Blur: A New Paradigm Summary

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Pages: 3

Jeff Keuss, in his book Blur: A New Paradigm for Understanding Youth Culture, conveys an idea that sticks with what is guaranteed in the introduction of the book. In the introduction, Keuss promises to reference plenty of studies on youth faith development as well as some of his own experiences. He states “It is my hope that this book will help you better understand the young people you’ve either encountered or will encounter in the future” (Keuss 7).
Most chapters and topics point to clearly expressed doctrinal practicalities. Most of the time, it does not take further investigation to understand what he is talking about. He reviews what he believes to be the weaknesses of youth ministry, especially considering the temporary culture of today. He points to the idea that culture is ever-changing and that we have never seen trends fly so quickly through teenagers as they do today. He explains how youth are typically misunderstood and want to be understood by those around them, this includes but is not limited to parents, friends, teachers, etc. He relies on past and present research and interviews for
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All chapters focus on two primary claims: that youth are sacred and mobile as well as taking the time to distinguish between weaknesses of traditional ministry and the strengths of the recommended new paradigm. Chapter 5 discusses the idea of sacred mobility thoroughly. It states “that in and with the hybridity of cultures that surround us—ethnicities, races, economic diversity, high and low culture—youth workers face a wonderful challenge to be in ministry to and with youth as an act of equipping them for mobility rather than fixity” (85). Youth are sacred because they are created in God’s image (10). They are mobile because they “live in a complex, ever-shifting, ever-morphing world with multiple cultures”