Book

Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission

📖 Overview

Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission is a reference work published by David B. Barrett that presents comprehensive statistics and data about worldwide Christian missionary activities. The publication tracks metrics like number of missionaries, church growth, evangelization efforts, and religious demographics across countries and regions. The book contains standardized tables and charts organizing complex missionary data into clear categories for analysis and comparison. It includes both current statistics and historical trends dating back multiple decades to show changes in global mission work over time. Barrett's statistical compilation serves as a key resource for mission organizations, religious researchers, and church leaders in understanding the scope and impact of Christian missions worldwide. The data compilation enables evidence-based planning and assessment of missionary strategies through its systematic quantitative approach. The work represents a significant effort to bring empirical rigor and measurable metrics to the study of religious expansion and cross-cultural mission work. Through its focus on hard data rather than anecdotes, it aims to ground missiological discussions in verifiable facts.

👀 Reviews

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of David B. Barrett's overall work: Readers praise Barrett's meticulous data collection and comprehensive scope in the World Christian Encyclopedia, with many academic reviewers noting its value as a reference work. Several scholars highlight his innovative methods for tracking religious movements in Africa where formal records were scarce. What readers liked: - Detailed statistical analysis backed by field research - Clear presentation of complex demographic data - Regular updates that tracked changing religious patterns What readers disliked: - Technical writing style that some found difficult to parse - High cost of publications limited accessibility - Some questioned methodology for counting adherents in overlapping religious groups Review data is limited since Barrett's works were primarily academic publications. The World Christian Encyclopedia maintains a 4.5/5 rating on Amazon (12 reviews) and 4.3/5 on Goodreads (8 reviews). Academic reviewers frequently cite the "unprecedented scope" of his demographic work, though some note potential Western bias in classification methods. One reviewer noted: "Barrett created the foundation for understanding global religious demographics, despite some methodological limitations."

📚 Similar books

World Christian Encyclopedia by David B. Barrett This reference work provides comprehensive statistics and analysis of global religious demographics across 238 countries.

Atlas of Global Christianity by Todd M. Johnson The volume presents geographic data visualization of Christian demographics and missionary movements from 1910 to 2010.

Operation World by Jason Mandryk This statistical compilation delivers country-by-country data on religious affiliations, church growth, and missionary activity worldwide.

The Future of the Global Church by Patrick Johnstone The book combines historical data with demographic projections to map religious trends and missionary movements across global regions.

World Christian Trends by David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson This reference text tracks numerical changes in global Christianity through empirical data and statistical analysis over two millennia.

🤔 Interesting facts

🔹 The Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission is considered one of the most comprehensive sources of religious statistics, tracking data on world religions, mission work, and Christian demographics since 1985. 🔹 David B. Barrett was both a mathematician and an Anglican missionary, using his mathematical expertise to pioneer new methods of religious demographic research. 🔹 The publication tracks over 400 distinct religious variables and has become a crucial resource for mission organizations, religious scholars, and demographic researchers worldwide. 🔹 Barrett established the World Christian Database, which grew from this annual publication and now contains religious statistics for every country, including data on 9,000 Christian denominations. 🔹 The research methodology developed by Barrett and used in the Annual Statistical Table influenced how the United Nations and other major organizations collect and analyze religious demographic data.