that's about the size of it

I am in the midst of an interesting situation. I'm sitting in a classroom (AP European History), supervising the students as they do the work left for them by their regular teacher--nothing really out of the ordinary except it's not just "the usual". They're working on a Venn diagram that compares Luther and Calvin and are studying for a test on the Reformation. There is a pair of students discussing their personal beliefs on religion. How you know if religious beliefs are true, where does good living fit it, how they feel about others who try to convert them, and their views on the role of God in their life. This is taking place across from the room conversations about the specifics of Luther's theology and how it is similar to and different from Calvin's.

Listening to all of this going on (and these are sophomores) I don't understand why many youth ministries neglect theological discussions and focus more on having fun. Is it because we don't think adolescents are capable of discussing theology deeply? Is it that we are scared because it might take us into territory we ourselves are not sure of, to a place where we don't have all the answers? Why do we simplify Christianity? Why do we tell young people they have to live one certain way as followers of Christ? That they have to listen to certain kinds of music and not use certain words and only hang out with certain people? We often do not allow them to wrestle with these kinds of questions. We don't introduce them to church history so the only place they learn about Luther and Calvin is if they happen to take a European History class that includes the topic of the Reformation. When a class assignment is prompting spontaneous discussions about theology, that should at least hint to us that young people are capable of much more than we often give them credit for.

just some thoughts.