tells how the writers understood the ways and principles of God; read,
use or listen to the Bible once a month or less.
Bible Skeptic: View the Bible as “just another book of teachings written
by men.”
Bible Hostile: View the Bible as a book of teachings written by men
that’s intended to manipulate and control other people (subset of
Bible Skeptics)
Bible Friendly adults has remained in the high thirties percentages
since a dip in 2011 and 2012. In 2017, U.S. adults considered themselves
to be Bible Friendly at 38%. 23% of U.S. adults consider themselves Bible
Neutral, which has also been steady since 2011. At 24%, women are more
likely to be engaged with the Bible than men, at 17%.
Age has a significant impact on interactions with the Bible; the
average age raises per each category from Skeptic to Engaged. For
example, Skeptics have an average age of 43, average age 45 for Neutral,
Friendly at 47 and 53 for Engaged. 24% of Millennials are Skeptics; 14%
are Engaged. 12% of Elders are Skeptics, or one in eight, and 27% are
Engaged, for comparison.
91% of Bible readers still use a print version of the Bible, however,
92% of readers also used a different format than print in the past year.
55% of U.S. adults use the internet to search for Bible readings/content
and 53% use their cell phone to do it. 43% use Bible apps. Each of these
percentages are up since 2011.
87% of homes own at least one Bible, which includes those who
considered themselves Skeptics or Hostile. 67% of Skeptics and 62%
of Hostile homes have at least one Bible. Bible Friendly homes own a
Bible at 93%, and, not surprisingly, all of Bible Engaged homes have
one. 86% of Bible Neutrals have a Bible in the home. 93% of Elders are
likely to live in a home with a Bible, and 90% of Boomers. Millennials
(82%) and Gen X (86%) are least likely to live in a home with a Bible.
50% of Americans are “Bible users,” categorized as those who interact
with the Bible on their own three to four times a year. 32% say they don’t
interact with the Bible at all. This number is up from 27% in 2016.
58% of American adults have a desire to read the Bible more, and each
segment agrees with this sentiment, even Skeptics, who, at 22% express
a desire to read or listen to the Bible more. Non-Christians agree with for
this as well, at 21%. Bible Friendly adults wish for this at the highest rate,
at 78%. 67%, however, say things have remained the same in the past
year when it comes to reading or listening to the Bible.
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CHURCH EXECUTIVE | JULY / AUGUST 2018
3/1/16 5:36 PM