In this episode of Thinking Christian, I sit down with Dr. Tanita Maddox—National Director of Generational Impact for Young Life and author of What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. Drawing from years of research and on-the-ground ministry, Tanita helps untangle the unique worldview of Gen Z and why many of our “classic” Christian explanations fall flat with today’s young people.

We explore how Gen Z understands concepts like truth, goodness, safety, and identity, and why shared vocabulary often hides radically different assumptions. Tanita explains how Gen Z’s hyper-personalized world shapes their beliefs, why many of their deepest questions begin with, “Is God good?”, and how shifting cultural definitions of safety and justice impact their view of the gospel.

Together, we talk through:


Why Gen Z sees truth as potentially harmful rather than stabilizing


How to share the gospel with a generation that starts their theology with experience


Why Gen Z is deeply communal—often more than previous generations


How to reframe sin, freedom, and human dignity in ways that make sense to them


Why listening—real, patient, non-defensive listening—is the most powerful apologetic tool we have


Practical steps for parents, pastors, and mentors who want to meaningfully engage the next generation

If you have Gen Z kids, work with youth, teach in a church, or simply want to understand the cultural moment shaping the next generation, this conversation offers insight, clarity, and a hopeful path forward.

You can purchase What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God at ivpress.com (use code IVPPOD20 for a 20% discount) 

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

🔗 Download a free resource "Making Everyday Decisions So That God Gets the Glory" from Useful to God:www.usefultogod.com

To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com.

📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing!

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation!

In this episode of Thinking Christian, I sit down with Dr. Tanita Maddox&mdash;National Director of Generational Impact for Young Life and author of What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. Drawing from years of research and on-the-ground ministry, Tanita helps untangle the unique worldview of Gen Z and why many of our &ldquo;classic&rdquo; Christian explanations fall flat with today&rsquo;s young people.
We explore how Gen Z understands concepts like truth, goodness, safety, and identity, and why shared vocabulary often hides radically different assumptions. Tanita explains how Gen Z&rsquo;s hyper-personalized world shapes their beliefs, why many of their deepest questions begin with, &ldquo;Is God good?&rdquo;, and how shifting cultural definitions of safety and justice impact their view of the gospel.
Together, we talk through:
<ul data-start="951" data-end="1472">
<li data-start="951" data-end="1022">
Why Gen Z sees truth as potentially harmful rather than stabilizing
</li>
<li data-start="1023" data-end="1111">
How to share the gospel with a generation that starts their theology with experience
</li>
<li data-start="1112" data-end="1181">
Why Gen Z is deeply communal&mdash;often more than previous generations
</li>
<li data-start="1182" data-end="1264">
How to reframe sin, freedom, and human dignity in ways that make sense to them
</li>
<li data-start="1265" data-end="1366">
Why listening&mdash;real, patient, non-defensive listening&mdash;is the most powerful apologetic tool we have
</li>
<li data-start="1367" data-end="1472">
Practical steps for parents, pastors, and mentors who want to meaningfully engage the next generation
</li>
</ul>
If you have Gen Z kids, work with youth, teach in a church, or simply want to understand the cultural moment shaping the next generation, this conversation offers insight, clarity, and a hopeful path forward.
You can purchase What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God at <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/what-gen-z-really-wants-to-know-about-god">ivpress.com</a> (use code IVPPOD20 for a 20% discount)&nbsp;
Subscribe to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Useful_toGod">YouTube channel</a>
🔗 Download a free resource "Making Everyday Decisions So That God Gets the Glory" from Useful to God: <a href="https://www.usefultogod.com">www.usefultogod.com</a>
To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on <a href="https://www.christianity.com/author/james-spencer/">Christianity.com</a>.
📢 Stay Connected &amp; Keep Growing!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation!

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Find more from James at https://usefultogod.com/.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://usefultogod.com/">https://usefultogod.com/</a>.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://usefultogod.com/">https://usefultogod.com/.</a>

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