Converting from "consumer faith"

"branded" by katherine turpin.

The sub title is adolescents converting from consumer faith. Turpin expresses a very clear perception of the power of consumer culture in the formation of and funding the imagination of young people. Turpin takes John Wesley's notion of ongoing conversion and applies it to the challenge of how to help young people's imagination be formed by the alternative of a Christian faith that runs counter to a culture predicated on the logic of consumption. I'm sure that is a huge challenge for any one working in youth ministry, and probably pre-teen children's ministry too. The danger is , and I've experienced it happening in and outside of 'church', is that with good intentions with respect to their elders, young people just hear adults rubbishing their world. I heard it only the other week with an adult pouring scorn on a pre-teen having & using an 'ipod'. Meanwhile that pre-teen, and young people, can't help but notice that those very same adults seem to be living quite nicely in a consumer culture with their holidays & overseas trips & all the rest.