Ep. 612: Is America Experiencing A Revival? George Barna Has His Doubts

Evangelical Christians should earnestly hope for, pray for, and work for revival. Maybe that’s why we’re always looking for and too often declaring, with only limited evidence, that revival has broken out. We want it to be true, so we declare it to be true with just the slightest encouragement.

We should also not be ignorant to the fact that many purveyors of revival talk have financial incentives. If I can say that God is at work here, and you should support the work that God is doing, that provides a powerful and sometimes manipulative message that will separate well-meaning but naïve Christians from their money. Revival talk sells books, fills auditoriums and arenas, and causes donations to flow.

And while we do not want to quench the spirit (to use biblical language), we should be clear-eyed and discerning when we hear people talk of revival. And we’ve been hearing a lot lately that America is experiencing revival. Kenneth Copeland has repeatedly declared that America is entering a season of revival. On his broadcasts and at ministers’ conferences, he has described the nation as being on the verge of “the greatest awakening” and has tied it to his own prophetic announcements.

Mario Murillo has been one of the strongest proponents of the “America is in revival” narrative. He argues that mass tent meetings, conversions in California and elsewhere, and openness among young people indicate that the country is already experiencing a “Third Great Awakening.” Lance Wallnau has likewise said that America is experiencing a spiritual awakening, often linking it with political developments and what he describes as a national “reformation.”

But people who study religion say…not so fast. Today, I have one of the godfathers of Christian polling and survey work on the program, George Barna, and we address the question directly: Is America experiencing a revival. His thoughts on the subject may surprise you.

George Barna is one of the best-known researchers of religion and culture in the United States. He founded the Barna Research Group in 1984, pioneering the use of survey research to measure Americans’ religious beliefs, church attendance, worldview, and cultural trends. After selling the Barna Group in 2009, he launched several research initiatives focused on faith and public life. Today, Barna serves as Professor of Cultural Research at Arizona Christian University, where he is Director of Research for the university’s Cultural Research Center. He is also Senior Research Fellow for the Center for Biblical Worldview at the Family Research Council and the author or co-author of more than 60 books on faith, culture, leadership, and worldview.

The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m your host, Warren Smith. Until next time, may God bless you.

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