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Product Description
World-renowned pollster George Barna has the numbers, and they indicate a revolution is already taking place within the Church--one that will impact every believer in America. Committed, born-again Christians are exiting the established church in massive numbers. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? And what does this mean for the future of the Church? Using years' worth of research data, and adhering to an unwavering biblical perspective, Barna predicts how this revolution will impact the organized church, how Christ's body of believers should react, and how individuals who are considering leaving (or those who have already left) can respond. For leaders working for positive change in the church and for believers struggling to find a spiritual community and worship experience that resonates, Revolution is here. Are you ready?

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5 out of 5 stars

Concise Easy Read... Excellent Book!!! November 28, 2005
285 out of 312 found this review helpful

Somehow, the other day, I happened to pick up a copy of George Barna's new book called Revolution. For those of you who are unfamiliar, George Barna is the founder of Barna Research Group (now called The Barna Group), which was created more than two decades ago with the intent to help ministries facilitate strategic decision-making. Much of this was accomplished through detailed statistical research provided by the Group. Over the course of that 20 years the Barna research team interviewed nearly a half million people in the course of hundreds of research studies, provided seminar-based training to leaders from more than 50,000 churches, produced more than 60 books and syndicated reports, and developed a website that provided free information to hundreds of thousands of people every month. Barna became one of the most (if not the most) trusted resource for church-related statistical research in the United States and has often been hailed as "the most quoted person in the Christian Church today"!

But, as I found out reading this book, a drastic change occurred in George Barna's life (about 2003) as a result of his countless hours of researching the effects of organized religion; he realized that very little actual life transformation appeared to be occurring in churched believers all over the country. Even worse, he realized that his own efforts in research were being used by pastors mostly for the purpose of seeking statistical evidence to support their teaching. To his surprise, however, the same research Barna had been conducting over the years led him to a discovery of the fact that God was moving in mighty ways OUTSIDE the four walls of the Institutional Church! In fact, Barna was so impacted by what he observed in the lives of "churchless" Christians all over the U.S. that it convinced him to give up what he had done for 20 years and refocus his attentions. He changed the name of his organization from the Barna Research Group to simply the Barna Group, downsized his organization from 100 employees to eight, moved out of their large office space into a compact area, sought to become more partnership based, and chose to raise the level of risk they were willing to take in new ventures, determining that it would be better to go broke in the pursuit of true life transformation than to remain financially safe but without any gain for the kingdom.

All of that to say that George Barna no longer has interest to merely help grow the Institutional Church. His new passion is solely to see God's true Church, who are His very people (His body), walk into the fullness of what God intends for them without obstacles, without distractions, without religious strings attached - and to see them live life to the fullest in Christ and minister truth to a lost and dying world who desperately need Him. George was humbled to find that this is already happening without the aid of churches and formal religious organizations or "official" leadership. In fact, one of the most impacting things he notes in his new book is that so many of these groups of believers who serve the Lord outside the Institutional Church System, even though they often have poor organization, lack of great numbers, meager financial resources, often weak human leadership and are sometimes ridiculed and despised by those in larger church organizations, yet they are often more effective (in terms of actual life transformation, relationship building, devotion to truth, and sincere Christian devotion); proving that it is GOD - not man - that is leading these believers. Barna now calls these Christians who no longer center their lives around religious organizations (i.e. churches) "Revolutionaries" and believes they (all 20 million of them and growing) are the real future of the manifested body of Christ on earth; in other words they represent those who have moved beyond the established church and chosen to BE the Church instead. Barna also humbly and joyously admits that he is now one of them as well.

While many traditionalists argue today that, in order to grow properly in the Lord, you must attend a local church, Barna refutes this notion strongly with both Scripture and statistical example of how literally millions of believers today are finding a vibrant relationship with God (and fellowship with their brothers and sisters in Christ) outside the walls of organized religion (and the same are effecting change around them by their Christ-like influence); However, Barna does not make the argument simply about those "in" churches and those "outside" (as a sort of "us versus them" attitude), rather he directs his writing to every true believer in Jesus Christ and focuses on the importance of becoming full disciples of Jesus (whether inside or outside the walls of some organization) and not to become distracted with anything that may remove our full attention from Him. Barna states in the book: "In fact, there is no verse in Scripture that links the concepts of worshiping God and a `church meeting.' The Bible does not tell us that worship must happen in a church sanctuary and therefore we must be actively associated with a local church. It simply tells us that we must worship God regularly and purely, in spirit and truth. Take particular note of the fact that Jesus dismissed the organized worship of His day as `a farce' and intimated that we ought not be so limited as to how and when we worship God (see Mark 7:7). When the Samaritan woman asked about worship practices and places, Jesus responded bluntly that, `The time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem... But the time is coming - indeed it is here now - when true worshipers with worship the Father in spirit and in truth' (John 4:21-23). He was highlighting the same foolish irrelevancies that traditionalists argue about today."

The book also highlights trademarks of true Revolutionaries as Barna has observed and attempts to give suggestions as to how all of us, even (and especially) those believers who are still associated with or who lead traditional congregations, can make way for this current revolution and move of God's Spirit. While some may find the content of this book uncomfortable or even controversial, Barna speaks with grace but also fervor and excitement, presenting a strong, biblically-sound argument for what he has observed transpiring over the last two decades and encourages the reader to make their own educated observations. Finally, he challenges the reader to boldly face this crossroad and decide whether or not they will become a part of the revolution themselves (risking all to follow Christ without reserve). He presses the reader with the question as to whether or not they will embrace what God is doing or outright fight it and reject it altogether. Whether or not a Christian chooses to agree with Barna's observations of what he considers to be a magnificent move of God and the very future of the Lord's Church on earth as we know it, Barna believes that every Christian needs to be aware of "the revolution" and confront their reaction to it head on.

Anyone who has been familiar with the Barna Group (a.k.a. Barna Research Group) over the years knows that they are a trustworthy voice in the Church and have a firm grasp on the nationwide picture of organized religion and its effects on society and the body of Christ. We would do well to listen to what this brother in Christ, George Barna, has to say about what he has observed.

This is a remarkable book that will encourage and inspire believers (whether outside the institutional church program or even still within). It's a very easy read. The book also contains some statistics (as you'd expect from Barna Group) and proves to be a very informative, spiritually-motivating read. I highly recommend this book!

In closing I would just like to say that this review is not necessarily intended to be a full on endorsement of everything George Barna may personally believe or engage in as it concerns every facet of his ministry. The truth is, I know very little at this point about all of that. Each person should exercise discernment and hold fast to the truth of God's Word as their gage in all things. I merely wish to encourage people to see that God is working in wonderful ways OUTSIDE the four walls, as He can in you... and if a man who spent more than 30 years of his life supporting the old system can humble himself, recognizing the hand of God in ways previously unfamiliar to him and risk everything to follow Christ, even if it costs him the success of his own well-established and financially-successful ministry, certainly so can we press on in Jesus without fear or worry for the things others may say about us and live to become Revolutionaries for the glory of our Lord. Ultimately, I hope all of us who know the Lord can agree that life as believers is ABOUT HIM and we ought never to allow ourselves to be distracted from a pure and true devotion to Jesus Christ.

God bless you all!

4 out of 5 stars

Statistics or Theology? December 29, 2005
109 out of 141 found this review helpful

This is a difficult book to review fairly, as evidenced by the widely divergent reviews. In the past, I have benefited from Barna's research books. Though not always agreeing with each conclusion, the statistics have been useful in drawing my own conclusions.

In "Revolution," Barna has attempted more theologizing than in the past. However, his ecclesiology (theology of the church) seems one-sided and one-dimensional. No doubt there are aspects of biblical ecclesiology that emphasize the "revolutionary," "outside-the-box," "break-down-the-walls" mentality. Yet even in the book of Acts itself, we find leadership groups frequently meeting to ferret out guidelines and to "organize the organism."

This somewhat skewed ecclesiology has perhaps led Barna to somewhat skew his analysis of the statistics. Rather than carefully analyzing who is leaving and why, he proposes a revolution akin to the Reformation. So many people use the phrase "A Second Reformation" for so many different trends that you would think we would now be on our "Fiftieth Reformation!"

I find this book helpful in alerting me more fully to the many people who do not find "traditional church" spiritually satisfying. Rather than jump on the bandwagon of "church leavers," it causes me to ponder more theologically and practically what the issues truly are. It also forces me to grapple with biblical ecclesiology and to be sure that what I hold as hard and fast biblical principles of "church life" are not simply cultural concessions on my part or personal preferences.

Read with an open mind--one neither too hostile to Barna nor too fawning of him, "Revolution" can be a beneficial book.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Spiritual Friends," "Soul Physicians," "Biblical Psychology," "Martin Luther's Pastoral Counseling," and "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

1 out of 5 stars

OK description, tragic prescription October 19, 2005
40 out of 40 found this review helpful

I opened these pages with great expectations, and closed them with disappointment. In a nutshell, Barna suggests that the church is in dire straits (statistically speaking), and many people are leaving. Yet they may flourish regardless, taking with them their relationship with God and meaningfully applying the principles of the Kingdom of God WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE LOCAL CHURCH. They may attend church; they may not. According to Barna it doesn't matter, as long as they have a "revolutionary" mindset.

Here's why I didn't like the book:

--Despite the fact that Barna (whom I respect as a professional statistician with a strong reputation) describes many challenges of American Christianity (seemingly) accurately, he provides precious few statistics for the reader to analyze himself. There is very little substance here.

--Barna seems to completely misunderstand the extent to which ancient Christianity was COMMUNITY-oriented. Though he gives lip-service to this, his solution to the American Church's problems (for people to become "revolutionaries") is HIGHLY individualistic. This is not at all reminiscent of Jesus' style of ministry, the early church, or the church that formed the canon that supposedly doesn't much care about whether people go to worship services or not. Community is crucial if we are to experience transformation--ask anyone in AA. Community is also modeled in something we call "the Trinity," which theologians point to as the ground of our existence.

--Barna's thesis engenders a "love 'em and leave 'em" attitude toward church. In other words: there is this group of people ready to apply their faith; they're mature, they've learned the Bible, and they understand discipleship. But the church just doesn't get it, so let's acknowledge that they're going to have to be "revolutionaries" outside the church and bless that. One wonders: where did they get such a strong faith, or learn the Bible, or experience discipleship? Osmosis...or in the context of a church? Shouldn't our positive experiences in church engender some sort of gratitude on our part...a desire to work from within the church as an act of leadership? Can a "revolutionary" truly exhibit the Kingdom of God outside the church if he/she has failed to do so from within the church?

--Barna's description of a "revolutionary" seems suspiciously similar to the ideals toward which many Christians aspire anyway--who they should be from within the church, not without it. His revolutionary prescription(loosing revolutionaries from the church) is akin to taking a fish from an aquarium and saying, "OK fish! You're finally free of that water...GO FOR IT!"

In summary, I appreciate Barna's sense of alarm, which is why I bought the book. But his solution tragically misunderstands the nature of God's people as a community of faith that empowers people to do God's will.

2 out of 5 stars

Not the Revolution That We Need! February 13, 2006
37 out of 62 found this review helpful

The marketer says of George Barna's book, Revolution, "Whether you want to or not, you will have to take a stand in regard to the Revolution." Mohler does. If you are reading this book, want to read the book, or know anybody reading the book, you need to read Al Mohler's review:

The modern age has been the age of revolution, and the world we now inhabit has been shaped by a series of earth-shaking revolutions that have altered the cultural, economic, political, and personal lives we lead. Now, researcher George Barna declares a new revolution--a revolution on behalf of spiritual vitality, but at the expense of the local church. In Revolution, Barna never seems to take refuge in understatement. To the contrary, he demonstrates a marketer's bravado when he declares: "Whether you want to or not, you will have to take a stand in regard to the Revolution. It is on track to become the most significant recalibration of the American Christian body in more than a century. Your response ought not to be based on whether you are comfortable with it, but rather on its consistency with biblical principles and its capacity to advance the Kingdom of God. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you must understand this Revolution of faith because it is already impacting your life, and it will continue to do so in the years to come."

So there. Of course, from the very onset some may question the earth-shaking significance of a "revolution" announced in a 140-page book, no matter how shocking its cover and publicity. Of course, The Communist Manifesto was a short treatise as well, but this hardly seems a fair comparison.

When George Barna talks about the revolution he perceives, he speaks about "an explosion of spiritual energy and activity" that is "likely to be the most significant transition in the religious landscape that you will ever experience." He begins his manifesto by illustrating his "revolution" by means of a conversation between David and Michael, two representative postmoderns. Both of these men, depicted as playing golf on Sunday morning rather than going to church, are described as having been "driven out of their longtime church by boredom and the inability to serve in ways to make use of their considerable skills and knowledge." Beyond this, their response took the shape of two very different trajectories. David "decided to develop his own regimen of spiritual practices and activities in order to retain a vibrant spiritual life." Michael, on the other hand, "chose to call a truce with God and simply get on with life, sans church."

As Barna describes them, both think of themselves as "deeply spiritual" persons. Beyond this, both affirm the truth and reliability of the Bible and pray before meals. Both complain of being chastised by pastors for their failure to be involved in the local church.

Of the two, David represents Barna's "Revolutionary Christian." As such, he is "not willing to play religious games" and has little interest "in being a part of a religious community that is not intentionally and aggressively advancing God's Kingdom."

As Barna acknowledges, "We live in an era of hyperbole." Evidently, he has decided to join in hyperbolic expression. He acknowledges that the very idea of revolution is one that has attracted the attention of marketers. He identifies the Revolutionaries as a group of relatively young adults, now numbering over two hundred million persons. They are frustrated with local church life, have grown to distrust ministry leaders, and are determined to do more than "go with the flow" of contemporary evangelicalism.

And who wouldn't want what Barna's Revolutionaries desire? "They are seeking a faith experience that is more robust and awe inspiring, a spiritual journey that prioritizes transformation at every turn, something worthy of the Creator whom their faith reflects. They are seeking the spark provided by a commitment to true revolution and thinking, behavior, and experience, where settling for what is merely good and above average is defeat."

These high-demand Christians represent a threat to the established church. With an amazing lack of nuance, Barna consistently presents his Revolutionaries in a positive light and the local church in a negative light. When Revolutionaries are criticized by established churches, this is "simply because of their determination to honor the God they love."

Consider Barna's description of these brave souls. "Like their role model, Jesus Christ, they ignite fierce resistance merely by being present and holy. It is perhaps that holy presence that will get Revolutionaries in the deepest trouble they will face--and that will bring lasting healing to a culture that has rebelled for too long against its loving Creator. These Christian zealots are radically reshaping both American society and the Christian Church. Their legacy is likely to be a spiritual reformation of unprecedented proportions in the United States, and perhaps the world."

Beyond this, Barna warns that Christians are not to judge these believers "who are dedicated to pleasing God and blessing people" when "they are true to biblical principles and commands." There lies the main problem with Barna's Revolutionaries and the revolution he so eagerly promotes. Where this revolution falls short is seen precisely in light of the Bible's presentation of the normative Christian life and the means of grace whereby believers are shaped into Christlikeness.

We should be fair and open-minded in understanding the passions Barna presents as formative for the Revolutionaries. He identifies these as a desire for intimate worship, faith-based conversations, intentional spiritual growth, servanthood, resource investment, spiritual friendships, and family faith. While some might describe these passions with different language, no one can doubt that Barna is on to something when he points to these issues as the reason for the Revolutionaries' dissatisfaction with so many existing congregations. Almost everything he says about the inadequacy of local church life is validated by even a brief acquaintance with the superficiality of American evangelicalism.

We should remember that Barna's dissatisfaction with the church is not a new development. In 1998 he published The Second Coming of the Church, in which he warned: "At the risk of sounding like an alarmist, I believe the Church in America has no more than five years--perhaps even less--to turn itself around and begin to affect the culture, rather than be affected by it."

Still, something has gone tragically wrong when a marketing researcher declares that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is simply doomed--especially in terms of local congregations. "There is nothing inherently wrong with being involved in a local church," he argues. "But realize that being part of a group that calls itself a 'church' does not make you saved, holy, righteous, or godly any more than being in Yankee Stadium makes you a professional baseball player. Participating in church-based activities does not necessarily draw you closer to God or prepare you for a life that satisfies Him or enhances your existence. Being a member of a congregation does not make you spiritually righteous anymore than being a member of the Democratic Party makes you a liberal wing nut."

A closer look at that argument reveals a glaring non sequitur. It completely avoids the question of what the church should be, and it undercuts a basic biblical premise--that the local church is supposed to be the very place where Christians are drawn into the very passions Barna identifies--and into so much more.

The fatal attractiveness of his argument is found most clearly in this short paragraph: "Being in a right relationship with God and His people is what matters. Scripture teaches us that devoting your life to loving God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul is what honors Him. Being part of a local church may facilitate that. Or it might not."

Barna wants to identify the Church at the "macro" level as the universal fellowship of all believers. But the local church--representing the "micro" dimension of institutional church life, is more often an impediment to spiritual growth, in his view, than a means of shaping Christians into authentic discipleship.

We must remember that Barna is a market researcher and not a theologian. Still, he has ventured into this territory and risks making sweeping theological statements that simply will not bear closer scrutiny. He implies that the Bible reveals no normative ecclesiology and that local churches, as known today, are simply "abiblical"--not addressed in the Bible at all.

He argues: "The Bible does not rigidly define the corporate practices, rituals, or structures that must be embraced in order to have a proper church. It does, however, offer direction regarding the importance and integration of fundamental spiritual disciplines into one's life."

That is true up to a point, of course. It is true that today's pattern of church organization with publications, youth ministries, gymnasiums, and church buildings is not drawn directly from the New Testament. Of all persons, a marketer should understand this reality very well, since he is best positioned to understand how the challenges of the modern world have been met with organizational responses at the local church level.

What George Barna misses is the big picture of New Testament ecclesiology--a picture that identifies congregational life as the very means whereby believers are shaped into Christlikeness and Christian maturity through the ministry of the Word, the fellowship of the saints, and the normative patterns of church life. Barna's Revolutionaries may be involved on spiritual quests that have added dimensions of meaning to their lives, but what they lack is the accountability, deployment, mutuality, and koinonia of the local church as envisioned in the New Testament.

Only the briefest of glances at the New Testament, looking particularly at the book of Acts and at the various letters to the churches, would reveal the centrality of preaching, discipline, congregational fellowship, and the central practices of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Barna offers genuine insight when he points to the larger cultural trends of generational transition, the rise of a new view of life, dissatisfaction with irrelevant structures, the impact of technology, the importance of genuine personal relationships, direct participation in reality, and the quest for deeper meaning. Still, one must wonder about Barna's nearly complete lack of nuance. What are we to make of Barna's claim that "Jesus Christ is the focal point of the life of every Christian Revolutionary today. It is His call to revolutionary living that beckons us and guides us on this path?" Are the Revolutionaries never wrong? Beyond this, Barna's definition of spiritual transformation seems amazingly superficial. "Spiritual transformation is any significant and lasting transition in your life wherein you switch from one substantial perspective or practice to something wholly different that genuinely alters you at a very basic level," he writes. That's all?

He points to a cluster of what he calls "spiritual mini-movements" as indicative of where the Revolutionaries are at work. These mini-movements are, he argues, reshaping the shape of Christianity in America, from the emergence of cyber-churches and house churches to a new emphasis upon family and home-schooling.

Part of the problem undoubtedly lies in Barna's marketing approach to the church. A look through Barna's many books--all widely read and helpful in understanding larger cultural trends--reveals that he has never articulated anything close to a New Testament vision of the local church.

In God in the Wasteland, David F. Wells points to the problem of approaching the church from the angle of marketing. "A business is in the market simply to sell its products; it doesn't ask consumers to surrender themselves to the product. The church, on the other hand, does call for such a surrender. It is not merely marketing a product; it is declaring Christ's sovereignty over all of life and declaring the necessity of obedient submission to him and to the truth of his Word. When the church is properly fulfilling the task it has been assigned, it is demanding far more than any business would ever think of asking prospective customers. Simply put, the church is in the business of truth, not profit. Its message--the message of God's Word--enters the innermost place in a person's life, the place of secrets and anguish, of hope and despair, of guilt and forgiveness, and it demands to be heard and obeyed in a way that not even the most brazen and unprincipled advertisers would think of emulating."

As in the past, George Barna has served the church by describing and documenting trends that are shaping the culture and in revealing the superficiality and failings of all too many local congregations. Regrettably, his prescription is even worse than his diagnosis, for minimizing the importance of the local church runs directly counter to the Bible's vision for the Christian life. The real answer to Barna's concern is the recovery of biblical ecclesiology--a recovery that would relativize and revolutionize the entire landscape of contemporary Christianity in America.

The revolution we truly need is a recovery of the New Testament vision of the local church--a comprehensive embrace of the totality of congregational life, including all of the functions and marks revealed in Scripture. This is the great task to which this generation of Christians is called--and we will need Barna's Revolutionaries in order to make this happen. Channeling all these energies into a comprehensive recovery of the biblical vision for local churches would be a revolution worth joining--and worth celebrating. Viva that Revolution!

http://www.hantla.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=225

5 out of 5 stars

A phenomenal read! Important for understanding current trends October 11, 2005
34 out of 50 found this review helpful

This book confirmed what I have been discussing with friends for some time now. We, of course, had no proof and no national perspective, but had a strong gut feel that something significant was changing in American Christianity, and that most of that significance wasn't starting nor taking place in the conventional local church.

Many will find this book extraordinarily challenging, but its truth is undeniable--simply look around you.

Well written, excellently researched, and a timely report on the explosion of "mini-movements" among those who are serious about their relationship with God, and the importance of those mini-movements to the changing landscape of "Christianity" in America.

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