The two false extremes of youth culture- extreme hippies returning to an undifferentiated innocence that is not grounded in reality; extreme punks and Goths flirting with rage filled angry nihilism that would destroy the only world we know- they are found in mainstream culture too I reckon. Both are best avoided without recourse to cynicism - and that’s possible I believe, and the most hopeful course of action and being.
Hey Steve - you should look for a documentary called “Frisbee” and see if you can watch it. I think that will shed a lot of light on this movement and help you to understand more of what happened. It’s about this guy named Lonnie Frisbee - he was a drugged out hippie turned Jesus freak who actually played a very big part in making Chuck Smith famous in the first place, but Chuck Smith basically tried to control him and eventually threw him away because he couldn’t. Oh, also Lonnie was gay.
So do you, indeed, wear Hawaiian shirts? Funny because in my time in Honolulu, that was de rigueur. (Of course it was indeed, very stylish and comfortable, and also… well, it was Hawaii…)
Humor (or attempts at humor) aside, what is your assessment of the so-called “Christian hipsters” from a spiritual standpoint. Having no direct experience with these creatures, (but having made some remarks upon them, or at least the secular species) what can you tell us oldsters about them? What are their priorities, fears, and goals? How receptive might they be to universalism? What issues concern them? Think of yourself as Jane Goodall amongst the chimps and give us an accurate report on their habits.
Just saw your post after finishing one to Kate. I definitely have to see that documentary! Yeah, I’ve heard of Lonnie Frisbee, his influence in the “Jesus Movement” and Calvary Chapel and later death from AIDS, but not much more. Didn’t know there was a documentary but have got to see it! I have very mixed feelings about the whole Calvary Chapel scene to say the least…
Crikey!!! Just googled them and frightening indeed! (Don’t remember them personally, however.) Lots of people jumped on the “Jesus Movement” bandwagon (including Pat Robertson, who I remember well, hooking up to it and making a fortune) The Alamos appear to be much different from Lonnie Frisbee, however, from the little I know. I really don’t know his story well and just ordered the documentary as it’s not on Netflix or anywhere I can watch immediately. Really interested to see what his story is. The little I’ve read suggests a sympathetic character.
No Hawaiian shirts. But how nice it would be to exchange the Ohio plaid for Hawaiian flowers from time-to-time.
Hmmm… My assessment of hipsters. Well, I’ve certainly seen my share of them. Rather than formulate a long paragraph, I’ll try giving an overview in list format:
1.)** Age:** 16-30 years-old. The archetypal Christian hipster is in their college years, or they have just recently graduated.
2.) Profession: Student, barista, self-employed musician or artist, pastor/ worship leader, high school teacher.
3.) **Favorite Things: ** Coffee, coffee, coffee. (Hipsters stress simple living, but they stereotypically have a $4 latte perpetually at hand.) Indie music. Contemporary Christian music. Free trade items. Worn-out clothing, but not old clothing. (They often wear items designed to look vintage or “thrift store chic,” but they typically shop name brand.) Vegetarianism. Tattoos. Guitars or quirky instruments like the ukulele. Thick-rimmed non-prescription glasses and scarves.
4.) Politics: Most often libertarian, from what I’ve seen.
5.) Church: Upbeat, active, and trendy. A hipster may prefer a small-group Bible-study to a church experience. They may say they “hate religion but love Jesus.” They are very, very often involved in Young Life, Campus Crusade for Christ, Campus Navigators, or something similar.
6.) Universalist? Not usually. A Christian hipster would typically hold ECT as an obviously-biblical doctrine, but as Dick said, they are too excited about being saved themselves that they ignore the consequences of ECT being true.
7.) Fears: I’m not sure on this one, to be honest. Since they are often college kids, I suppose they’d have the same feelings as me – failure, not being able to carve out a life for themselves, etc. But perhaps they deal with ECT fears more than they let on.
Hmmm… I guess that’s enough of an anthropological report for starters. I don’t mind hipsters, Christian or otherwise, but I’ve felt rejected by the Christian hipster crowd enough to know that I shouldn’t try to fit in among them. Once, for example, I had assumed I had made a nice Christian friend (who was a classic hipster) at college, someone who would share many interests with me. We had lunch together once, and she invited me to Young Life. I was intending to go, but it was held late at night and I live nearly an hour away from my campus. I politely told her it was too far for me to attend, but I would love to get together every week or so and talk about faith and anything else on our minds, as I had few Christian friends on campus. Well, she dropped me like a hot potato – I was a heathen. A non-Young-Lifed heathen.
Goodness only knows what she would have said upon learning I believed in universal reconciliation.
So that’s my issue with hipsters – their group is, for some reason, quite closed-off. I do not look much like a hipster, and my interests (despite being an art major) are not too hipster either. Apparently, this made me unworthy of their friendship time and time again. Eventually, I just said toodles to the hipster crowd. And neither they nor I seemed to care.
Your kids might have interesting perspective on hipsters, as well, Steve. Your son’s Halloween costumes sounds great!
Very informative! I’ll have to quiz my daughter at SU about hipsters when we next get together (She’s doing a semester at University of Sydney and we’re going out to see her and bring her back to the States in a couple weeks) I’m sorry about your experience with that hipster chick but, hey… if you’ve become a Halloween costume, your time is limited. So (after getting the OK from my son), here’s a Seattle hipster!http://i42.tinypic.com/2wd1qft.jpg
Oh, they certainly exist at SU, I’m just not sure if she knows any well. She’s a Biology/Environmental science major and on the crew team. Not exactly “hipster” majors or extracurriculars. She’s Catholic (which I’m not) which is good going to a Jesuit University ,having much to do with going to a Catholic HS, Catholic BF etc. But, I’ve really no problem with it as she is a universalist. If I depart nothing else of substance to my children, I would die happy knowing they’re universalists!
I remember being taken to an all night Jesus freak bash once at Rochester Cathedral with my youth group. It was part of the dear old C of Es charming drives to be relevant that always goes horribly wrong but the attempts have a certain charm. (For example I once head a C of E canon with a cut glass accent give a Good Friday address on the radio. He was talking about Holy Week in great rumbling pooh bah brigade of guards tones when all of a sudden he said –‘ and Jerusalem was very busy at this time. Indeed there was a terrific buzz there – cue to ‘What’s the buzz tell me what’s happening’ from J.C. Superstar. Whoa trendy - steady on there vicar!!!
Anyway the Rochester bash came complete with oil wheel psychedelic light shows and some Jesus Rock bands. I remember one introducing a song with ‘Here’s a song for all the poor and suffering in the world’ – and the singer began with ‘ Whoa yea there’s a lot of poor and suffering in the world law’ – and then there was speedy transition to a twenty minute instrumental with rock guitar virtuoso solos and a very long drum solo. Very groovy.
I went for a walk outside – it was about 1pm in the morning. A policeman came up to me – he was a northerner – and he said ‘What’s going on in there lad. Jazz and allsorts coming out of the Cathedral at this time of night. What’s the world coming to?’ And he had a point!
I love the dear old C of E!
Didn’t know there was a documentary but have got to see it! I have very mixed feelings about the whole Calvary Chapel scene to say the least…
But how nice it would be to exchange the Ohio plaid for Hawaiian flowers from time-to-time. 
Since they are often college kids, I suppose they’d have the same feelings as me – failure, not being able to carve out a life for themselves, etc. But perhaps they deal with ECT fears more than they let on.
