Americans and the Bible:
Bible Ownership, Reading, Study and Knowledge in the United States
by Michael J. Vlach
The Christian Bible continues to be a revered book in the United States. In fact, no other book comes close to having been read and re-read as much as the "Good Book". Every year, millions of Bibles are printed in this country. Researcher George Gallup points out that so many Bibles have been printed in the United States "that even rough estimates of the total number published to date do not exist." 1
How do Americans use the Bible and what do they know about it? Recent research has produced important information about Bible ownership, reading, study, and knowledge in the United States.
Bible Ownership
Most Americans own a Bible. In fact, 92% of households in America own at least one copy. Of those households that own a Bible, the average number of Bibles is three. This includes not only the homes of practicing Christians but hundreds of thousands of atheists as well. 2
Bible Reading
Although most Americans own a Bible, use of the Bible varies significantly. In a poll taken by the Gallup Organization in October, 2000, 59% of Americans reported that they read the Bible at least occasionally. This is down from 73% in the 1980s. The percentage of Americans who read the Bible at least once a week is 37%. This is down slightly from 40% in 1990. 3 According to the Barna Research Group, those who read the Bible regularly spend about 52 minutes a week in the scriptures. 4 Barna, "The Bible," data is from 1997.
Which gender is more faithful at reading the Bible at least weekly? The prize goes to the women. Women (42%) are more likely than men (32%) to have read the Bible in the past week. What version do people prefer? As of 1997, those who read the Bible preferred the King James Version to the New International Version by a 5 to 1 margin. 5
Bible Study
When it comes to going beyond merely reading the Bible to actual study of the Bible, the numbers decline sharply. Only one in seven Americans report an involvement that goes beyond just reading the Bible. Fourteen percent of Americans currently belong to a Bible study group. 6 This is down a full one-third from 1990 when 21% said they were involved in a Bible study group. 7
Bible Knowledge
How about knowledge of the Bible? According to Gallup, "Despite the impressive statistics concerning Bible reading and study, it is apparent that ignorance about its contents is widespread." 8
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He gives evidence for this conclusion: |
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Only half of adults interviewed nationwide could name any of the four Gospels of the New Testament. |
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Just 37% of those interviewed could name all four Gospels. |
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Only 42% of adults were able to name as many as five of the Ten Commandments correctly. |
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Seven in ten (70%) were able to name the town where Jesus was born, but just 42% could identify him as the person who delivered the Sermon on the Mount. 9 |
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Researcher George Barna has also documented the lack of Bible knowledge in the United States: |
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38% of Americans believe the entire Bible was written several decades after Jesus' death and resurrection (While this is true of the New Testament, the entire Old Testament was written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ). |
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12% of adults believe that Noah's wife was Joan of Arc. |
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49% believe that the Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil. (The love of money is said to be the root of all types of evil). |
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75% believe that the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves. 10 |
George Lindbeck, the famous Yale theologian, has commented on the decreasing knowledge of scripture from a professor's perspective: "When I first arrived at Yale, even those who came from nonreligious backgrounds knew the Bible better than most of those now who come from churchgoing families." 11
Recent research highlights the decreasing influence of the Bible in the United States and the importance of serious Bible study by Christians. As our society becomes increasingly pluralistic and subjective in its worldview, the more important it will be for Christians to know and study their Bibles. Only by doing so can we intelligently present a biblical worldview to those who know so little of the Word that is able to save their souls.
1 George Gallup, Jr., The Role of the Bible in American Society (Princeton: The Princeton ReligionResearch Center, 1990)
2 Barna Research Online, "The Bible," www.barna.org. This information is based on 1993 figures.
3 Alec Gallup and Wendy W. Simmons, "Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally," TheGallup Organization, www.gallup.com, October 20, 2000.
4 Barna, "The Bible," data is from 1997.
5 Ibid., data is from 2001.
6 Gallup, "Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally,"
7 Gallup, The Role of the Bible in American Society, 17.
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Barna, "The Bible," The information is from the years 1994, 1997, 1994, and 2000 respectively.
11 George A. Lindbeck, "The Church’s Mission to a Postmodern Culture," Postmodern Theology: ChristianFaith in a Pluralist World (San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1989) 45.
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