What have Teenagers to Do with Theology? Exploring Gen Z Theological Views

Abstract Like everyone, adolescents have ideas and perceptions of life, its meaning and its potential relationship with God. This set of ideas can be described by the broad term ‘theology’, which is normally used to refer to a professional and expert approach to the divine. It is meant rather as a way to place ourselves within a transcendent framework. Understanding adolescents’ theological ideas or mindsets involves more than assessing their basic beliefs, as most scales used to study their religiosity do. It involves understanding the underlying logic and coherence, or lack thereof, in their approach to a world of beliefs, which can be structured in various ways and connected in one way or another with their concerns and expectations, and personal traits. This study uses a survey with multiple scales to delve into adolescents’ religious minds, showing a less structured religious mind, but open to important connections especially with others.