What Does Generation Z Believe? The Religiosity and Spirituality of Contemporary Czech Youth in Practical-Theological Reflection

Abstract

The study deals with the religiosity and spirituality of contemporary Czech youth. Czech Republic is characterized by a high level of secularization. Are the expectations that religious faith will increasingly disappear in each generation coming true? How do Czech practical theologians reflect on the current situation? The study explores these questions against a background of generational theory and religious sociology. It has four parts. First, it introduces Mannheim’s theory of generations and applies it to the setting of Christian churches. In the second part, it characterizes the current Czech generation of youth with the help of generational typologies. In the third part, it presents the religiosity and spirituality of Czech youth based on recent sociological research. In the fourth part, it focuses on how Czech Catholic and Protestant theologians reflect on youth-work. The conclusion offers practical-theological suggestions that are relevant for pastoral work with youth in secularized contexts.