For the last twelve years I’ve published an annual list of my top ten books published each year. While these lists have been alphabetical rather than in rank order, they’ve also included mention of two books from each list that had the greatest impact on my life and ministry during that year. To begin 2022, I'm taking a look back at the eleven most recent lists, which provides 22 must read books for 2022. (The list appears in alphabetical order by author last name.) Diana Butler Bass. Read More …
David Kinnaman
Top 10 Faith Enriching Books (#1511)
Since launching this blog in 2009, I have reviewed over 150 books and recommended nearly 100 more. Starting in 2010, I have published annual lists of my top books published each year (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014). Each year, I have concluded alphabetical top ten lists with the two books that had the greatest impact on my own faith journey during that year. Together these ten volumes create a list of my Top 10 Recently Published Faith Enriching Read More …
December Book Recommendations (#1497)
During the last month I managed to work through a good deal of what was left on my list of books I hoped to read by the end of the year. Ratings (on a scale of 1 to 5) follow. (5+) Churchless: Understanding Today's Unchurched and How to Connect with Them by Barna Group with George Barna and David Kinnaman as editors (2014) (5) Overrated: Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World than Actually Changing the World by Eugene Cho (2014) (5) Autopsy of a Read More …
1 in 3 Americans are De-Churched (#1493)
Churchlessness has been on the rise in American for quite some time growing from 30% during the 1990s to 33% during the 2000s before reaching 43% in 2014. These statistics appear as a part of an infographic on the first page of Churchless: Understanding Today's Unchurched and How to Connect with Them (2014) by the Barna Group with George Barna and David Kinnaman as general editors. That same graphic continues with the image at right, breaking both the churched and unchurched Read More …
Sermon: I’m That Kind of Christian (#1343)
Sermon Text: Matthew 5:13-16 Sermon Excerpt Over the last few years, I have heard one man preach more than any other. Ron Patterson, Senior Minister of Naples United Church of Christ, has a saying that I have come to appreciate. While he uses many variations, it usually sounds something like this: “You may be the only Jesus some people ever see.” Let me repeat that before we begin unpacking what it means . . . “You may be the only Jesus some people ever see.” At its Read More …
Prodigal PKs? (Pastor Kids) (#1246)
David Kinnaman, president and majority owner of Barna Group, recently directed research on pastors' kids. According to the results of that survey, many children of pastors experience significant doubt regarding their faith and/or have left the church entirely. More specifically, pastors with children ages 15 or older indicated that the following accurately describes their child(ren): 7% - no longer a Christian, 33% - no longer actively involved in church, and 40% Read More …
Are Christians Loving? (#1091)
A recent research project directed by David Kinnaman (president of Barna Group) in conjunction with John Burke (author of Mud and the Masterpiece) explored "whether Christians have the actions and attitude of Jesus as they interact with others or if they are more akin to the beliefs and behaviors of Pharisees, the self-righteous sect of religious leaders described in the New Testament." The Christian participants responded to 20 statements regarding their actions and attitudes. The Read More …
Top 11 Books Published in 2011 (#0594)
For the second year (last year's list is available here) I offer my list of the "top 10 books published this year." Since this is 2011, I have expanded the list to include eleven titles. Aboujaoude, Elias Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the E-Personality Borg, Marcus Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power – And How They Can Be Restored Chaves, Mark American Religion: Contemporary Trends Chittister, Joan Happiness Kinnaman, David You Lost Read More …
Review of You Lost Me (#0561)
Meet the Author David Kinnaman is best known as the co-author of the bestselling book UnChristian: What a New Generation Thinks About Christianity and Why It Matters (2007). Since joining the Barna Group in 1995, the 37 year old Kinnaman has designed and analyzed nearly 500 projects and supervised more than 350,000 interviews for client projects. Currently, he serves as president and majority owner. Book Basics UnChristian (2007) is an incredibly insightful, timely, and well Read More …
Research Suggests that Evangelical Christians are UnChristian (#0298)
"Why Evangelicals Hate Jesus" is the title of a recent Huffington Post article, which seeks to explain the findings of research conducted by the Pew Research Center. The post was written by two professors: Phil Zuckerman (associate professor of sociology at Pitzer College) and Dan Cady (assistant professor of history at California State - Fresno). They suggest the research confirms: what social scientists have known for a long time: White Evangelical Christians are the Read More …