Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations 4-1-2017 Meaning-Making as a Formational Pathway for Christian Adolescents Timothy C. Prewette George Fox University, [email protected] This research is a product of the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at George Fox University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Prewette, Timothy C., "Meaning-Making as a Formational Pathway for Christian Adolescents" (2017). Doctor of Ministry. 219. http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/219 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY MEANING-MAKING AS A FORMATIONAL PATHWAY FOR CHRISTIAN ADOLESCENTS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GEORGE FOX EVANGELICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY TIMOTHY C. PREWETTE PORTLAND, OREGON FEBRUARY 2017 George Fox Evangelical Seminary George Fox University Portland, Oregon CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ________________________________ DMin Dissertation ________________________________ This is to certify that the DMin Dissertation of Timothy Prewette has been approved by the Dissertation Committee on February 22, 2017 for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation. Dissertation Committee: Primary Advisor: Guy Chmieleski, DMin Secondary Advisor: Steve Sherwood, DMin Copyright © 2017 Timothy C. Prewette All Rights Reserved. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyrighted 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ vi ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 Vignettes ......................................................................................................................... 1 Millennials and Faith ...................................................................................................... 1 Moral Therapeutic Deism ............................................................................................... 5 The American Church ................................................................................................. 8 Culpable Parents ....................................................................................................... 11 MTD and Meaning-Making ...................................................................................... 13 Meaning-Making Defined ............................................................................................. 14 Religion & Spirituality .............................................................................................. 18 Suffering ................................................................................................................... 21 Limitations ................................................................................................................ 22 Life Stories ................................................................................................................ 23 Meaning-Making with Narrative Theology .................................................................. 24 CHAPTER TWO: BIBLICAL NARRATIVES ........................................................... 27 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 27 What is Narrative Theology? ........................................................................................ 28 Narrative as Worldview ............................................................................................ 30 The Place of Narrative .............................................................................................. 34 Narrative for Evangelicals ........................................................................................ 38 The Narrative Approach to Scripture ............................................................................ 39 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 39 Act 1: Creation .......................................................................................................... 41 Act 2: The Fall .......................................................................................................... 44 Act 3: Redemption .................................................................................................... 48 Redemption Initiated (with Israel) ............................................................................ 48 Redemption Accomplished (by Christ) ...................................................................... 51 Redemption Experienced (by the Church) ................................................................ 54 Act 4: Consummation ............................................................................................... 57 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 59 iii CHAPTER THREE: NARRATIVES IN CHURCH HISTORY ............................... 61 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 61 Early Church Narratives ............................................................................................... 62 Orthodoxy ................................................................................................................. 62 Persecution ................................................................................................................ 71 Worship ..................................................................................................................... 72 Monastic Narratives ...................................................................................................... 74 Eastern Orthodox Narratives ........................................................................................ 79 Reformation Narratives ................................................................................................. 82 Protestant Reformation ............................................................................................. 82 Catholic Reformation ................................................................................................ 88 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 92 CHAPTER FOUR: CURRENT NARRATIVES OF CHURCH AND CULTUE .... 94 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 94 Evangelicalism .............................................................................................................. 94 Defined ...................................................................................................................... 94 Evangelical Narratives .............................................................................................. 98 Postmodernism in America ......................................................................................... 101 Questioning Reality ................................................................................................ 102 Tell Me a Story ....................................................................................................... 104 Where Have All The Metanarratives Gone? ........................................................... 105 Postmodernism and Christianity ................................................................................. 109 An Embodied Life ................................................................................................... 111 A Matter of Perspective .......................................................................................... 114 Narratives of Moral Therapeutic Deism ..................................................................... 115 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 119 CHAPTER FIVE: ADOLESCENT MEANING-MAKING ..................................... 121 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 121 Adolescent Development ............................................................................................ 121 Adolescence ............................................................................................................ 121 Individuation and Identity ....................................................................................... 124 Adolescent Spirituality ............................................................................................ 126 Moral Therapeutic Deism ....................................................................................... 129 The Narrative Shape of Life ......................................................................................