Ministering To Generation X:

A Study On Effective Youth Ministry In The 90's

Originally Presented to
John Schimdt / Directed Study Supervisor
Columbia Bible College
Abbotsford, British Columbia

by Dan King
Youth Pastor
College Drive Community Church
Lethbridge, Alberta

April 21, 1995.
Revised on January 14, 1996.
cdcc@agt.net
Clickable Outline

	Introduction

I.   Changing Views of Youth
II.  The Post-Modernistic Era
III. What Is Generation X?
IV.  Who Is Generation X?                               
		A. Family Life
		B. Responses to Authority
		C. Pluralism and Pragmatism
		D. Community
		E. Spiritual Life

	Conclusions
	Bibliography
		A. General
		B. Annotated

Introduction
Over the past centuries models of doing youth ministry have continually changed and been challenged to adapt and remain relevant to the specific youth culture of the times. These changes and adaptations have taken many forms including the establishment of clubs, literature campaigns, and community rally nights. Without these changes taking place, a decline in the effectiveness of the youth minister's abilities to reach the younger generation may very well have occurred. This paper suggests that the youth culture has once again changed its face, and that, if not answered by a similar change by youth ministers, effective youth ministry will cease to exist. The catalyst of this most recent change, it will be shown, was the establishment of the post-modernistic society that has now issued into contemporary youth culture a shift in the way thinking is done and the way that the modern world is perceived. The result of this shift is a generation with a non-linear concept of what truth and absolutes are, and a philosophy of life that is far removed from any that has been encountered in recent history. This generation has thus been given the label 'X', and rightly so, as its future, including spiritually, is yet unknown.

Changing Views of Youth
The last two centuries have redefined, in many ways, the role of youth in society. During the Middle Ages, youth were seen as miniature versions of adults and they were treated accordingly. This continued into the Industrial Age and only began to change with the migration of many young families to the America's in the late 1700's. With the emerging realities of schooling and the economic gaps which started to appear between middle and lower-classes, many parents were re-defining the traditional child-rearing practices. John W. Santrock, from the University of Texas, writes in reference to this time period:

While college was becoming more of a reality for many youth...the youth groups that developed as part of the school and church activities were essentially middle class in nature. The conformity to adult leadership in most of the youth groups coincide with the general orientation of adolescents at this time in America: Adults know what is right; do what they tell you, and you'll get somewhere someday. (1993, 11)

Truly, the youth groups of this time period were very different from the types that are seen today. In an article entitled, "A History of American Youth Ministry", Dean Borgman follows the progression of youth movements. He refers to Bennet Tyler who has written a book identifying fifteen revivals from 1797 to 1814. He notes that the 1800's birthed the Young Men's and Women's Christian Associations (YMCA and YWCA), a key event which would prove to be a catalyst in beginning youth movements in the following century (Borgman 1987, 63).

These movements all had distinct features which made them unique in their ministry approach. For example, the Christian Endeavor Movement of the 1880's incorporated four principles: the prayer meeting, experience meeting, the pledge, and active membership. Yet the effectiveness of this movement, notes Borgman, started to decline as the 1930's unfolded. "Suddenly there was a youth culture as never before. Compared to the basketball games, school dances, and movie dates, youth group seemed pretty dull" (Borgman 1987, 66).

With this dramatic change in youth culture of the 1930's, Mark Senter III, a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, suggests that a new fifty-year cycle in youth ministry was beginning to unfold. Senter, in his book The Coming Revolution In Youth Ministry, sees 1935 as the start of the "Teen to Teen" approach to youth ministry. He also refers to it in an article published by Youthworker as the "trickle-down" theory of youth ministry. This theory worked on the assumption that the student body of any school was made up of a three level hierarchy system. This system included the "innies", the "outies", and the "greasers". The "innies" were the popular students; the jocks, who were admired and often stood above others in the school. The "outies", made up by the majority of the student body, were often the followers of the more popular students. Finally, the "greasers", or the rebels of the school system, were students who despised the "innies" and were disgusted by the glamour of "status" (Senter 1994, 39). The "trickle-down" theory, based on these levels, supposed that if the evangelist could reach the "innies" with the gospel, they would begin a process that would eventually bring a great majority of the school population to Christ: thus the term, "trickle-down". The majority of this theory relied on teens telling other teens about the gospel. Senter reports that this theory of evangelism worked until 1987, when the three level structure of the typical high school ceased to exist after an extended period of breakdown (Senter 1994, 39).

The end of the teen to teen cycle of youth ministry, it seems, is not only theory. Many of the leading para-church organizations of today are feeling the reality of the change. Organizations like Youth For Christ are now diversifying and have more or less given up on the "Big Show" models of the past fifty years.

The Youth For Christ in Abbotsford, British Columbia, for example have now changed their name to Youth Unlimited to reflect the outreach nature of their new programs on topics such as chastity. Other organizations have joined them, realizing a need for change is crucial.

The Post-Modernistic Era
Another factor in the change of the youth culture which occurred in the late 1980's is the dawn of the post-modernistic era. The present generation of youth is widely regarded as post-modern not only in their values, but also their pattern of thinking. The thinking processes of youth today no longer line up with the traditional ways of processing information and understanding the world. To better understand the many implications of the term 'post modernism', it is first important that the term 'modernism' be defined.

Modernism is captured in the ideals and intellectual insights of the age of Enlightenment, which began in the early eighteenth century and "was marked by the emergence of the secularization that has characterized the modern Western mentality" (Spielvogel 1991, 594). This thinking is described by Stanley Grentz, a professor of Theology at Carey and Regent Colleges in Vancouver, B.C., as "[an assumption] that knowledge is certain, objective, good, and obtainable" (Tapia 1994, 12). Grentz feels that in this school of thought the modern 'knower' can stand apart from the world and be an observer of it with an unbiased view. The outlook of the modernistic way of seeing life is very optimistic and it is individual: Mankind is good and is in control of their destiny (King 1994, 2). This type of thinking is typified in the systematic apologetics of books such as Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell.

McDowell uses this book to make powerful statements regarding the uniqueness of the Bible and the reliability of the Scriptures. The whole rationale behind the book is summed up in the words of Clark Pinnock who is quoted as saying,

[Apologetics] strives at laying the evidence for the Christian gospel before men in an intelligent fashion, so that they can make a meaningful commitment...the heart cannot delight in what the mind rejects as false. (qtd. in McDowell 1972, 3)

The proof, in modernistic thinking, is absolute and the argument from an authority on any issue is seen as having great value. Much the opposite of modernistic thinking, however, is the thinking of the post-modernistic era. In his book, The Condition of Postmodernity, David Harvey speaks about the post-modernism of today in terms which are startling, but very real. He says, ...Post-modernism on the other hand, is dominated by fiction, fantasy, the immaterial (particularly of money), fictitious capital, images, ephemerality, chance, and flexibility in production techniques, labor markets and consumption niches; yet it also embodies strong commitments to Being and place, a penchant for charismatic politics, concerns for ontology, and the stable institutions favored by neo-conservatism...It seems as if post modernist flexibility merely reverses the dominant order to be found in [modernism]. (1989, 339) As this statement mentions, the basic tenants of post-modernism stand against the dominant overtones of logic and of order found in modernistic thinking, this being typified by the apologetic style of McDowell. To once again use the insights of Stanley Grentz: "Truth is defined by the individual and it is not absolute by any means" (Tapia 1994, 20). Perhaps nothing defines today's post-modern era as well as the multi-media which supersaturates it. From MuchMusic to Infommercials, the post-modernistic world is filled with nonlinear images, illusions, and pseudo-truths on which the present generation of youth has grown up and of which it is now critical and skeptical. This critical look at the world by youth today is explained in perfect terms by Doug Rushkoff, an author who chronicles the world of Generation X: They've watched the way people get fooled by the media time and time again. It's clearly the difference between Homer Simpson and Bart Simpson. Let's say they're watching the same commercial. Bart will comment on the way the commercial has been structured [and its weaknesses]. But Homer will go, "Ooooh!" because he can still be manipulated by it. [Generation X] keep their distance because they don't want to be categorized and reduced by the media. But they also don't want to succumb to the hypnotic messages in the media.(qtd. in Lawrence 1994, 29)

The post-modern world is unsure of what is truth and has therefore changed traditional thought to say that truth is unique. "To use a biblical metaphor, it seems that some members of Generation X would like to tie a 'millstone about the neck' of modern civilization and drown it 'in the depth of the sea'" (Mahedy 1994, 61). The post-modern world is a complete turnaround in understanding, and is in rebellion against all that is traditional.

What is Generation X?
"Generation X" is a term which has brought with it much controversy. It has been chosen over other possible names like "Boomettes", or "Baby Busters" to label the generation of youth and younger adults between the ages of twelve and thirty-four, although variations of it in the time frame of 1961 to 1983 do exist. The term itself is taken from the 1991 novel of the same name written by Douglas Coupland of Vancouver, Canada. One author feels this particular name was chosen because it "signifies an unknown variable, a generation that is still in search of its identity" (Tapia 1994, 18). Another author feels it is significant "because x in an algebraic equation has limitless possibilities - as does this generation" (Mahedy 1994, 38). Whatever the reason, the term "Generation X" has stuck and has little chance of being replaced.

George Barna, author of one of the growing number of books analyzing this generation, has split Generation X into three distinct groupings based on a 1965-1983 dating system. These groupings, adjusted to take into account the years since the book was published, include 25-30, 18-24, and 12-17 (qtd. in Schmidt 1992, 1). Although there is great diversity between these age groupings, there are numbers of characteristics that do hold them together and they are usually referred to as a single generation rather then one made up of three separate sub-categories. In this paper, for the purpose of discussing the three sub-categories presented above, references to all of the age groupings will use the term "Baby Busters", and comments on specifically the latter age grouping of twelve to seventeen will use the term "Generation X".

It is the opinion of many that Baby Busters are "perhaps the most lambasted generation in history. They've been called everything from slacker to wasted to lost" (Warden 1994, 20). Indeed, without too much effort at all, one can find a number of colorful references for this generation. Many of these have been thought up by the Baby Boomers who preceded them. Coupland, closely following the movements of Baby Busters, explains these negative references by saying that they are "...the need of one generation to see the generation following it as deficient so as to bolster its own collective ego" (qtd. in Giles 1994, 64). Some have even suggested the term "Generation X", as a reference to the entire generation, is no more than "...a tiny self-consciously hip phrase that doesn't resonate much beyond the white middle class" (Giles 1994, 64).

Whatever the feelings of others towards the Baby Busters, it is a group of individuals who are uniquely different from any preceding it.

Who is Generation X?
As the focus of this paper begins to tighten, the sub-category of Generation X, which refers to those between the ages of twelve and seventeen in this paper, will demand more attention. This sub-category is now in the high schools of Canada and America and is the ultimate concern of youth ministers as they seek to evangelize and lead youth to Christ in effective ways.

Each generation shows particular characteristics which define them in unique ways and Generation X is no different. The 1950's had the birth of rock' n' roll music which defined its adolescence. The 1960's had the anti-war movement and an anti-establishment mentality. In the 1970's, the adolescent creed seemed to be "if it feels good, do it", and in the 1980's that creed was changed to read: "if it feels good, there must be money to be made in it". Each of these decades gave way to a unique group of young adults emerging with an identity that marked them and became part of their history as they moved into adulthood (Luce 1994, 20).

The 1990's group of adolescence, Generation X, are in many ways no different from those before them. They also have been, and are being, defined by their environments. What is different, however, is what the defining factors are. No longer are adolescents brought up in stable, church- going families, as many of the preceding generations were. No longer are they unquestioning in following those with authority over them. Generation X, according to Barna, are independent, pragmatic and pluralistic. Yet not all is negative. Generation X is also credited with being community-oriented and very open to spiritual matters. As these characteristics are discussed, a deeper picture of who Generation X is will come into view.

Family Life
Generation X is the result of the relational mistakes of a generation past: "Fifty percent [are] coming from broken homes" (Tapia 1994, 18); "Generation X's childhood coincided with divorce's big bang"; "...in the '70s and '80s, divorce touched one million children a year" (Giles 1994, 69); "...it is true that many [from Generation X] bear the psychological scars of being children of divorce" (McIver 1995, 68). Such comments and statistics show clearly the type of family structure that has been in place to support many of those in the Generation X age grouping. The results of divorce include a wariness of any kind of commitments, especially in marriage and higher chances of ending up in trouble with the law. Add to this the facts that Baby Busters are the first generation of 'latchkey' kids, that a high number (33%) have been physically or sexually abused, often by a stepparent, and that many were neglected by their parents who were off pursuing a career, and the picture of home life grows darker (Mahedy 1994, 18).

Neil Howe and Bill Strauss predict "...that given their dysfunctional family background, Xers will be incarcerated and executed at a higher rate than any previous generation in U.S. history" (qtd. in Tapia 1994, 19). In this prediction, the term execution relates not only to death through the justice system, but also through murders and suicides.

These issues have important ramifications for the youth minister who must rely on long-term, consistent relationships, often times filled with counseling before significant spiritual advancement can occur. Also, an emphasis on forgiveness internally and towards others is needed, and a priority on communicating the 'agape' message of unconditional love in Christianity must not only be taught, but shown more now than in any other generation.

Responses to Authority
Rich Van Pelt, a Christian author and youth worker, has recently highlighted two specific causes for the growing disrespect that is shown by Generation X towards those in the positions of authority. The first cause, he feels, is directly linked to the upswing in divorces. He believes that youth are saying, "If parents cannot keep their promises, then how and why should we" (Van Pelt, 1995). Today's culture is filled with authority abuse and scandal not only in the home, but in politics, economics, and religious institutions. Today's youth have no reason to trust, or support an authority which cannot manage itself or others. Rushkoff offers this insight towards the lack of respect for authority:

[Generation X] don't want to rally behind any authority figure lest that authority figure resigns or turns out to be untrue...[they've] started to realize that they don't need an authority figure to make them feel safe...to make them feel worthy of God's love. (qtd. in Lawrence 1994, 29)

The second cause which Van Pelt feels has contributed to the decline of respect towards authority is the influence of media. Within the category of media both the television and music industries as well as large amounts of literature directed at youth must be considered. Van Pelt mentions shows like Roseanne, Married With Children, and The Simpsons. A more recent addition to this list would be Beavis and Butthead, who continue to rise in their popularity. The message which these shows all communicate to the audience that watches them is that "...adults are all idiots and kids have all the smarts" (Van Pelt, 1995).

Within the music industry, which would include channels on the television such as Canada�s MuchMusic and MTV or VH1 in the United States, one of the dominant message is also anti-authority. Many of the magazines which are directed at youth also advance a similar philosophy. These magazines often appear on the shelves as 'trend' magazines such as Thrasher and Snowboarder. In reflecting on this problem, it is clear that the disrespect for authority must be countered by consistent role models who earn the respect of the youth. Youth workers need to allow members of Generation X to know that they are not going to abandon them as other authority figures may constantly do, but more important than that, they need to teach them that God will never leave them or forsake them (Hebrews 13:5). Warden cautions youth workers by saying: "If you commit to being a young person�s friend, keep that commitment - even if he or she drops out of your church" (1994, 20). A stress must also be put on teaching the youth to think for themselves. Barbara Coloroso suggests that parents of today's young generation have not allowed them to think on their own. Parents, for the most part, have told children what to wear, what to eat, and when to go to sleep. This listening continues as they move into adolescence. However a problem develops when they begin to listen to their friends or the television and media instead of the parents (Coloroso 1989). The process of renewing the mind is referred to by Paul in Scripture (Romans 12:2), and if youth ministers can equip Generation X with the ability to think for themselves, keeping Biblical truth in mind, they will be accomplishing much. This task is a challenging one, as the post-modernistic thinking is opposed to that.

Pluralism and Pragmatism
That opposition is seen in another negative characteristic of Generation X: the problem with absolutes. This problem is not only shown in their personal morals, but also in relation to religion, for they are extremely pluralistic. In an article appearing in Focus on the Family, Josh McDowell quotes a 1994 survey of 3,795 teens as concluding that 57% of young people feel there is "no objective standard of truth [which] exists" (1994, 3). Further, 85% are saying "just because it�s wrong for you doesn�t mean it�s wrong for me" (1994, 3). These statistics reflect a breakdown in ethical standards which now seems to be incredibly widespread.

How youth understand truth affects their behavior, the attitudes they adopt and the choices they make. The research is clear - if kids develop solid convictions about truth, it will double, triple, even quadruple their chances of making moral choices in an immoral world. (McDowell 1994, 4)

Pragmatism seems to be going hand-in-hand with the attitude of pluralism held by Generation X. Pragmatism is defined by Webster�s as being "...[overly] concerned with the practice or the practical side of anything" (1965, 1781). It is an attitude of 'don�t just tell me it works, show me it works', and if it does work then it will be embraced. This presents a large number of problems for teenagers who, by their very nature, are prone to be curious. Teenagers today feel that they must experience everything for themselves, regardless of what others say, and when this is paired with pluralism, nothing is in place to stop them from following their feelings.

This negative side shows itself as a result of divorce, the lack of a stable family support system, continued failure by the authority figures in their lives, and because of the pluralism and pragmatism which the post-modernistic era has brought with it. These factors make this present generation unlike any other that youth ministers have had to evangelize. However, there are some potentially positive characteristics of Generation X as well, and it is these which will now be considered.

Community
The first of these positive traits seems to be found in a very strong sense of community developing in Generation X. Despite the tendencies toward individualism and pragmatism, today�s youth show higher levels of allegiance towards each other than in past generations (Barna 1992, 32 and 47). In their discussion of the reasons for this phenomenon, William Mahedy and Janet Bernardi highlight the finding of Richard Chessick, a noted psychiatric researcher, who found that current cultural "barbarism" has led to the need among Baby Boomers to seek out "...some kind of counseling or therapy as a step along the way to finding community, which is the ultimate remedy for abandonment" (Mahedy 1994, 78). This "barbarism", he says, includes the "...breakup of the family ... a loss of moral values and religious traditions... inconsistency and insecurity of parents...and the bombardment by television with its primitive sensations" (1994, 29), all of which have been shown in this paper. Community, therefore, gives stability in the midst of hopelessness and security as family breakdown threatens Generation X's foundations.

The rise in gangs, especially in high density urban areas, can be seen as an example of this community expansion. The local gang is the family unit for thousands of youth in the United States and a growing number in Canada, because it provides what seems to be a non-conditional and pure form of relational bonding (Van Pelt 1995). It should be no surprise then, that gangs have few problems with recruitment, as they promise one primary thing: to die for each other if necessary. As Michael Warden writes in a recent article for Group magazine: "Kids follow leaders who are willing to die for their cause. It�s as simple - and as challenging - as that" (1994, 20).

Another example is found in the writings of a twenty-something Baby Buster couple who are continually in search for greater community with others their own age. Todd and Laura Zylstra-Garth explore the communities of North-East America looking for some place to belong. They move between many 'International Christian Communities' and see it as "part of the challenge [of being] members of a generation of Christians that [are] looking at alternatives, for promoting healing and sustaining ability in our society" (Zylstra-Garth 1994, 17).

If the youth worker can use this information to create a community atmosphere in his groups, he is well on his way to providing a place of refuge for youth who need a positive place to go. Counseling can take place within this context, and commitments can be made. The commitments must not be made specifically to the group, however:

[Generation Xers] are primarily interested in relationships...but don't ask kids to be committed to your youth group [which can be seen as just another movement or cause], ask them to be committed to Jesus. (Warden 1994, 19) Jesus Christ will not let them down, and for the teenager, entering the Kingdom of God gives access to the greatest community that has ever existed.

Spiritual Life
As noted by Harvey earlier in this paper, those growing up in the post-modernistic era have a strong sense of Being...of spirituality. This spiritual awareness of Being, however, is unfocused in many ways. In a discussion of research conducted with a group of "super committed Christian young people" the results of the question "What makes Christianity better than other religions?" were examined. The emphasis of many of the students seemed to be that Christianity is not any better than other religions, it is just different (Warden 1994, 18). These comments seem to support the concept that it is not 'politically correct' in the world of Generation X to say that any person's beliefs are better than anyone else's, but rather to accept all beliefs in a pluralistic manner.

The idea of there being no ultimate truth is also reflected in recent comments made on an Internet BBS where a question about the place of God in the world today was asked. Responses such as the following were given to this question:

BREDSTIK: "I used to think I was the only one my age who really thought about or cared about the nature of my existence and the presence of God in it. But I�m finding more people everyday who have given the matter extensive thought and speculation..."

DreamFish2: "I believe in a God. But not to the point of heaven and hell and Christ on a cross. Not anymore. I�ve found that I am much happier with myself when I try and do what is right for me..."

Kelly8377: "...To believe in god and follow him does not mean you have to change your life around..."

Estlin C: "My greatest question concerning god is why does it so often seem that the people most likely to "find god" are the people whose lives are so desperate and painful that they must find something in order to survive. It makes me wonder if god isn�t just a convenient answer..."

TONE 123: "I�m in a good place where God is concerned. I think that it�s very freeing to be able to say that I don�t need mystique or theories and dogma to tell me that there is God inside of me."

Indeed, there is great interest in spirituality among Generation X, yet it is not focused and it is full of questions. These feelings toward God and religion are most often interpreted as being the result of a post-Christian culture in which youth "...lack even the memory of a hope-giving gospel to help them face the challenges [of every day]" (Tapia 1994,18). They realize that there is something spiritual existing in the world but are cautious about the subject of Christianity. The references to Christianity that they do have consist of the stories of fallen leaders such as Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart. Both of these men represented the Church and Christianity in the 1980's when those in the Generation X age group were in their early formative years. As a result of their 'fall' from Christian integrity, as well as other factors, Generation X view authority figures within the church and other institutions with contempt and Christianity is all but ignored in the spiritual quest.

At a Baby Buster Convention in late 1993 (cosponsored by InterVarsity and Leighton Ford Ministries) Danny Harrell, a youth pastor in Boston observed that "...the Xer view of life demands more than nice words and attractive packaging. Since they have been burned by so many broken promises, they're not into fads. Rather, they want to know the bottom line" (qtd. in Tapia 1994, 20). His comments are reflected by others who feel that the authenticity and powerful ability to move people toward Christ, such as those shown by someone like Billy Graham can go a long way, but in addition, what will attract youth in Generation X is a strong and caring community which is real and can be trusted. "The only things that will maintain genuine spiritual fervor are purpose, commitment and a sense of belonging...Feelings don't last forever, but if we introduce teens to commitment, they can take that wherever they go..." (Luce 1994, 24).

To address the spiritual needs of Generation X, the youth minister's evangelism model must, therefore, be focused on meeting relational and community needs first. By doing this, the minister establishes credibility to share the gospel and invite commitment not to the group, but to Christ. Integrity and consistency on the part of the youth minister is key, but emphasis must be placed on the unchanging message of acceptance and hope that Christ brings, as it will never fail or be compromised.

Conclusions
When the information and ministry suggestions that have been presented within the body of this paper are examined closely, there are eleven specific conclusions that can be made. If they are successfully implemented, effective youth ministry to Generation X will continue to exist. If not, then the present generation of youth may fail to discover the message brought by Christ.

The youth pastor in the post-modernistic world must be:
1.) Open to change and adaptation to new and changing youth trends and culture.
2.) Realize youth do not respect adults who have not proven their integrity.
3.) Committed to youth for the long-term, be consistent in their own walks with Christ, and be accepting of youth regardless of their personal history.
4.) Continuously doing crisis intervention and counseling with all youth.
5.) Consistent in upholding relationships with youth even when they quit coming to the traditional 'youth night'.
6.) Able to challenge youth to think for themselves rather than 'spoon feeding' them.
7.) Continually exposing youth to experiences that are 'hands on'.
8.) Continually education youth that absolute truth does exist, what it is, and why it is important.
9.) Building communities of faith built on a foundation of commitments to Jesus Christ, and not youth group.
10.) Radical about what they believe and the absolute truth to which they hold.
11.) In dialogue with youth about what they believe spiritually. If these conclusions can be effectively implemented, the changes that have recently taken place in youth culture will not be unanswered. The eleven conclusions are specific, yet, they do leave ample room for interpretation. This papers aim was to show that steps must be taken, and a positive companion to it would be a paper examining and expanding the conclusions for particle ministry use.

Generation X is unlike any other generation, and there can be effective ministry taken place, if only the uniqueness of the post-modern culture is understood.

General Bibliography

Barna, George. The Invisible Generation: Baby Busters. Glendale: Barna Research Group, 1992.

Borgman, Dean. "A History of American Youth Ministry". The Complete Book Of Youth Ministry. Chicago: Moody Press, 1987: 61-74.

Coloroso, Barbara. Winning at Parenting...Without Beating Your Kids. Videocassette. kids are worth it Productions, 1989. 125 minutes.

Coupland, Douglas. Life After God. New York: Pocket Books, 1994.

"CyberTalk - Do You Believe In God?". Group. October 1994: 13.

Giles, Jeff. "Genrealizations X". Newsweek. 6 June 1994: 62-72.

Harvey, David. The Condition of Postmodernity. Cambridge: Basil Blackwell, Inc., 1989.

Hoffmann, Tom and Spencer, Todd. "A Woodstock Diary". Group. November/December 1994: 28-31.