Young People and Church Since 1900

Naomi Thompson is a Lecturer in Youth and Community Work at Goldsmiths, University of London. She has experience of research relating to young people and youth work. She specialises in young people and Christianity, with her PhD exploring the peak and decline of the Sunday School movement and the growth of Christian youth work. She has published on young people, youth work, and religion.

• 1 Introduction: Postmodernism, Institutionalisation and Social Currencies 2 From Raikes’ Revolution to Rigid Institution: Sunday Schools in Twentieth-century England 3 Sunday Schooling in Birmingham and Beyond: Qualitative findings from the historical study 4 From Sunday Schools to Christian Youth Work: young people and Christianity in twenty-first century Birmingham 5 Christian youth work: social, spiritual and institutional agendas 6 An American Example: Youth Worker Narratives of Young People and Christianity in Minnesota7 Conclusions

"Thompson provides solid engagement with her subject matter as evidenced by her thorough research and detailed analysis. Her stated aim was to explore “young people’s engagement with organised Christianity in England from the early twentieth century up to the present day” (1) and she argues that “the discourse of activity or passivity adopted by individual churches affects their growth or decline, particularly in relation to engaging young people” (192). The book succeeds in accomplishing its intended goal and is recommended to scholars and lay readers alike, particularly in the field of youth, young adults, and community work." - Shaun Joynt, North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa"Naomi Thompson’s thesis-turned-book is a very good example of the notion in practice of a usable past, indeed her analysis of present-day successful youth work practice relies on the historical insights she brings to bear." - Stephen Parker, University of Worcester