Chapter 5 of Revolution is titled “Spiritual transitions in the making”. Barna describes societal trends which have an impact on how people approach faith and spirituality. In such a short space, his treatment of each trend is naturally rather superficial. He writes very succinctly, though, giving much food for thought. Here’s a summary of the trends he has identified:
- 1. The changing of the guard
- Baby Boomers and Builders are slowly giving way to Busters (65-83) and Mosaics (84-2002).
- 2. The rise of a new view of life
- “Some of the central elements of this spreading philosophy (postmodernism) – such as its rejection of absolute moral truth – are at odds with being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Other core principles, such as the emphasis on relationships, are consistent with the teaching of the Lord.”
- 3. Dismissing the irrelevant
- “One of the legacies of the Baby Boomer generation is the unwillingness to put up with irrelevance. Boomers are infamous for demanding excellence in everything they encounter. … The post-Boomer crowd has mutated that perspective. Excellence is less meaningful to them because it sometimes reflects the slickness of exploitation and manipulation. The pet peeve of the younger generations is irrelevance; they quickly abandon anything that is not wholly germane to their personal passions.
- 4. The impact of technology
- “The implications of this advanced technology in relation to ministry include the reshaping of the marketplace, the reorientation of the community into new forms and relationships, the expectation of finding ministry resources that respond directly to both felt and real needs, a heightened awareness of global faith conditions and opportunities, and the desire to be part of a worldwide Church with localized applications.”
- 5. Genuine relationships
- “Busters and Mosaics place a much higher premium on genuine personal relationships than do their predecessors.”
“As Busters and Mosaics wield their increasing influence in the development of media content, institutional behavioral patterns, the reshaping of societal customs, and accepted notions regarding relational activity, we are becoming a society increasingly focused on personal authenticity rather than excellence in performance.” - 6. Participation in reality
- “Fewer and fewer people are willing to sit back and endure what the world throws at them; rather, they are seeking the means to exert greater control over their life. As time goes on, people are paying more attention to the outcomes their efforts generate, and are constantly refining their activity to generate more personally satisfying results.”
- 7. Finding true meaning
- “Despite all the advances in technology and communications, our society’s complexity and fragmentation have only served to heighten the struggle to make sense of our place in the world. … Granted, this commitment or pattern is not widespread at this moment, but we are seeing growing numbers of people who are considering sacrifice and surrender as the possible missing links to their maturation and fulfillment.”
(See Andrew Jones’ review for his perspective and suggested further reading.)
Barna presents his projection for the future, based on the developments he is observing:
| Year | Local church | Alternative faith-based community | Family | Media, Arts, Culture |
| 2000 | 70% | 5% | 5% | 20% |
| 2025 | 30-35% | 30-35% | 5% | 30-35% |
He also presents a reminder: “The more you can anticipate some of the transitions resulting from these trends, the greater will be your ability to help shape the world in ways that are likely to honor God and advance your spiritual maturity. This will impact your own life and the lives of others with whom you interact.” Let us take that to heart.