George Barna
Encyclopedia
George Barna is the founder of The Barna Group
, a market research
firm specializing in studying the religious beliefs and behavior of Americans
, and the intersection of faith
and culture
. He currently serves as the senior executive in Metaformation, an organization committed to "helping people optimize their life journey."
in New York and Princeton, New Jersey, but has since engaged with evangelical Christianity. He graduated summa cum laude from Boston College
with a Bachelor's degree
in sociology
(along with a minor or secondary focus in religion
), and holds two master's degree
s from Rutgers University
and a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University.
Barna leads seminars for church leaders, speaks at ministry conferences, has taught at seminaries, and has been a pastor
. As an author, he has written more than four dozen books on contemporary Christian
issues, with topics ranging from worldviews, trends and children to church life, spiritual growth and leadership. He also writes columns which are published on the website
of The Barna Group. As a result of his work, Barna has coined several terms, including:Mosaic Generation – the demographic profile
of those born between 1984 and 2002. According to Barna, this generation is "very mosaic in every aspect of their life." He continues, "There's no attribute that really dominates like you might have seen with prior generations." Barna also describes this group as "comfortable with contradiction", "post-modern" and exhibiting "non-linear" thinking.
He is married to Nancy Barna, and they have three adopted daughters — two from Guatemala
, one from Russia
.
and the state of the church. Among his findings that have generated substantial interest or controversy in recent years include:
Barna considers Maximum Faith to be his most significant book. Others that he cites as being especially valuable include Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, Think Like Jesus, The Power of Vision, and Revolution. Since 2009 he has been a writer for hire, penning books such as The Cause Within You, for Matthew Barnett, which became a New York Times bestseller in 2011.
The Barna Group
The Barna Group is an evangelical Christian polling firm based in Ventura, California.-Overview:It consists of five divisions focusing on primary research ; communications tools ; printed resources ; leadership development for young people ; and church facilitation and enhancement...
, a market research
Market research
Market research is any organized effort to gather information about markets or customers. It is a very important component of business strategy...
firm specializing in studying the religious beliefs and behavior of Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the intersection of faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
. He currently serves as the senior executive in Metaformation, an organization committed to "helping people optimize their life journey."
Background
Barna grew up a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
in New York and Princeton, New Jersey, but has since engaged with evangelical Christianity. He graduated summa cum laude from Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
with a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
(along with a minor or secondary focus in religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
), and holds two master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
and a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University.
Barna leads seminars for church leaders, speaks at ministry conferences, has taught at seminaries, and has been a pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
. As an author, he has written more than four dozen books on contemporary Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
issues, with topics ranging from worldviews, trends and children to church life, spiritual growth and leadership. He also writes columns which are published on the website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
of The Barna Group. As a result of his work, Barna has coined several terms, including:Mosaic Generation – the demographic profile
Demographic profile
A demographic or demographic profile is a term used in marketing and broadcasting, to describe a demographic grouping or a market segment...
of those born between 1984 and 2002. According to Barna, this generation is "very mosaic in every aspect of their life." He continues, "There's no attribute that really dominates like you might have seen with prior generations." Barna also describes this group as "comfortable with contradiction", "post-modern" and exhibiting "non-linear" thinking.
- Theolographics – the theological perspectives and applications of people;
- Spiritainment – a portmanteau which refers to the blending of spiritualitySpiritualitySpirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and entertainmentEntertainmentEntertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
, toward influencing people's spiritual perspectives.
He is married to Nancy Barna, and they have three adopted daughters — two from Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, one from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Findings
Barna is known for providing extensive surveys regarding ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and the state of the church. Among his findings that have generated substantial interest or controversy in recent years include:
- children are the most important population segment to minister to because of their spiritual teachability and developmental vulnerability;
- God transforms people's lives in connection with a 10-stop journey that is surprisingly consistent across people groups
- ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches in the United States have been generally ineffective vessels for evangelismEvangelismEvangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and discipleship; - most Protestant pastors are neither called to nor competent in leadership;
- less than one out of every five born again adults possesses a Biblical world viewWorld viewA comprehensive world view is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the entirety of the individual or society's knowledge and point-of-view, including natural philosophy; fundamental, existential, and normative postulates; or themes, values, emotions, and...
; - every church engages in marketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, but few do it well; - mass mediaMass mediaMass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
has the most dramatic effect on people's behavior and beliefs; - alternative forms of church life — including house churchHouse churchHouse church, or "home church", is used to describe an independent assembly of Christians who gather in a home. Sometimes this occurs because the group is small, and a home is the most appropriate place to gather, as in the beginning phase of the British New Church Movement...
es — are growing rapidly; - a growing group of spiritually devout Christians, known as Revolutionaries, are embracing a post-congregational narrativePost-congregational narrativePost-congregational narrative is a term used by some who describe themselves as followers of Christ to refer to the experience of intentionally pursuing their faith outside the traditional congregational setting. The word "narrative" in this sense refers to their stories or journeys, both...
that is reshaping spiritual life in the U.S.; - most "church growth" is simply the recyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
of church-goers from one congregation to another. - divorce rate amongst born-again Christians is significantly higher than that for atheist/agnostics. A more recent 2008 Barna report shows a closer divorce rate gap between born-again Christians (32% had been divorced) and atheist/agnostics (30% had been divorced).
Barna considers Maximum Faith to be his most significant book. Others that he cites as being especially valuable include Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, Think Like Jesus, The Power of Vision, and Revolution. Since 2009 he has been a writer for hire, penning books such as The Cause Within You, for Matthew Barnett, which became a New York Times bestseller in 2011.
Selected publications
- Maximum Faith
- Futurecast
- Master Leaders* Christianity with Frank ViolaFrank Viola (author)Frank Viola is an American writer and blogger on Christian topics. He has written and co-authored a number of books and is seen as a key adherent of the organic church and missional church movements. His books fall into two categories: deeper Christian life and organic missional church life...
- Revolution
- The Frog in the Kettle
- The Power of Vision
- Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions
- The Seven Faith Tribes
- Think Like Jesus