More Americans are now reading the Bible but fewer believe it’s 100% accurate: study

[Michie]

With Millennials and Generation Z leading the way, particularly among men, Bible reading among U.S. adults in 2025 is at its highest level in the last 15 years, according to new data from the "State of the Church" initiative.

The initiative by Barna Group and Gloocollected data from 12,116 online interviews conducted between January and October of 2025. The research revealed that approximately 50% of self-identified Christians report reading the Bible weekly, the highest level of Bible reading among Christians in more than a decade.

Weekly Bible reading among all U.S. adults reached its lowest point in 15 years in 2024 when it hit 30%. In 2025, the figure rebounded 12 percentage points to 42%, according to the latest data.

"Bible reading is rising again across generations, marking a reset to faith engagement levels we haven't seen in a decade," David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group, said in a statement. "People aren't just curious about faith — they're opening Scripture for themselves. This trend aligns with other signs of renewal we've seen in our research, like growing commitments to Jesus and increased church attendance."

Continued below.

More Americans are now reading the Bible but fewer believe it’s 100% accurate: study

With Millennials and Generation Z leading the way, particularly among men, Bible reading among U S adults in 2025 is at its highest level in the last 15 years, according to new data from the State of

www.christianpost.com

 

[Benjamin Müller]

I suppose I would be in the camp that doesn't believe the Bible is 100% accurate but rather 99% accurate. There are spurious verses and a few scribal errors that have made their way into the text but it doesn't impact my belief on it being the word of God. I think the writer of the article would have done better to explain if accuracy is meant by scribal errors and spurious verses or if people truly do not trust it as the word and inspiration of God.


Overall it's really nice to see that the younger generation and especially the men leading the way in spiritual renewal. A shame about the women, though. I would venture to say that's because they're going to university and droves and depending on the university they are being taught anti-Christian ideologies.

 

[chevyontheriver]

With Millennials and Generation Z leading the way, particularly among men, Bible reading among U.S. adults in 2025 is at its highest level in the last 15 years, according to new data from the "State of the Church" initiative.

The initiative by Barna Group and Gloocollected data from 12,116 online interviews conducted between January and October of 2025. The research revealed that approximately 50% of self-identified Christians report reading the Bible weekly, the highest level of Bible reading among Christians in more than a decade.

Weekly Bible reading among all U.S. adults reached its lowest point in 15 years in 2024 when it hit 30%. In 2025, the figure rebounded 12 percentage points to 42%, according to the latest data.

"Bible reading is rising again across generations, marking a reset to faith engagement levels we haven't seen in a decade," David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group, said in a statement. "People aren't just curious about faith — they're opening Scripture for themselves. This trend aligns with other signs of renewal we've seen in our research, like growing commitments to Jesus and increased church attendance."

Continued below.

More Americans are now reading the Bible but fewer believe it’s 100% accurate: study

With Millennials and Generation Z leading the way, particularly among men, Bible reading among U S adults in 2025 is at its highest level in the last 15 years, according to new data from the State of

www.christianpost.com

Or maybe that just means they aren't reading it with Fundamentalist slavishly literalist standards. That could be good.

 

[fhansen]

With Millennials and Generation Z leading the way, particularly among men, Bible reading among U.S. adults in 2025 is at its highest level in the last 15 years, according to new data from the "State of the Church" initiative.

The initiative by Barna Group and Gloocollected data from 12,116 online interviews conducted between January and October of 2025. The research revealed that approximately 50% of self-identified Christians report reading the Bible weekly, the highest level of Bible reading among Christians in more than a decade.

Weekly Bible reading among all U.S. adults reached its lowest point in 15 years in 2024 when it hit 30%. In 2025, the figure rebounded 12 percentage points to 42%, according to the latest data.

"Bible reading is rising again across generations, marking a reset to faith engagement levels we haven't seen in a decade," David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group, said in a statement. "People aren't just curious about faith — they're opening Scripture for themselves. This trend aligns with other signs of renewal we've seen in our research, like growing commitments to Jesus and increased church attendance."

Continued below.

More Americans are now reading the Bible but fewer believe it’s 100% accurate: study

With Millennials and Generation Z leading the way, particularly among men, Bible reading among U S adults in 2025 is at its highest level in the last 15 years, according to new data from the State of

www.christianpost.com

The world's been growing darker, which has the benefit of attracting more of us to the light. The bible separates and distinguishes between the two and offers an answer, the triumph of light over darkness. At the same time, knowledge has increased and there are good reasons for doubting the absolute perspicuity or scientific accuracy of Scripture. This need not be a problem; God's voice, the voice of Truth and Love, can be heard throughout the bible either way, I appreciate a teaching I'm familiar with here:

107 The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures."72

 

[RileyG]

Or maybe that just means they aren't reading it with Fundamentalist slavishly literalist standards. That could be good.

Yup!

 

[Ellesmere]

1) Given that are currently over 45,000 Christian denominations, groups and sects in the world it shouldn't come as a surprise that no version of the Bible can achieve universal acceptance - even within the Christian community itself!

2) Read the Preface found at the front of any version of the Bible - I challenge anyone to find in these introductory notes the claim that their translation to be "INFALLIBLE!"

3) That being the case leaves the Bible subject to different interpretations!


-

 

[PloverWing]

2) Read the Preface found at the front of any version of the Bible - I challenge anyone to find in these introductory notes the claim that their translation to be "INFALLIBLE!"

Most often, I hear infallibility or inerrancy being claimed for the "autographs" -- the Greek or Hebrew texts written by the original authors -- not for the English translations themselves. Probably that's what Barna and Gloo have in mind, but I don't know if they specified that in their question, and I don't know if that's what the responders thought as they answered.

 

[FAITH-IN-HIM]

I suppose I would be in the camp that doesn't believe the Bible is 100% accurate but rather 99% accurate. There are spurious verses and a few scribal errors that have made their way into the text but it doesn't impact my belief on it being the word of God. I think the writer of the article would have done better to explain if accuracy is meant by scribal errors and spurious verses or if people truly do not trust it as the word and inspiration of God.


Overall it's really nice to see that the younger generation and especially the men leading the way in spiritual renewal. A shame about the women, though. I would venture to say that's because they're going to university and droves and depending on the university they are being taught anti-Christian ideologies.

How do you determine which parts of the Bible are factual? Is it possible to believe that Jesus is God—born of a virgin, crucified, and resurrected after three days—but doubt stories like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walking through fire because it seems physically impossible?

 

[Hvizsgyak]

The doubters probably get their skepticism from some of the so called Bible scholars (such those associated Bart Ehrman or the Jesus Seminar). I agree with Benjamin Muller, I can see a few scribal errors but overall I don't see why the authors of the Bible would deliberately write lies.