Few U.S. adults read their Bibles regularly, even though 87 percent have at least one copy in their homes, LifeWay Research found.
Fifty-three percent of respondents said they had read little to none of the Bible: several passages or sentences (30 percent), a few sentences (13 percent), and none (10 percent).
Among the reasons cited for the lack of Bible engagement were: “I don’t prioritize it” (27 percent), “I don’t have time” (15 percent) and “I have read enough of it” (13 percent).
Of the 47 percent of adults who had read their Bibles more extensively, 15 percent read half, 12 percent most, 11 percent the entire Bible and 9 percent all of it more than once.
Despite the lack of engagement, many still hold the Bible in high regard, LifeWay found, with 52 percent saying it was a “good source of morals,” 37 percent calling it “helpful today” and 35 percent labeling it “life changing.”
Common efforts among local church pastors to encourage and increase Bible engagement include sermon reminders (86 percent), providing free Bibles (86 percent), worship service Bible readings (76 percent) and offering Bible reading plans (64 percent).
“Most Americans don’t know first-hand the overall story of the Bible because they rarely pick it up,” Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, said. “Even among worship attendees, less than half read the Bible daily. The only time most Americans hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it.”
The full report is available here.
