Why Discerning Vocation Can Be Hard for Gen Z, Part 2
JOHN D. BASIE
I suggested in the last post that shifting plausibility structures in our culture are one of the factors contributing to our young adults discerning vocation. What’s an example of an evangelical plausibility structure coming apart, and how does it muddy the waters of discernment?
For starters, there is plentiful evidence that progressive Christianity as a worldview has been gaining ground in North America for quite some time. This worldview carries with it a redefinition of dignity. As sociologist Mark Regnerus, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, has shown, dignity used to mean “the older conception shared by Christians, natural law theorists and others, refers to the idea that humans have ‘inherent worth of immeasurable value that is deserving of certain morally appropriate responses.’” Regnerus goes on to say, "Understood in this way, dignity is an inalienable value. It’s a reality. Human dignity does not become real when you start to believe in it. It remains real even when neglected or violated.”
This view of human dignity is consistent with a thoroughgoing biblical worldview. Genesis 1:26 says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Human dignity, therefore, is derived from the metaphysical reality of being created in God’s image.
The prevalence of this view of dignity has been sustained in North America by an evangelical plausibility structure whose platform has been supported by four main convictional planks, according to historian David Bebbington. Crucicentrism (the emphasis of Christ’s death on the cross as a necessary condition of mankind’s redemption), conversionism (the emphasis of a transformational conversion that precipitates a life-long journey of following Christ), biblicism (an emphasis on the authority of the Bible and obedience to it as part of the Christ-follower’s journey) and activism have been the defining characteristics of evangelical culture, which in turn supports the historic view of human dignity that Regnerus defends. Now, such a view of dignity is considered by many to be a dangerous tool of oppression, which is why progressive Christianity demands that the first three of these four convictional planks be jettisoned.
How could the biblical view of dignity be oppressive? Because, at the end of the day, holding to it means we do not get to create our own moral standards. Moreover, to argue that there is transcendent standard which some have apprehended (and by which they are flourishing) but not others is to argue that some have discerned a key feature of reality more accurately than others. This possibility is what is most offensive to secularists and progressive Christians. The prevailing and dominant concept of dignity in today’s culture is what Regnerus calls “Dignity 2.0,” a version that is much more closely aligned with hyper-individualism and “the right to define oneself.” In contrast to the biblical concept, Dignity 2.0 has at its center the self, not God or others. The late historian and social critic Christopher Lasch saw an increasing number of instances of this attitude back in 1978 when he said, “To live for the moment is the prevailing passion—to live for yourself, not for your predecessors or posterity.”
It isn’t difficult to see how the evangelical plausibility structure that has sustained some semblance of flourishing and dignity has been—as far as Gen Z members are concerned—severely dismantled. They grew up never knowing a time when Roe v. Wade wasn’t the law of the land. That’s also true for many of their parents (most of whom are Gen X’ers). In their lifetime, they’ve seen the effects of the Obergefell decision rapidly unfolding before their eyes. The old, tired, and oppressive biblical view of marriage is thrown out, and the new, refreshing view is enshrined into law and is normalized and celebrated in mainstream culture.
To boot, an increasing number of companies, nonprofits, schools, and even churches are reluctant to say that there is, in reality, such a thing as gender that cannot be changed. To believe Genesis 1:27, which tells us that God created two distinct genders, each in his own image, is to be bigoted at one’s core according to many elite public intellectuals. All of these messages are bombarding Gen Z by the minute through endless social media feeds. From their perspective, how could the concept of “Dignity 2.0” NOT be the case? If the old structures have collapsed, isn’t that evidence that they weren’t really made of solid stuff in the first place? Certainly there is more to be said here by way of reply, and there are good answers that deserve space in a future post.
What does all of this have to do with the concept of vocation and the challenges of discerning it? If vocation in the Christian tradition is, at its core, service to others and not for self, then we can begin to see rather quickly how Gen Z Christ-followers are already facing into a more complex and confusing world than any of us have personally witnessed thus far.
There is a vast chorus of emotional voices around them assuming (and rarely using the tools of logic and rational argumentation) the moral superiority of “dignity 2.0.” If anything, I find that most Christ-followers think about their work in the same way as anyone else—namely, with self at the center. Will this career track make me happy? Will it pay well? Will it give me ample time off and allow me to work remotely? How likely is it to lead to a fulfilling life for me and my family? In and of themselves, these are legitimate questions. However, when these are the only serious questions that Christ followers are asking with respect to their work, then we’re missing the mark. If we have any hope of really hitting the mark, then we must have a compelling vision for how our God-given dignity informs the way we think about our work. And that vision must be grounded in loving God and loving neighbor. Clinging vigorously to that vision will require self-sacrifice in ways that “Dignity 2.0” can neither explain nor accommodate.
So, given these cultural challenges, discerning vocation is hard for many members of Gen Z. Many of us see their struggle on a daily basis. As I and others have argued elsewhere, there is hope. Vocation is most clearly discerned with the context of deep Christian community. This has always been the case. Members of Generation Z do well to realize that diligent and prayerful forethought about their vocations does not mean they should attempt to plan every step of their journey so as to guarantee only positive outcomes. As we are reminded in Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (ESV).
Perhaps you are a faculty member who is regularly sought-out by students who are seeking clarity about their future. The need for biblically-grounded faculty members who are serious about academic and vocational discipleship has never been greater. Here are some questions I’ve found helpful when having a lunch conversation with members of Gen Z:
• What is your life purpose? Can you state your God-given purpose in a single sentence? If not, what’s holding you back from asking an older and wiser Christ-follower who is trained in this area to help you craft one?
• How does the Bible actively inform your life purpose statement?
• What are your untested assumptions about dignity as a concept, and how have those assumptions been guiding your thinking and actions as you seek clarity about your future?
• How much intentional study have you given to the biblical claim that all men and women are made in God’s image, and what that claim might mean for discerning your various vocations?
• Why do you want to work?
• What is holding you back from discerning a God-given vision for your future?
• In addition to your parents, who are the mentors in your life who you are proactively inviting to ask you good, hard questions about how you’re going about the process of discerning your God-given life purpose?
• On a scale of 1-10, how intentional are your efforts at building and sustaining a thriving Christian community in which God might choose to speak clearly about your life purpose and various vocations? What would it take on your part to increase that number?
John D. Basie is director of Masters Experience at the Impact 360 Institute.