Bible reading in the United States has sunk to an all-time low, study finds.
On April 6th, the American Bible Society (ABS) released the first chapter of the 12th annual State of the Bible report. The survey shows the “Bible Disengaged” category grew at an alarming rate of 38%, or 45.2 million adults in 2022.
“This is the single largest disruption in scripture engagement ever recorded in the 12 years of conducting the State of the Bible survey,” according to the ABS.
2022 data showed a 10-percent decrease in Bible users in the U.S. from 2021. That means nearly 26 million Americans, in the past year, reduced or disengaged from the Scripture. This conveys that one in every 5 Americans left the “Bible engaged” category in the last year, according to the survey.
Scripture Engagement is defined by the report as consistent interaction with the Bible that shapes a person’s choices and transforms their relationships with God, oneself, and others.
One of the factors that could have influenced Bible users is the COVID-19 pandemic, said the report.
“No matter how sincerely we wish they would go away, the COVID-19 pandemic, political polarization, and other disruptions are still affecting the nation,” according to the report.
ABS defines Bible users as those who use the Bible at least three to four times each year on their own, outside of a church service.
“Our research clearly shows that when people read the Bible and apply its message, it brings them hope and introduces them to full life in Christ. That’s why it’s disheartening to see that millions of Americans have lost interest in the Bible. And millions more are struggling to connect Scripture to their daily lives,” said John Farquhar Plake, PhD and Director of Ministry Intelligence for American Bible Society.
“Now is a critical time to point our neighbors to the good news of hope found in God’s Word.”
State of the Bible 2022 findings come from a survey from 2,598 online or telephone responses from American adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.