April 2017 – In January, the Barna research group partnered with American Bible Society to study Scripture reading habits of American adults. The survey revealed that 57% of Americans who read the Bible do so because it draws them closer to God. Six in ten American adults would like to increase the amount of time they spend reading the Bible, but almost as many said their time decreased. Although the desire is present, Scripture reading overall increased by only 23% [in 2016].
Multiple factors have played a role in increased Bible reading. Two-thirds (67%) say they realize it is an important part of their faith journey. Other contributing factors include: difficult life experiences (26%), significant life changes such as marriage or birth of a child (20%), Bible app/software (18%), a friend or acquaintance who changed for the better as a result of Bible reading (14%), church attendance (12%), a friend or acquaintance who read Scripture with them (10%), media conversations around religion and spirituality (5%).
“It should come as no surprise that the majority of Americans wish they read Scripture more often than they do,” said Roxanne Stone, Barna group editor. “We have consistently seen in our research that, even with skepticism on the rise, Americans still hold the Bible in high regard.”
