Is the church losing the next generation of young people? Grove City College alumnus and Calvin University professor Dr. Jonathan Hill ’02 will discuss that question and more at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 in Arnold Recital Hall in the Pew Fine Arts Center on the campus of Grove City College.
The lecture is sponsored by the Department of Psychology and Sociology. It is free and open to the public.
Using recent sociological data on the faith lives of emerging adults, Hill will talk about how many of the most common narratives we hear fail to take into account the broader cultural forces at work. He also offers suggestions for how the church might better engage young people in the present cultural context.
Currently assistant professor of sociology at Calvin University, his research includes the study of the attitudes of emerging adults toward religion, evolution and secularism, as well as examining the roles of religion and education on family formation.
His research has been published in several professional journals including the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, the Review of Religious Research, Sociology of Religion and Social Forces. His articles have also appeared in Christianity Today and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Hill received his B.A. in sociology from Grove City College and earned his Ph.D. in sociology of religion from the University of Notre Dame, where he studied under the eminent sociologist Christian Smith. He is the co-author with Smith of “Young Catholic America: Emerging Adults In, Out of, and Gone from the Church,” published by Oxford University Press.