomeWord Center for Youth and Family, Azusa Pacific University
“In youth ministry it’s not enough to know what to do. We must know why we do it. Dean Borgman’s book gives us the why with depth. This is practical theology at its best.”
— Tony Campolo , Eastern University
“Dean Borgman has been around since the early days of Young Life. He started Young Life’s suburban ministry in New England in the 1950s and helped begin Young Life’s overall urban thrust in the United States in the 1960s. He has been deeply involved in training and research and has taught hundreds of Young Life staff and management personnel on adolescent culture and youth ministry in the last several decades. In the last decade, Dean has been involved in the coordination and expansion of Young Life’s ministry in Africa and the Middle East. On the subject of youth ministry Dean brings wisdom, a lifetime of experience, and a great track record. I highly recommend his book.”
— Denny Rydberg , president, Young Life
“A must for anyone involved in youth ministry. Dean Borgman is a man who has done his homework and paid his dues. This book gives the crucial theological framework necessary for youth ministry. It is relevant and accurate in its understanding of youth culture, particularly of urban youth culture.”
— Allen A. Belton , senior partner for Reconciliation Ministries, Breakthrough Partners; former vice president of multiethnic and urban affairs, Youth for Christ USA
“This solid foundational book is considered a textbook for youth ministry and training of future leaders. A must read for all who work with youth.”
— Ashland Theological Journal
Contents
Cover i
Title Page iii
Copyright Page iv
Praise for the First Edition vi
Preface ix
Part 1: Practical Theological Foundations 1
1. Introducing a Theology for Youth Ministry 3
2. The Art of Interpretation 12
3. The Practice of Interpretation 24
4. Basic Theology for Youth Ministers 47
5. From General Theology to Practical Theology for Youth Ministry 67
Part 2: Theology of Persons 81
6. Theology of Growth and Development 83
7. Theology of Personhood and Community 102
8. Theology of Family and Peers 114
9. Theology of Sexuality 132
Part 3: Practical Theology Engaging Culture 163
10. Theologizing about Culture and Cultures 165
11. Relating to Christ in Culture 185
12. Practical Theology in a Digital Age 206
13. Theology and Ministry in a Consumerist Age 230
14. Funny Theology? 248
Part 4: Practical Theology for Holistic Youth Ministry 267
15. Where Practical Theology Meets Holistic Ministry 269
16. The High Calling of Ministry with Youth 286
Notes 301
Index 315
Back Cover 317
Preface
[Attend] to wisdom and [incline] your heart to understanding. . . . If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures—then you will understand the fear of the L ORD and find the knowledge of God. For the L ORD gives wisdom.
P ROVERBS 2:2, 4–6 A
Three loves describe the motivation for writing this book and the readers of this book: a consuming love for God, a creative love of culture, and a compassionate love for young people. To love God, culture, and youth implies a desire to understand—as difficult as that may be.
This text, Foundations for Youth Ministry: Theological Engagement with Teen Life and Culture takes up where my book When Kumbaya Is Not Enough: A Practical Theology of Youth Ministry left off. This work draws on the theories and empirical research of many. It acknowledges divine initiative in all we do and hopes to bring divine revelation and human efforts together. It is written for youth ministers and students who want to think more creatively, critically, and theologically—who want something more than youth group as usual. It is not so much a how-to-do-youth-ministry book as a how-to-think-about-youth-and-family-ministry text.
To my knowledge, When Kumbaya Is Not Enough was one of the first youth ministry texts to approach youth ministry from a theological perspective. Since then others have contributed much to this effort. 1 I would describe my theological perspective as historic orthodoxy, based on Scripture and the church’s historic creeds. I write hoping this text will be appealing and challenging to youth leaders, whatever their tradition: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, mainstream Protestant, evangelical, Emergent, 2 or Pentecostal.
It is written with longing for a united church or, at the very least, a functionally collaborative one. Our culture and youth demand that we come together with a common vision. Such collaboration calls for a theology that is broad and embracing yet willing to accept God’s boundaries and our dividing lines, as we understand them.
I’m grateful for many colleagues who have chosen as a text When Kumbaya Is Not Enough , for students who’ve read and critiqued it, and for others in many parts of the world who have stumbled across it and helped shape this new book. Colleagues in the national Association of Youth Ministry Educators and the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry have stimulated and taught me. Dan Griswold, Darwin Glassford, and Hillary Danz have been of particular assistance. Please be assured: this new text is much more than a few changes and updates; it represents a new book. These theological reflections have been written over several years while teaching those who care about young people, keeping an eye on culture, and listening to young people. In all this, I’ve had much to learn—and I continue to learn to this day.
Part 1 is designed to encourage you as a practical theologian to stretch your thinking and refine your skills. You will be asking big questions (that many young students ask) and exegeting (interpreting) the Word, the world, and yourself.
Then, in part 2, we’ll consider persons and relationships. This second section addresses a practical theme of youth ministry: it’s all about growth. This is the Creator’s intention: that the creatures—plants, animals, persons, and communities—grow. In terms of the fall and rebellion of humankind, growth is hindered by oppression (needing liberation) and hurt/anger (needing healing). Many youth leaders become burned out because of unattended wounds from the past or current frustrations. After our examination of self, we’ll move to families, peers, relationships, and sexuality.
In part 3 of the book, we begin to theologize about culture in general and youth and popular culture in particular. What are the challenges for students establishing personal identities in societies where values and n