Girltalk, Godtalk Why Faith Matters to Teenage Girls—and Their Parents Joyce Ann Mercer ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

What girls said in interviews: Spirituality/ Faith is important to them—but they worry about who gets to define what it means in their lives Girls value their relationships with parents—and want to be able to discuss matters of faith with them Vocation—how to offer one ’ s life—as a key area of religious concern ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

Teen girls ’ spirituality today: Relational Not limited to the “ overtly religious ” Inquisitive Body conscious Focused on experience Deeply concerned about authenticity Shaped by diverse contexts/cultures ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

Differences in context for girls?? More girls than boys in Harvard ’ s entering class this year—but does that mean that girls have overcome obstacles to equal access to education, sports, careers, etc.? More girls in this age-cohort will have experience with the juvenile justice system than previous generations of girls. ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

More differences?? Girls have more women mentors in nontraditional areas of interest now than in previous generations. More girls will have direct experience struggling with eating disorders. ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

The Spirituality of Girls: Girls struggle to sort out the relationship between their Christian faith and being female—and need help. Girls work hard to update their relationships with their parents—new empathy, desire for conversation partners on faith. ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

Faithful and Female Body image and media culture Sexuality/spirituality connections Not reflective about meanings they enact Intersections with race and class identities ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

APA Report on the Sexualization of Girls: Sexualizing of girls ’ clothing at increasingly younger ages Pressure to express sexual identity in media-directed ways—limited for girls and women Making “ female ” and “ sexy ” synonymous Click on “ Report on sexualization of Girls ” ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

And then there are parents Conflict as a way of re-negotiating relationships, not as a desire for separation New empathy for parents: able to see them with own “ interiority, ” new understandings of past actions/decisions ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

Changing relationships with parents: Girls say they want their parents to discuss faith with them, “ push back ” —but parents often threatened by this and back away. Girls seek parents ’ blessing—but parents often don ’ t realize they have the power to bless. ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

Parents support the religious lives of their daughters by: Believing in their daughters out loud. Sharing their own work/ vocational callings (girls express pride in what parents do) Via negativa ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

Ministry with girls: Youth ministry as a companioned walk in the search for Vocation—how to offer our lives in meaningful ways Christian tradition as an alternative curriculum of vocation to the cultural curriculum of status/ consumption Noticing, naming, celebrating and calling out their gifts ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

How? Holy Listening Use of story theology method to address gender identity—use with film, life experience, etc. “ Nature as teacher ” – outdoor experiences Teaching parents to bless their daughters ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer

Girl talk, God talk…. ©2012 Joyce Ann Mercer