God Within : Our Spiritual Future—As Told by Today's New Adults

Our Faith, In Our Words

What does it mean to be young and spiritual today—when the New Age isn''t exactly new, when female rabbis and ministers are no longer unusual, and when Eastern religion’s ideas and practices are no longer considered exotic? Who are the faces behind today’s fresh approaches to faith, approaches that are destined to shape the future of spiritual life in America?

"Religion is not a crutch for the weak-minded. It is merely spirituality in its simplest, most rudimentary form. We have witnessed the hypocrisy, the moral and spiritual mediocrity of succumbing to tradition for tradition’s sake. In an age when there are books on everything for dummies, my generation has opted to find out for themselves. I am a new adult, with decisions to make about my identity and my future. I am not about to surrender this newfound privilege. I am content with discovering my spiritual self through my own avenues. I am not in need of a crossing guard."
—from God Within

God Within represents citizens of the twenty-first century who are faced with a dizzying array of spiritualities: believer, seeker, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Wiccan, to name just a very few. The result of a nationwide challenge extended to young adults born after 1974, in this book they share their experiences with all of these beliefs—some confident, some questioning—and introduce us to many shades in between.

Sometimes irreverent—but more importantly, always relevant—this thought-provoking collection of writings, poetry and art showcases the voices that are defining the future of religion, faith and belief as we know it.