The author of Revolution and Boiling Point identifies and describes seven different groups, or "faith tribes," he believes have an important part to play in the days ahead--"captive Christians," casual Christians, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, pantheists and skeptics--and suggests strategies they could employ to work toward a better future for America.

Although the country is comprised of many faiths, these tribes--who share common backgrounds, beliefs and customs--are important in their size, influence or both, Barna said.

"When you run the numbers, you discover that there are indeed many faiths, but not many of those faiths attract many people, other than Christianity and atheism," he told Christian Retailing. "However, the tribes that have overt influence on America, despite their relatively tiny numbers--such as the Jews, Mormons, Muslims and pantheists--are worth identifying and understanding."

Barna believes that there is hope to be found as the tribes look for commonality in their 20 "shared values." "The beauty of the research underlying this book was that the shared values do not require Christians--or any tribe--to abandon their essence," he said. "The shared values give us some common ground for understanding each other and engaging in meaningful dialogue."

Read more in the May 4 issue of Christian Retailing.