This book carefully explores the claim that young adults (18 to 35) are leaving Catholicism in the United States. According to primary empirical research, many young adults stay and do so living their faith in engaged ways. Most, however, do not do it in the traditional context of the parish. Young adult Catholics are living their faith and spiritual life largely in small faith communities, ecclesial movements, faith-based affinity groups, at home, and through individual practice. The description of research findings is supplemented by commentaries from leaders in evangelization and young adult ministry, from both a theological and a sociological perspective.
In a church that is more culturally diverse and increasingly Hispanic, this book offers key insights to better understand the spirituality of young adult Catholics today. Contributors include Mark M. Gray, Michal J. Kramarek, Claudia Avila Cosnahan, Allan Figueroa Deck, SJ, Hosffman Ospino, Darius Villalobos, Patricia Wittberg, SC, and Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ.
Product Preview
| Format: | Paperback book |
|---|---|
| Product code: | LP6795 |
| Dimensions: | 5½" x 8½" |
| Length: | 152 pages |
| Publisher: |
Liturgical Press
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| ISBN: | 9780814667958 |
| 1-2 copies | $17.55 each |
|---|---|
| 3-9 copies | $16.75 each |
| 10-49 copies | $15.96 each |
| 50-99 copies | $15.56 each |
| 100+ copies | $14.96 each |
Praise
"This is not a book to read and place back your shelf. Faith and Spiritual Life of Young Adult Catholics in a Rising Hispanic Church is a call to action; an invitation to transform how we think of and practice ministry with young adults. Drawing on important research from the CARA Report, this book explores how young adults actually practice their faith and what it means for faith communities to engage young people outside the traditional diocesan and parish ministry models. As such, this book invites all ministry leaders, indeed, all people of faith, to transform their understanding of and practice of ministry with young adults."
"New lessons for new times! This book will provide you critical insight into ministry with Hispanic young people, and crucial aspects overlooked by previous studies. The research reaffirms the role of authentic faith communities to accompany young people who pray and reflect on their daily life, and discern a call to service for others. The well-informed essays will help you explore how to foster new spiritual growth with young adults in your Catholic community and across the country."
"Filled with research that is both sobering and hopeful, this book invites all of us, whether or not we primarily serve young adults or Hispanic/Latino communities, to critically reflect on the state of the church in terms of these important demographics. It is substantive in breadth and depth without losing the tactile value that supports its reader in discovering a way forward that honors the reality of our times. This research commentary is a valuable lens to which we should all hold up our ministries, asking ourselves if we are truly serving the needs of the church today."
"What a breath of fresh air! Amid the sobering realities and statistics we often hear about young adult Catholics, this book offers a ray of hope for what is emerging before our very eyes. Pastoral leaders and concerned Catholics will find, in Faith and Spiritual Life of Young Adult Catholics in a Rising Hispanic Church, hopeful news that young adults are more connected to the faith than we may have realized and that the domestic church in the home is growing in new and exciting ways. While there will certainly be challenges ahead, the insights and ideas of this book give us the confidence to face that future with our heads held high."
Author
Thomas P. Gaunt, SJ, PhD, is a Jesuit of the USA East Province. He is the executive director for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). He has a PhD in city planning from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Previously he was the executive secretary of the Jesuit Conference-USA and director of formation and studies for the Jesuits of the Maryland and New York Provinces. Among his publications are: New Faces, New Possibilities: Cultural Diversity and Structural Change in Institutes of Women Religious, Catholic Parishes of the 21st Century, Pathways to Religious Life, and Catholic Bishops in the United States: Church Leadership in the Third Millennium.
