A culture of double rings

Group, May/Jun 1999

We live in what futurist and church historian Leonard Sweet calls a "double ring" culture. He means that our postmodern culture is full of trends that seem contradictory, but are nevertheless thriving right next to each other. . .

Binge drinking and cigarette smoking are burgeoning problems on college campuses, while "no-alcohol" and "no-smoke" dorms grow in popularity.

The teen-friendly WB network features both the decadent shows Dawson's Creek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer-and the most wholesome, family-friendly, religious show on TV-7th Heaven.

As the gay lifestyle grows more entrenched in teenage culture, more teenagers are protesting the gay lifestyle.

As the number of news reports on kids gone bad grows, the number of youth-led revivals surfacing across North America and Western Europe is growing.

As more and more parents work longer hours, more and more parents are making sacrifices to reinvest their time with their kids.

As new home constructions continue to add square footage, family size continues to dwindle.

(For more in-depth information on Leonard Sweet's "double ring" insights, go to our Web site at groupmag.com and click on "Can You Hear the Double Ring?")