Christendom vs Youth Culture

Imagine that an island is discovered off the coast of New Jersey—previously uncharted and unknown. On this island, an ancient tribe of cannibals is encountered, and this tribe has its own customs, music, dance, food, dress, value system, and way of life.

Taking seriously the call to go and make disciples of all nations, the Catholic Church decides to send missionaries to this island to share the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and to provide catechesis for the members of this tribe. Four missionary priests travel by boat to the island. They are equipped with their Bibles, a Catechism of the Catholic Church, everything they need to celebrate the Liturgy, Rosaries, and several different prayers in Latin that they can distribute to teach the tribe members how to pray.

When they make contact with the tribe, the four missionary priests immediately identify the chief cannibal and approach him. They give a brief synopsis of the reason they are on the island and explain to the chief that cannibalism is wrong and that they are going to be setting up weekly classes to teach the members of the tribe about the Catholic faith. They distribute the Latin prayers and invite the members of the tribe to join them for the celebration of the Holy Mass.

What’s going to happen to those missionaries?

The cannibal tribe is going to eat them for dinner.

But why?

The missionaries don’t know anything about the tribe. They don’t know how to speak their language. The tribe has no reason to trust their message. The missionaries don’t understand what the tribe values, and because of that, they can’t communicate effectively. Without trust, a common language, and a shared understanding, the only importance that the missionaries serve for the tribe is to provide them with their next meal.

The goal of any good missionary is not to become dinner. The goal of a good missionary is to be invited to dinner. In sharing a meal together, missionaries can learn from the people they seek to serve, and can gain the skills necessary to learn to communicate with them.

Stop Blaming the Culture

I am on all kinds of Catholic apostolates mailing lists and whenever I get a letter asking for support, I frequently hear the battle cry, “we need to renew the culture!” Many Catholics would have you believe that Christianity is at war and that the culture is closing in on us.

This is a grift.

Christianity is not at war with the culture.

That war ended a long time ago.

Newsflash - We lost.

There is a popular book that is circulating in ministry circles written by Msgr. James Shea entitled From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age. The premise of the book is that Christendom is dead and therefore, we cannot continue to rely on the culture of Christianity to pass on our faith to current and future generations. Christianity is no longer the dominant cultural influence in the world and, in order to be successful at evangelizing and discipling future generations, we must return to the practices of evangelization in the early Church - the Apostolic age of the world.

Look back at the cannibal tribe example. The fact that the tribe are cannibals is indeed a problem, but the “culture” is not THE problem. The “culture” is the mission terrain. In and of itself, “culture” is not inherently positive or negative - it is simply the way of life of a particular tribe.

During an apostolic age, it will not be effective to simply provide instruction in the faith. This is a strategy that is effective within Christendom, when the culture practices a Christian way of life. But for a tribe that has never seen Christianity, the way that we live is what stands out. If anything, in an apostolic age, there is greater opportunity for Christians to stand out and give witness. A Christian’s life and beliefs will stand in contrast to the rest of the world and standing out creates curiosity.

An effective missionary does not go to the chief of the tribe and tell them to change. An effective missionary learns the tribe’s way of life, builds a relationship with them, and teaches by giving witness with their own life.

Raising Youth in a Bubble is a disservice

It's deeply concerning to notice a growing trend among Catholic families, where many are withdrawing and isolating themselves from the broader culture. While there's a call to "conquer the culture," it seems the response has been to retreat out of fear that the world might influence our beliefs negatively. This trend is especially worrisome as it leads to young adults leaving their faith once they confront the realities outside their sheltered environments. They often describe this departure as "deprogramming," highlighting the stark contrast between their insulated upbringing and the world they encounter.

I've observed families who exclusively surround themselves with other Catholics, limiting interactions to their immediate community and attempting to shield their children from external influences. This approach aims to recreate a safe Christian environment, but it ultimately falls short. These families are attempting to rebuild Christendom within their safe Catholic bubbles. Young people will inevitably face challenges from the broader world; if they haven't learned to engage with it while upholding their faith, they risk losing their beliefs in the face of adversity.

Let’s be clear: the culture isn’t good. But it isn’t the cannibals that are causing Christianity to shrink. If Christians isolate and remove their witness from the world, then the cannibals will take over.

There is only one method of formation that I see consistently turn out young Catholic disciples. The most effective way to nurture strong Catholic discipleship, especially among the youth, is through active engagement and genuine witness. Discipleship is the key to conquering the culture. Discipleship thrives when individuals showcase the depth and authenticity of their faith in everyday life. It's through this kind of witness that we can truly impact the culture and build a resilient Christian community capable of facing the challenges of the modern world.