George Barna

George Barna (born 1955) 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 also serves as the chair for Good News Holdings, a media distribution outlet.

The Barna Group conducts opinion polls, which are generally interpreted from an evangelical perspective, and often cited within evangelical circles.

Background

Barna grew up a Catholic in Princeton, New Jersey, but has since converted to 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 degrees 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......
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