A new book from Christian researcher George Barna argues that the reason many people who call themselves Christians think and live indistinguishably from the broader culture comes down to a missing foundation — not a lack of sincerity, but the absence of a coherent biblical worldview, a conclusion he draws from more than 1,000 surveys and interviews with over one million Americans.
How to Think Like Jesus: 7 Cornerstones to Build a Biblical Worldview, published by Arizona Christian University Press in partnership with Fedd Books, is scheduled for release Sept. 15, 2026.
Barna, who directs research at Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center, identifies seven core beliefs he describes as the non-negotiable building blocks of a biblical worldview — covering topics such as the nature of God, the authority of Scripture, human sin, the definition of truth, and what he calls God's definitions of meaning, purpose and success.
"Your worldview is only as strong as its foundation," Barna writes in the book. "You will experience as much success in life as your worldview allows."
The book grows out of research Barna has conducted at the Cultural Research Center, which also produced the ACU Worldview Assessment — an online tool that measures an individual's worldview and gives readers a score reflecting how their beliefs align with each of the seven cornerstones. "Because worldview is measurable, we have research data that identify the incidence of various worldviews, how people piece together the elements of their life philosophy, and insights into the life consequences of people's chosen philosophy," Barna writes.
The central distinction the book draws is between what Barna calls "genuine disciples" and "cultural Christians" — people who identify with Christianity but whose thinking and decision-making, he argues, have been shaped more by surrounding culture than by biblical convictions.
Barna is a professor at Arizona Christian University and founder of The Barna Group. He also serves as senior research fellow at the Family Research Council Center for Biblical Worldview and has authored or co-authored more than 60 books, including several New York Times and Amazon bestsellers. The new title builds on themes from his 2023 book, Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child's Heart, Mind and Soul.
