America at the Crossroads: Explosive Trends Shaping America's Future and What You Can Do about It

by George Barna

Today's Most Troubling Trends about Faith and Culture in America

We live in a tumultuous time. Upheavals and reversals in culture, popular opinion, morality, race relations, socioeconomic status, and so much more have entire generations feeling off balance or out of touch. How do we keep pace with the breathtaking rate of change in our society when we can hardly find time to keep up with our racing newsfeeds? And in the face of such enormous cultural forces, is there anything we can do to help shape our culture?

With America at the Crossroads , bestselling author and cultural analyst George Barna turns his researcher's eye on the most significant trends of our moment in history, compiling and distilling the most salient information for busy readers who want to shape culture rather than allow it to shape them. Anyone who has felt overwhelmed by our swiftly changing times will appreciate Barna's extensive research and his "bottom line" approach.

Genres: Social Issues, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Published September 13, 2016

About the author

George Barna was raised and educated on the East Coast before moving to California in the early 1980s. He held executive positions in advertising, public policy, political campaigns, and media/marketing research before beginning his own company, the Barna Research Group (now The Barna Group), in 1984. The firm analyzes American culture and creates resources and experiences designed to facilitate moral and spiritual transformation. Located in Ventura, California, The Barna Group provides primary research as well as developmental resources and analytic diagnostics. The company has served several hundred parachurch ministries and thousands of Christian churches throughout the country. It has also supplied research to for-profit corporations such as Ford Motor Company, The Walt Disney Company, Visa USA, and Prudential, and has assisted the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army as well.

To date, George Barna has written more than 40 books, predominantly in the areas of leadership, trends, spiritual development, and church health. Included among them are bestsellers such as Revolution, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, The Frog in the Kettle, The Power of Vision, and Pagan Christianity? Several of his books have received national awards. He has also written for numerous periodicals and has published various syndicated reports on topics related to faith and lifestyle. He also writes a bimonthly research report, The Barna Update, which is accessed by hundreds of thousands of people through his firm's Web site (www.barna.org). His work is frequently cited as an authoritative source by the media. He has been hailed as "the most quoted person in the Christian church today" and is counted among its most influential leaders. In 2009, George initiated Metaformation, a new organization designed to help people maximize their potential. More information about his current projects is available from www.georgebarna.com.

Barna is a popular speaker at ministry conferences around the world and has taught at several universities and seminaries. He has served as a pastor of a large multiethnic church, has been involved in several church plants, and currently leads an organic church. He has served on the board of directors of various organizations. After graduating summa cum laude from Boston College, Barna earned two master's degrees from Rutgers University. At Rutgers, he was awarded the Eagleton Fellowship. He also received a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University. He lives with his wife and their three daughters in Southern California. He enjoys spending time with his family, writing, reading novels, playing and listening to guitar, relaxing on the beach, visiting bookstores, and eating pizza.

Reviews

[Reid]

A study of the sign of the times in America in 2016 causes George Barna to come to the conclusion that America is at a crossroads.

Are we at the point of no return? Studying lifestyles and perspectives, faith and spirituality, and government and politics, Barna says that there is hope; but because of such huge cultural shifts, ours is a culture that is coming apart at the seams, the foundations have been crumbling and the remnant of Bible-believing, God-fearing Christians needs to get a grip and fall on our faces in deep and lasting repentance before Almighty God. Being broken before Him and to have Him rebuild our spiritual and moral underpinnings is the only way back to individual and national health, to have lasting impact and significance

FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY
1. Religious Beliefs
- our nation is in transition, moving from a predominately Judeo-Christian point of view to a mostly postmodern, secular worldview p25
- America now is similar to what is described in the book of Judges, "In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes" Judges 17:9 p 29

A fundamental principle in human behavior is that, "you do what you believe". pg 30

2. Religious Behavior
- people's religious behavior patterns are becoming less orthodox p31
- the local church has lost it's place in the life of routine of Americans p31
- only 7% of the population are evangelical p33
- people are more likely to watch TV, play games, listen to music, read for pleasure or news, evaluate their finances... than read the Bible p36
- apparently Christians are not willing to reverse the trend p36
- people with Biblical worldview is declining and probably will continue to do so p37

3. The Unchurched
- spirituality is viewed as a private matter p38
- 112 million people in USA are unchurched, consider Christians to be shallow, p39
- the value of church-going apparently includes: a sense of belonging, consistently facilitating a real experience with God, offering opportunities to impact the world, providing genuine life insight and wisdom, and giving families a chance to raise their children in a positive spiritual environment p43

4. Religious Education
- a slowly declining minority of adults attend worship services, the emphasis is more about developing community than receiving instruction about how to address life-issues p45
- less than 10% of born again Christians have a Biblical worldview p49

5. The Bible
- the typical American home has 4-5 Bibles laying around p50
- most Americans would say that the Bible has had the greatest impact on humanity by a 12-1 margin over the second book, the Koran p50
- half the population wants the Bible to have a greater influence on American society p53
- the Bible's role will continue to have less influence without intentional and concerted effort p55

6. Evangelicals
- 7% of adult population is evangelical which has not changed since the mid-1980s pp5,.58
- 3% of adult population is gay p58
- the American political correctness movement portrays evangelicals as hate-mongering, narrow-minded, old-fashioned, bigoted religious zealots p 61
- evangelical leadership can make a difference p62

7. Life Transformation
- the church thinks it is doing a better job than it really is, in this category (little life difference with non-church population) p63
- churchgoing people have little idea of the goal of their religious pursuits p64
- seminaries, elders, sermons often don't teach life transformation p66
- 8/10 adults claim to be Christian, about 50% attend church at least once a month, 1/3 have confessed their sinfulness, asked Jesus to be their Savior, 1/100 has been spiritually broken - surrendered and submitted themselves to God and is engaged in loving Him... as their ultimate life pursuit p66
- unless preachers speak the truth about the necessity and beauty of brokenness, spiritual renewal is unlikely p69
- America is ripe for a turn-around p69

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
8. Government Satisfaction
- Americans have become weary of government p 73
- Federal government has 4 million employees p74
- Parents, pastors, educators are allowing and leading children away from Biblical principles in favor of new moral standards that diminish the significance of family, faith, freedom, and truth p78
- the European model of more government, less freedom, reduced personal opportunities, and less productivity is the way America is drifting p79

9. Political Engagement
- 2014 36.6% of eligible voters voted (57.9 voted in 2016)
- 35% of the 230 million eligible voters aren't registered to vote p83
- Americans have little sense of duty to vote p83
- The Christian church has a responsibility to educate and motivate people to be involved p86

10. Political Ideology
- a growing number of Americans are becoming more liberal p90
- Americans are not ideological purists (we no longer possess an anchor for truth) p91
- Americans look for shortcuts to process all the information they are exposed to by using more labels p91

11. National Priorities
- 1st tier: economics, government, national security
- 2nd tier: gun control, abortion, cyber-security, college education costs, Social Security
- 3rd tier: ethics, foreign aid, war, national unity, energy costs, racism
- 4th tier: water supply, inter-personal respect decline, prison reform, national infrastructure rebuilding, poverty p93-94

LIFESTYLE AND PERSPECTIVES
12. Population Growth
- the number of people 65+ will jump from 48 million in 2015 to 74 million in 2030 (54% increase!)
- this will stress: infra-structure, food production, social services, governance, natural resources, and environmental impact 108
- such a change in how to handle this change will look much different in the future based on changing values
- less elementary schools, more senior centers will be a challenging shift p109

13. Happiness
- Americans measure it differently than other nations and are generally happy but not completely so p111
- Happiness factors in America include: being married, employed, relatively wealthy, having positive and supportive relationships, good mental health, actively engaging in religious belief and behavior, high degree of trusting people, having freedom to make choices. p111
- super wealthy people experienced heightened happiness by giving away large chunks of their wealth p112
-$75k per year is generally the tipping point in USA regarding a good relationship between money and happiness p112
- primary contributors to personal happiness include: watching your children and grand-children succeed, kissing or hugging someone you love, being told you are a trusted and reliable person, spending time with family and friends, special moments with children, enjoy natural beauty like a sunset or ocean scene, hearing or seeing something funny. p113
- Americans who are intensely following Jesus Christ as measured by Bible reading, church attendance, regular prayer, participation in Christian education classes, and acts of outreach and service are typically happier than non-religious adults p115

14. Life Satisfaction
- Americans are generally happy but the economy and personal health are big factors the affect that p117
-with Americans living longer, exercising less, increased health costs are an increasing challenge to happiness p119

15. Success
- the traditional view (90% of Americans) has included power, possessions, and prestige p120
- now it is more about personal goals achievement, good relationships, loving what you do for a living, life-work-family-leisure balance, ample flexibility, financial stability, making a positive difference in the world. p121
-personal habits that researchers now also include: developing knowledge and skills leading to increasing expertise, self-control, grit, good work ethic.
- having a mentor, intense variety of experiences and relationships increases happiness p121
- more people are turning to technology to facilitate success to schedule flexibility, expand workplace options, better communicate, increase personal efficiency
- only the 7% evangelical population (9/10) say faith development as critical to experiencing success.

16. Morality
- for 200 years Americans based their morality on Biblical truths, now it's based on feelings p125
- Americans now accept: divorce, un-married sex, co-habitation, sexual fantasies about non-spouse, gay relationships, births out of wedlock, doctor assisted suicide relationships with non-spouses p126
- born again Christians have generally remained stable in their Biblical attitudes toward morality, yet 83% (down from 93% who are concerned). p126
- 2/3 of Americans are concerned about the moral condition of the country p126
- the USA is moving toward moral anarchy p129

REVERSAL OF THIS TRAJECTORY WOULD PROBABLY INVOLVE:
-Increased personal reading and study of the Bible - accepting it as the sole and unchallenged moral standard for our society
-A nationwide spiritual revival based on increased public exposure to effective biblical preaching and teaching about sin and morality, with personal accountability built into the process
-Cultural leaders committed to directing people toward lives characterized by traditional Judeo-Christian morality
-Parents devoted to raising their children to adopt a biblical worldview and to discipling them in ways that ingrain biblical morals
-Public institutions, especially schools, accepting biblical morality as the standard for inclusion in educational materials as well as for behavioral standards on campus
-Media that voluntarily and consistently produce content that conveys examples and messages consistent with biblical morals.
-Widespread acknowledgment of the painful and counterproductive consequences of behaving in ways that contradict scriptural principles p130

17. Political Correctness
-thought police have been active in media and on college campuses for years, introduced to the American culture in the 1970s by political philosophers, feminists, radical-left wing college students, and journalists
-57% of Americans think the USA is too PC
-Millennials are advancing PC
-Scripture exhorts us to engage in conversations that are "gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone" Col 4:6, which has become a lost art p138

18. Confidence in Institutions
-People's confidence in the future and in their society is directly related to the degree of confidence they have in social institutions that promote the culture's values, procedures, and public objectives p139
-The crisis of confidence in foundational institutions is not simply that people have less confidence in such institutions but that few people in total, believe these institutions (military, police, the medical system, banks, presidency, US supreme court, newspapers, labor unions, criminal justice system, TV news, big business, congress churches) will rise to the occasion and serve their needs well p 140-142
-small businesses, which traditionally have not been tracked as a key social institution but have indisputably become one, also fare extremely well in public confidence.
-the next decade will be pivotal for renewing people's faith in core institutions p144

19. Retirement
-through 2029 10,000 Baby Boomers per day will reach age 65
-retirement plans and retirement behavior do not match up - barely 50% are financially ready for it p148
-this will result in big burden for government and families to make ends meet

20. The Future
-optimism about people's own future is good, optimism in the future of our children is less now than in the past p153
-corcerns include government corruption, not enough personal income, options if serious illness hits, growing old, pollution of the environment, financial data breaches, healthcare p155
- loss of the traditional Amercian Dream (characterized by freedom and responsibility) is being replaced by the new Millennial Dream (characterized by individual's freedom and rights they feel entitled to, personal moral code applied to each situation, working hard only to get by, dogged pursuit of happiness in the guise of comfort, convenience, choices, connections, and experiences) p157

STANDING AT THE CROSSROADS
21. What You Can Do
-recognize it is a desperate time for the USA p 161
-the confidence and moral breakdown for a Christ-follower is embarrassing and heartbreaking p162
-the problem is a people problem not a systemic problem p163
We have not committed ourselves to the purpose He has for each of us (vision), we are not willing to pay the price of becoming who He made us to be (transformation), and we do not behave like Jesus because we do not think like Him (worldview) p 163
- it is assumed that there are 12,000,00 of 245,000,000 (4%), a holy remnant, who are devoted to a great and holy cause of partnering in the Gospel. p165
- transformation happens through brokenness of our rebelliousness and independence p167
- the absence of brokenness is the missing link between faith and impact p167
- As a Christ follower, allowing God to eliminate the addiction and grip of sin, self, society is radically different than what the church (on a whole) is doing today p167
- examples: King David, the apostle Paul, Jonah, Moses --- God intended to break the heart of the sinner in order to reform their relationship with Him p168
-the majority of Americans think little about 'brokenness' and thus, lives are resigned to insignificance p170
- fewer than 10% (of the 12,000,000) born again Christians in the USA have a Biblical worldview

If not me, then who? If not now, when? If not renewal, then what?

[Mary Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A careful study of Americans’ core beliefs reveals a nation in transition, moving from a predominately Judeo-Christian point-of-view to a mostly postmodern, secular worldview. The transition has been both rapid and monumental in its ramifications, as seen in the breathtakingly quick acceptance of same-sex marriage and the widespread acceptance of expanding government authority…Nine out of ten adults believe in ‘God.’ However, only six out of ten believe in the God of the Christian Bible…Belief in such a God has dropped by seven percentage points in the last decade…Fewer than half of all Americans (45 percent) contend that Jesus Christ is actually alive today…There is a decline in the percentage of born-again Christians who believe they have a responsibility to share the Gospel with non-believers during the course of the year—a twelve point decline in the last ten years…Barely 1/3 of the public believes Satan is a living entity…Not quite 1/2 of the public confidently embraces the view that the Bible contains everything you need to know to live a meaningful life…People are confused regarding what to believe and how to integrate their faith into the fabric of their lives, which is a testimony to the different voices and perspectives influencing their worldview…The United States is in the early stages of Biblical abandonment, and the consequential cultural decline…Millennials, the generation whose choices will ultimately determine the nature of Christianity and in the church in America for several decades, appear poised to whole-heartedly support a shift away from biblical Christianity and toward new belief patterns. The biblical warning that best captures the condition in America comes from the book of Judges, which tells us: ‘All the people did what seemed right in their own eyes’ (17:9)” (George Barna, America at the Crossroads: Explosive Trends Shaping America’s Future and What You Can Do About It, Baker Books 2016, p. 25-29).

These quotes epitomize some of the explosive trends George Barna discusses in his new book, America at the Crossroads. In keeping with the extensive research behind this book, Barna separates people into evangelical Christians, non-evangelical born-again Christians (“those who have confessed their sins and invited Jesus to be their Savior but do not embrace biblical positions related to some core elements of the Christian faith”)(about 30 percent), notional Christians (“people who consider themselves Christians but who have not confessed their sins or asked Christ to save them”)(40 percent [of the population]), non-Christians, and atheist agnostics—the “nones” “who don’t believe in God, who don’t know if they believe in God, and who don’t care one way or another…This group has quadrupled to become approximately double the size of the evangelical body (14 percent) and is the fastest growing faith segment in America” (pp. 33, 56-59).

Barna’s book is a challenging sober combination of research and theological inquiry. Each chapter is organized around three headings: Summary on the research findings on each topic, Key Facts (which summarizes the summary findings), and Barna’s Outlook and Interpretation. Barna’s own worldview is unashamedly Biblical. He acknowledges that secularist and particularly millennials will fault him for that. But his conclusions and his final section on WHAT CAN YOU DO? need to be seriously considered and then implemented to counteract the continued dissolution of the moral foundation of American society and to re-chart America’s course from the “New Millennial Dream,” which is “driven by individuals’ demands for freedom and rights they feel entitled to; the application of a personalized moral code based on situational truths; a willingness to work only as hard as may be required to get by; and a dogged pursuit of happiness in the guise of comfort, convenience, choices, connections, and experiences” (p. 157).

The prognosis of the freefall of American culture is grim. The solution that Barna offers is not an easy believism, nor a continuance of the comfortable self-indulgence and political correctness currently in vogue. He believes that it’s possible for restoration in America to occur if Christians live a fully surrendered life to Christ and are thus transformed to think and act like Christ and to bring God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, wisdom, and justice to contemporary life. This involves the unleashing of God’s power through Christians willing to cooperate with God in the demanding work of personal transformation and take the resultant suffering and persecution that the secular world will unleash against them. This book is a must read.
M.L. Codman-Wilson, Ph.D. 10/13/2016

[Rachel Green · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, I received this book as part of the Goodreads giveaway program - thanks guys.

I'll be honest - I didn't make it past chapter 2 of this book. The introduction was promising, and I was intrigued and eager to start the meat of the book. But honestly, if we're going to look at American culture as a whole, and where it's headed, then you have to analyze it as a whole. Looking at things from the standpoint of a white, straight, Christian, conservative male alone is not going to cut it. How can you analyze American culture as a whole and not consider things from the point of view of a person of color? Or a woman? Or someone who is LGBT? Or someone of a different faith, or no faith? Or someone who is a liberal, or socialist, or libertarian, or something other than the author's brand of conservative? America is not composed solely of white, straight, Christian, conservative males, and to judge it and attempt to shape it on that view alone not only lacks logical sense but seems to spit in the face of the theory of democracy.

I honestly just could not stand the thought of reading this anymore. While I'm all for reading opposing viewpoints, I refuse to read something that attempts to present a holistic view of America without actually considering the views of the whole of that make up America.

By the way, I would love to know how the author determined that "non-evangelical" born-again Christians are those that do not support some of the Biblical tenets of Christianity. Is there a source for that? I would love to see what Biblical positions I and the vast majority of Christians supposedly ignore. I have a sneaking suspicion they're the positions the author is most concerned about, completely ignoring that there are most likely positions each of us have that he chooses to ignore.

[Rodney Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barna provides ample statistics on worldviews of Christians and others and provides analysis on what, in his view, this means to the changing culture of the United Sates. There is much to chew on whether you are in complete agreement or not. The book is pretty much as one might expect; it is a good resource for pastors and others who are trying to get a handle on all the changes the world and the Church are going through. As such it is probably a better reference guide than an entertaining read. That being said, it is well worth a once through before adding it to the reference shelf.

[Ken Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Importance of a Biblical Worldview

The author presents the research about why we see problems in America today. It is simple, we need Jesus and we need to let Him change us. His solution, a surrender to God and turning from self is deeply needed in our nation. Pray for, and then act affirmatively for revival.

[Victoria Barnett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wailing and gnashing of teeth because the majority of the country doesn’t buy into his Evangelical ideas. If only we could go back to the days when minorities knew their place and gay rights were illegal and women stayed barefoot and pregnant.

[J.M. Sommers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real wake up call for the church...to actually be what Christ meant for it to be.

[Carrie Ill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I did not finish this book. I made it through chapter 4 before I gave up, even though I am likely in the target audience.
The premise is intriguing. I like stats and data. However, Barna spends a good part of the introduction discussing bad data and bad stats and says he does not trust many. That is fine, except that nowhere in the book does he explain his methodology. I chapter 2, his definition of evangelicals is, if not wrong, very different from any normal definition. Without knowing how evangelical was determined, the data frankly does not seem reliable. Barna's bias is clearly evident and appears to have skewed his findings. I can't say that for sure, since methodology was never discussed.
In the end, I couldn't keep reading bad data and had to put the book down.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

America at the Crossroads is the latest book from famed author, pollster, and cultural analyst George Barna. In this book, Barna focuses his attention on the “intersection of faith and culture ” and zeroes in on the most current social issues facing Christianity. As one might expect, America at the Crossroads is packed full of up to date statistics on the developing mind of American Christianity. Barna’s research is careful and responsible. He focuses on carefully analyzing relevant data that either explains or predicts behavior and doesn’t fall prey to the trap of perceiving the mere presence of data to mean that it is good data. This approach results in a book that is not only well researched, but highly relevant in explaining where we are as a people and where we might be heading.

In America at the Crossroads, Barna carefully analyzes Faith and Spirituality (part 1), Government and politics (part 2), and finally, lifestyles and perspectives (part 3), before offering a few concluding thoughts on what we, as American Christians, might be able to to to reverse the current trend confronting our beliefs and behavior (part 4). In this section, Barna summarizes his research with six observations,

The morals of Americans are more representative if Sodom and Gommorah than the Kingdom of God.
People’s religious beliefs have only a tangential and diminishing relationship to the teachings of the Bible.
Trust and confidence in the institutions designed to foster appropriate living, from churches to the government, are justifiably plummeting.
The political system has turned chaotic and unproductive, and most Americans no longer believe that system serves them well–or is committed to trying.
People’s lifestyles are characterized by behaviors and goals that are opposite of that which pleases and reflects the image of God…
A majority of the country’s churches seem to have lost sight of their God-given purpose and have proven to be ineffective at leading people back to the righteous path.
In this, Barna suggests that the solution is to have a shared vision, be broken before God so that he can transform us, and realign our worldview with scripture. This is arguably a very reasonable strategy. However, I found it to be missing a key element of genuine transformation. That is to say it lacked the gospel. While I sincerely doubt that Barna advocates a moralistic approach to transformation, I the solution to be just that a plea to change our behavior without the empowering of the gospel. I want to tread cautiously here because I have read enough of Barna to know that he is an advocate of gospel transformation and that he would not promote anything short of that. However, without any explicit reference to the fact that it is God who works in us both to will and to do according to his good purpose. Without this distinction we might find ourselves working FOR our salvation rather than working OUT our salvation with fear and trembling. That said, most who would read America at the Crossroads are likely to hold to a biblical worldview which would inform them of their need for utter dependence upon God.

Overall I found this book to be a valuable resource and I will most certainly reference it often. Barna has once again done the American church a huge favor by highlighting our trajectory and because of this we owe him a huge debt of gratitude

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Baker Books in exchange for an online review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

In America at the Crossroads George Barna draws on the latest research to explore how America has changed and what that might hold for the future.

Barna explores the changes and devlopments in the faith and spirituality of Americans. From his research we can see that even those who have biblical principals will find greater difficulty from the surrounding culture which is becoming rapidly postChristian. We seen in his section on the political helps shed light on this present election year as to why it is so polarized and why there is so much dissatisfaction with politicians. In the third section we see the change in overall priorities which has an impact on issues such as birthrates, view of institutions, and retirement.The final section charts a course of Christian engagement and cultural transformation.

I think this book will help pastors and other leaders understand how the larger culture has changed. Often times we are like the frog and the kettle completely unaware that the water is coming to a boil. I commend Barna for acknowledging how many of the changes we are experiencing are reflective of the judgment of God, anyone who doubts that should compare the recent transpiring events of our culture to Romans 1. Barna helpfully reminds readers while we have a responsibility to act, to be salt and light, God is the only who can change our country.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...

[Oak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every period in history is marked by cultural trends. Every decade has its positives and negatives. Sometimes society takes steps forward, and sometimes we take steps back. In America at the Crossroads: Explosive Trends Shaping America’s Future and What You Can Do About It, George Barna identifies twenty current cultural trends in America.

The cultural trends are divided into three parts: Faith and Spirituality, Government and Politics, and Lifestyles and Perspectives. For example, some of the Faith and Spirituality are: a decrease in Christianity and Christian education, the lessening influence of the Bible and the Christian Church, a change in religious behavior patterns, the steadiness of niche evangelical thought, and an increase in nonreligious adults. The chapters are very informative, and also somewhat dismal; after all, the book is pointing out cultural problems that, depending on your political, religious, and social worldview, may need to be fixed. Part 4 of the book [spoiler alert ahead] addresses how people can combat these trends. The answer? Imitate Christ and rely on Him. It may not be the answer some readers were expecting, but it’s the perfect solution.

Readers who would be most interested in this book are those who enjoy studying current events or analyzing data. George Barna is the founder of the Barna Group research firm, and America at the Crossroads features a lot of charts, graphs, and statistical information.

*I received this book for review*

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

America at the Crossroads

Explosive Trends Shaping America's Future and What You Can Do about It



by Barna, George

Baker Books

Christian

Pub Date 13 Sep 2016

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of America at theCrossroads through the publisher and Netgalley:

This book helps to point out what kind of nation the new era will bring out, and ways we can make an impact. This book also points out that America has become a culture who seems more interest in the moment than understanding the connections between the past, present and future.

George Barna goes on to discuss change V's Transformation. This book points out the role faith plays in our nation and points out that nearly 1/3 of Born Again adults use Social Media as a platform to share their faith.

This book goes on to,point out that 20 percent of adults have said they've read the Bible from start to finish, and that goes up to 36 percent for Born Again Christians.

This book goes on to point out that more than 9 out of ten American households own a Bible.

This book points out too that this is a desperate time for America, where people are making it harder for us to serve Christ, a time where it is difficult to be a follower of Christ. We live in a time of twisted Morales.

America at the Crossroads is a reminder that we as Christians need to speak up, allow our voices to be heard, we need to vote, and share our faith with others.

I give America at the Crossroads five out of five stars.

Happy Reading.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

`America at the Crossroads` is a social issues book written by author George Barna. George Barna is founder of Barna Group, a leading research firm that specializes in faith-related surverys. The book's tagline reads, `Explosive Trends Shaping America's Future and What You Can Do About It.` Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NIV). The author's purpose is to inform American's the trend America is taking and what we can do.

George Barna's comparative data only goes back as far as 1990. He states, `Comparing what is happening today with what took place in 1960 is in many ways irrelevant.` Each chapter has three sections. The first is the summary, the second is Key Facts and the third is titled Outlook and Interpretation. There are 4 main sections to the book: Faith and Spirituality, Government and Politics, Lifestyles and Perspectives, and Standing at the Crossroads. The one I found most interesting is Faith and Spirituality.

I feel author George Barna is pretty accurate on his chart `Adults Who Say Faith Is Their Highest Priority in Life`. (pg# 28) According to the chart Evangelicals are at the highest with 82%.

This is an easy read book that I recommend all American's read.

Disclaimer: I received `America at the Crossroads` complimentary for review

[Mariejkt · Rating 2 out of 5]

"America At The Crossroads" by George Barna is a book on survey about trends in America today and what the author says is getting away from Christianity. I knew going into this book that it was going to have a very conservative Christian outlook so it really did not surprise me. It was an interesting book but just like any survey I would have liked to know more of how he got his information. How many people did he survey and how. I have helped create surveys before and I know that sometimes when the people you survey know where you lean they will answer to your liking. This book to me leaned very much to say the people who lean toward Evangelical Christianity are the more bucolically sound people. Depending on how the survey were done this might be true. Just like surveys done by secular people I take them with a grain of salt if I have no information on how they were conducted and I feel the same way about this book. If you are a big fan of politics then this book might interesting to you.

I was given this book from Baker Books for my honest review and I was not required to give a positive review.

[Travis Heystek · Rating 3 out of 5]

America at the Crossraods by George Barna was a pretty good book. However, it’s not a book I would recommend to everyone. It has an appealing layout. Each chapter has a summary, key facts, and an outlook and interpretation section, which makes it flow nicely. About halfway through I stop reading the key facts section, but it would be a good tool to go back to for factual support.

I thought all of the points that Barna made were good, but overall the book really is more of a tool for pastors than a book for “everyday” Christians to read. It is too academic feeling to hold the attention of the average reader. That being said, I wish more Christians would read this book because I think it does provide a lot of insight for the future of America. For pastors and leaders I’d give this book 4 starts, for the everyday reader I’d give this book 3 stars.

I was provided this book by Baker Books Through Bloggers.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are certain points where his statistical methodology eludes me, but the overall point of the book is great!

[Camille Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was full of statistics. And what I like about it is, it sounded like it was well-researched and just sharing the facts. The facts though are quite depressing. So for me, the format is: depressing fact, depressing fact, depressing fact, interesting statement about fact's implication, depressing fact, depressing fact, depressing fact, suggestion about what could cause a shift in the trend, depressing fact, depressing fact & repeat. This is all the way to the last chapter where the book finally summarizes conclusions based on these facts and says that people should commit themselves to Christ more fully if they want to positively impact our culture. Overall, it was a lot of "what we're dealing with" -- well-researched and organized, but little "how to respond" and even that, is thrown in at the very end. I liked the info, but I wouldn't want to sit through it again.

[Shaun Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barna has given us an easy to read title, which the popular level audience can easily digest. This is quite a feat, given the heaviness of heart of the content of which he compiled, edited and written with. The presentation of the brilliant charts and tables were brilliant - data would be easily read and compared (especially for the readers who do not enjoy a wall of text). Yet interestingly, this book is also potentially very useful to the scholar or academic's. Whether you agree or disagree with his research and conclusion, the wealth of statistics is laid out categorically - all ready to be churned and transformed to the footnotes of one's research paper.

Layman, pastor or scholar, you would observe trends in your church, city, country and perhaps even worldwide. This book would provide plenty of food for thought; the demographics and findings could possibly be useful reference points for other first world christian communities. I think the book would nevertheless be useful for deliberation of one's community and therefore ministry.

Published just before the 2016 US Presidential Elections, Barna provides his analysis of his countrymen and their worldviews. It thus provides a snapshot of history prior to the watershed election result.

I received this book from the Baker Publishing Group's Blogger Team Program for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.