What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God: Seven Questions About Life and Faith

Generation Z believes that God is unconcerned with them and the increasingly chaotic world in which they live, according to this eye-opening debut. Maddox, the national director for generational impact at Young Life ministries, contends that growing up in a world dominated by social media and plagued by crises like Covid-19 has made the generation (young people born between 1997 and 2012) anxious, jaded, and skeptical that the church can answer their existential questions. To fix that disconnect, she draws on conversations with Gen Zers about such issues as whether God will unconditionally accept them (yes—unlike on social media, Christians need not hide parts of themselves to be accepted) and whether God can be considered good if he allows people to suffer (Gen Zers, who are likelier than other generations to understand good as that which is without pain or sacrifice, should be reminded that God’s goodness lies in his ability to provide comfort amid hardship). Despite the author’s sometimes awkward use of Gen-Z slang, she delivers trenchant points about how faith exists in a specific generational context and convincingly frames Christianity as a helpful resource for finding purpose in an information-saturated but meaning-starved world. This will appeal especially to pastors, parents, and clergy looking to bring younger people closer to God. (Sept.)