“When the Church and the Academy come together, they form a powerful expression of God’s intent to rebuild the broken places with both tenderness and ingenuity.”

 

phil’s resources

Dr Barnard equips churches, schools and nonprofits with resources that are both carefully researched to ensure theological and academic integrity, and presented in a manner that is relevant, accessible and applicable. His readers range from families and students, to scholars and church leaders. A selection of his resources are available below.

 

“Word” Bible studies

Written in partnership with Hillsong Church London, WORD Bible Studies are an accompaniment to WORD Bible - the New Testament in magazine format. Each volume places the Bible in chronological order, and helps the reader understand the key people, events and themes of Scripture.

The “Word” Bible Studies are available as a complimentary pdf download for personal or small group use.

editorial contributions

Dr Barnard has partnered with Abrupt Media to contribute theological insights on projects that bring the Gospels alive in a real and beautiful manner.

The New Testament Experience: The gospels for the modern world

The New Testament Experience: The Gospels for the Modern World is specifically designed to reach the next generation of believer and bring them a fresh insight into the Gospels and the relevance of the Word of God to their lives today.

Using the ESV translation and photography to bring the key characters and stories of each Gospel to life, this modern and immersive Bible aims to create a beautiful and engaging resource for the believer and for the local church leader. It is a tool to equip the youth of the Church and new Christians with the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.

fearfully made

From failure and ridicule, to rejection, loneliness and death - today's society is plagued with anxiety, doubt and fear. Into our social-media dominated, comparison-rife age, Jesus promises the solution.

Attacking each of these fears in turn, Fearfully Made draws on the voices of Hillsong Youth and Young Adults in London, Paris, Los Angeles, New York and Sydney to share real-life stories equipping youth around the world to better understand how the Fear of God has the power to conquer all other fears.

 

published articles

 
“This is well written, organized, and original research... taking theological idea and comparing it to anthropological, qualitative research. It's the sort of research we need to see more of.”- Missiology Reviewer

“This is well written, organized, and original research... taking theological idea and comparing it to anthropological, qualitative research. It's the sort of research we need to see more of.”

- Missiology Reviewer

The causes of poverty: Is a biblical understanding reflected in the experiences of today’s poor?

In September 2000, the United Nations adopted their Millennium Declaration: a commitment to improving the lives of the world’s poorest people. Of the eight Millennium Goals declared, the foremost was to “Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger,” with a target to halve the proportion of people whose income is less than US $1 per day. Many have attempted to address this problem, yet debate rages as to what causes poverty in many communities. Dr. Christopher Wright, a Church of England minister, contends that the root causes of poverty are indeed identifiable from Old Testament texts: natural disasters, laziness, and oppression. While Wright presented a brief overview of this biblical approach to the causes of poverty, he did not elaborate on whether it would be reflected in the experience of poor people. This study therefore presents a critical synthesis of Wright’s model with contemporary field research. We conclude by reinforcing the importance of the Church engaging with the causes of poverty—not just the expressions of poverty—in order to fully demonstrate the love of God to the world.

Barnard, P. A. (2016). The causes of poverty: Is a biblical understanding reflected in the experiences of today’s poor? Missiology, 44(4), 448–465.

“Phil’s forte is turning data into action. He’s one to do his homework, ask the tough questions, and dig until solutions are found. Phil always keeps in mind that good research should improve the lives of those around him.”
— Dr. James Tooley: Vice Chancellor, University of Buckingham; author of The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey into how the World’s Poorest People are Educating Themselves