Jump directly to the Content
Jump directly to the Content

Sermon Illustrations

Home > Sermon Illustrations

State of the Bible Survey Reveals Statistics about Bible Reading

A 2012 research study commissioned by the American Bible Society and conducted by Barna Research revealed some good news and bad news about Bible reading and biblical literacy in America.

First, here's the encouraging news:

  • 85 percent of households own at least one Bible, with a household average of 4.3 Bibles.
  • 69 percent of Americans believe the Bible provides answers on how to live a meaningful life.

But here's the bad news:

  • 26 percent of Americans never read the Bible and 10 percent read it less than once a year.
  • 79 percent of those surveyed believe they are knowledgeable about the Bible, but 54 percent were unable to identify the first five books of the Bible.
  • 46 percent believe the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon are different expressions of the same spiritual truths.

Survey participants also indicated their biggest frustration about reading the Bible was that they "never had enough time to read it."

Related Sermon Illustrations

Reader's Digest Condensed Version of the Bible

In 1982, Reader's Digest published a condensed version of the world's most widely-read book—the Bible. The project, led by John E. Walsh, took seven editors three years to complete. ...

[Read More]

Syrians Risk Lives for Secret Library

When a place has been besieged for years and hunger stalks the streets, you might think that people would have little interest in books. But enthusiasts have stocked an underground ...

[Read More]