Whereas the baby boomers asked, "What is the meaning of life, my life?", Generation Xers have a different query: "Will you be there for me?" This is only one of the fascinating insights into the much talked-about generational cohort to be found in this book by Tom Beaudoin, a lay preacher who is currently working on a doctorate in religion and education at Boston College. The author presents a theological interpretation of pop culture, which he calls "the amniotic fluid" that sustains Generation Xers.
Beaudoin assesses four religious themes in popular culture: a deep suspicion of religious institutions, an emphasis on the sacred nature of experience, interest in the religious dimension of suffering, and an exploration of faith and ambiguity. To accomplish this, the author probes the ever-shifting meanings of fashion events (heavy-metal clothing, body piercings and tattoos), the virtual communities of cyberspace, and music videos by Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Madonna, Tori Amos, and R.E.M. Along the way, he comments on the significance of oversize clothing, the juxtaposition of sexuality and spirituality, and the gender ambiguities of Generation Xers.
Beaudoin hopes that people committed to religious institutions and the members of this irreverent generation can find some common ground in the celebration of diversity and in an exploration of mystical practices or spiritual disciplines. Like quarreling brothers and sisters they must set aside name-calling and begin to acknowledge how much they really need each other.