This was the provocative sub-title to a recent cover story in Christian Century by Kenda Creasy Dean, Associate Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary. The article “Faith, Nice and Easy: the Almost Formation of Teens” is unavailable online to non-subscribers but summarizes the depressing findings of extensive research of the theological ideas and faith commitments of contemporary American youth. Dean’s brand new book is entitled Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church (Oxford University Press, 2010) and is available here: http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Christian-Teenagers-Telling-American/dp/0195314840.

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Might there be important value for Christians to read deeply of classical mythology, to engage the ancient stories of Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Virgil? How well do we know them? More importantly, to what extent have we as believers considered their importance in understanding the Mediterranean culture in which the gospel originally took root and their relevance for Christians today?

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