Today’s teens have been dubbed the “post-literate generation”, but to be fair, reading for pleasure has been declining for decades, even among older generations. Add upwards of 11 hours a day with devices, and there’s precious little time left to be still and absorb a great book. Pixels are more appealing than pages in a culture driven more by compulsion than contemplation. Thankfully, National Book Lovers Day is here to encourage all of us to pick up a new book or two and treat yourself to some quality reading time!
A good book can not only challenge, but transform. Reading has been shown to encourage empathy, ignite the imagination, cultivate compassion, foster humility, and discourage dogmatism. Franz Kafka once said, “I think we ought to read only books that bite and sting us…A book must be the ax for the frozen sea within us.” With that in mind, here are 10 books that will challenge your teen’s faith by potentially transforming the way they see God, themselves, and the world around them. But remember, when you or your teen come across an idea that deconstructs preconceived notions about God or faith, resist the fear-filled urge to reject it as heretical. The spiritual life in Christ should be an emerging movement of growth and maturation instead of stagnation. Just because an idea is new to us doesn’t necessarily mean it’s new to other faithful believers. So, before school starts and the mandatory text book reading begins, grab one of these spiritually enriching works for your teens to kick-start their faith this school year.
Content pulled from Axis.org - TheCulture Translator. Click here to continue reading this month's articles on 5 New Findings on Teen Technology & Why It's Eye-Opening. |