The Subculture of Young Adults

Ok, there's lot to learn theologically and philosophically when reading the biography of Jonathan Edwards but over the past week I've run into a little historical fact that I was not expecting. My friend Ben Hines encouraged me over lunch to write a blog about college ministry. Here's an initial attempt at it.
Edwards is best known for his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and he doesn't get much love for it. He's depicted as a narrow minded, intolerant, angry Christian. That's the farthest thing from the truth. In fact Edwards had much success as a pastor ministering to young people in Northampton, MA. In many respects his ability to "connect" with the young adults sowed the seeds for the First Great Awakening.
But even then there was a subculture present. There were certain practices among the young adults that were part of their culture, much of it lived under the radar. Here are some examples: tavern-haunting (yes, they bar-hopped back then), playing cards (probably not Texas Hold 'Em), reading "titillating" material and excessive drinking. One thing that had parents really concerned for their kids about was the practice of night frolicking. I'm still not sure what exactly frolicking is, but I think it has to do with hanging out with no good intentions. It seems like a lot of the frolicking among young adults in colonial America was done at taverns.
But the one that surprised me was a practice called, "bundling". Now don't misunderstand me, I don't take sexual sin lightly but the name "bundling" cracked me up. "Bundling" was the New England practice where parents would allow their older children to spend the night together with friends in the same bed (and I'm assuming mixed gender), partially clothed. It was allowed with the explanation that parents trusted children but certainly with the proverbial winking of the eye because everyone knew what was going on. Bundling was supposed to be a way to get to know another person with some clothes on in bed! In some perverse way it was probably thought of as a way to decrease sexual temptation. I understand the thinking to be if you can lay in bed with someone of the opposite sex with clothes on, then you won't be tempted, as if the presence of clothes acts like a natural barrier to temptation! Of course, that was not just naive, that was stupid. Because of this practice, there was an increase in pregnancies before marriage. Marsden in his book "Jonathan Edwards: A Life" cites that premarital sex was commonplace back then but as long as the couple married there was no stigma attached.
Wow! All this to say that there was a young adult subculture present back then even in post-Puritanical times. In fact, I'll write about this in the next few days but it was the subculture itself that was affected by the Holy Spirit in conjunction with Edward's preaching. God has always used those on the fringes, the subcultures, to affect change! This is one of the reasons why ministering to collegians is strategic in nature. Throughout history it's been the seed of change as religion is expressed.