In the past few years, Americans have grown generally more positive toward the Bible, but that doesn’t mean they’re reading it more.
According to a Lifeway Research study, U.S. adults increasingly view the Bible as a book worth reading multiple times, but few have actually done so.
More Americans describe the Bible as true, life-changing and helpful today, compared to a 2016 Lifeway Research study. Additionally, more than 2 in 5 Americans (44 percent) say the Bible is a book to read over and over again, up 4 points from the previous study. Yet 9 percent say they’ve read it all more than once, unchanged since 2016. Still, half of Americans have engaged with the Bible beyond just a few stories.
“With other parts of the globe, the American consumer market has been experiencing a significant increase in Bible sales,” said Andy McLean, publisher of Bibles and reference at Lifeway Christian Resources. “Of course, with that increase in sales, one would also hope that Bible engagement is on the rise.
In other words, we want people reading their newly purchased Bibles, which I think shows up in the data and my experience as a Bible publisher.”
~ BIBLE READERS
Today, 9 in 10 Americans have read at least some of the Bible, 4 in 5 have read more than a few sentences, and 1 in 5 have read the entire Bible at least once.
Around 1 in 10 U.S. adults (9 percent) say they’ve never read any of the Bible personally. Slightly more (12 percent) have read only a few sentences. Three in 10 (29 percent) say they’ve read several passages or stories. Almost 1 in 5 (18 percent) say they’ve read at least half of the Bible. More than 1 in 8 (12 percent) have read almost all of it, while another 13 percent say they’ve read the entire Bible. Similar to those who have read no Scripture, 9 percent of U.S. adults have read all of it more than once.
Americans are equally divided between those who say they’ve read less than half of the Bible (49 percent) and those who’ve read at least half (51 percent). Their reading of the Bible remains statistically unchanged from several years ago. In 2016, 53 percent had read less than half of it, and 47 percent had read half or more.
In 2016, 18- to 24-year-olds were the age demographic most likely to have said they’d read none of the Bible (25 percent). Now, those 65 and older are the most likely to say they haven’t read any (15 percent).
Others who are among the most likely to have avoided the Bible completely include the religiously unaffiliated (19 percent) and those who rarely or never attend religious services (15 percent).
Conversely, those who attend religious services more than once a week are among the most likely to say they’ve read all the Bible (35 percent) and all of it more than once (24 percent). Additionally, those with evangelical beliefs are more likely than others to say they’ve read the entire Bible (22 percent) and read it all multiple times (18 percent).
~ BIBLICAL DESCRIPTION
Despite few Americans saying they’ve read the entire Bible multiple times, more than 2 in 5 (44 percent) believe the book is something to read over and over. Around a quarter (26 percent) say the Bible is a book to be referenced as needed, while 14 percent believe it’s worth reading once. Few (6 percent) say it’s not worth reading, and 9 percent aren’t sure.
When asked how they would describe the Bible, most Americans (55 percent) say it is a good source of morals. More than 2 in 5 chose the terms true (48 percent), life-changing (45 percent), historical account (44 percent) and helpful today (43 percent). Around 3 in 10 (31 percent) say the Bible is a story. Few describe Scripture as outdated (9 percent), bigoted (5 percent) or harmful (4 percent), while 4 percent aren’t sure and 5 percent say none of those match their view of the Bible.
“Americans’ brief descriptors of the Bible coincide with the pattern in a series of studies Lifeway Research has done on the state of theology, in which Americans are consistently split down the middle on whether the Bible is 100 percent accurate or not literally true,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “While very few Americans have outright disdain for the Bible, there is no clear majority convinced it is completely true or life-changing.”
While most Americans aren’t sure about the Bible’s trustworthiness, they’re more likely to view it positively than negatively. Four in 5 U.S. adults (81 percent) chose at least one of the positive descriptors, while 37 percent picked at least one negative and 27 percent chose at least one positive and one negative. The average person chose 2.35 positive descriptors for the Bible and 0.5 negative ones.
Additionally, U.S. adults today are more likely than in 2016 to say Scripture is true (48 percent v. 36 percent), life-changing (45 percent v. 35 percent), a historical account (44 percent v. 38 percent) and helpful today (43 percent v. 37 percent). Americans are also less likely to describe the Bible as outdated (9 percent v. 14 percent), bigoted (5 percent v. 8 percent) or harmful (4 percent v. 7 percent).
“As opposed to just repeating tropes from biblical critics within culture or rehearsing the talking points from popular-level atheists and agnostics, there appears to be a new generation of those who are genuinely curious about the Bible and are researching and reading it perhaps for the first time,” said McLean. “And as a result of actually engaging with the text of Scripture, there’s been a clear shift in people believing that the biblical message is true, life-changing, historically accurate and helpful for today.”
~ BIBLE READING METHODS
Among those who have read at least part of the Bible, around a third say their approach to reading it includes systematically reading through a section a little each day (34 percent), looking up verses or sections suggested by others (34 percent) and looking up things when they have a need (33 percent).
Around a quarter reread favorite stories or meaningful sections (27 percent), flip it open and read where their eyes land (25 percent), and look up things when they want to help someone else (24 percent). Fewer say they read a big chunk at one time (19 percent). Among those who have read at least some of the Bible, 17 percent say they don’t read it on their own.
Today, Bible readers are more likely to be actively engaged in their reading. Compared to 2016, those who have read at least a part of the Bible are more likely to systematically read through a section a little each day (34 percent v. 22 percent), look up verses or sections suggested by others (34 percent v. 27 percent), reread favorite stories or meaningful sections (27 percent v. 19 percent), flip it open and read where their eyes land (25 percent v. 17 percent), look up things when they want to help someone else (24 percent v. 16 percent) and read a big chunk at one time (19 percent v. 8 percent).
Now, those who say they have read at least part of the Bible are far less likely than Bible readers in 2016 to say they don’t read the Bible on their own (17 percent v. 35 percent).
“While this particular study did not focus on the frequency that Americans read the Bible, the higher numbers reporting reading with different methods suggest more Americans are open to engaging and referencing the Bible in more ways,” said McConnell.
— Aaron Earls is the senior writer for Lifeway Research.