American views on the Bible and belief
Percent of U.S. adults agreeing with each statement, State of Theology study, 2022 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Bible is the highest authority for what I believe (62%). Lowest: God is unconcerned with my day-to-day decisions (32%).
- Bible is the highest authority for what I believe: 62%
- Religious belief is personal opinion, not objective truth: 60%
- Bible contains helpful ancient myths but is not literally true: 53%
Source: Lifeway Research, Americans Believe in Easter Resurrection But Aren't Sure Why It Matters · Article published 2023-04-05.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Bible is the highest authority for what I believe (62%). Lowest: God is unconcerned with my day-to-day decisions (32%). Bible is the highest authority for what I believe: 62%. Religious belief is personal opinion, not objective truth: 60%. Bible contains helpful ancient myths but is not literally true: 53%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2022. Source: Lifeway Research, Americans Believe in Easter Resurrection But Aren't Sure Why It Matters (https://research.lifeway.com/2023/04/05/americans-believe-in-easter-resurrection-but-arent-sure-why-it-matters/).
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More Bible & Discipleship statistics
- Americans in the Movable Middle, curious about the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Americans who have not read any of the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Churches with an intentional plan for discipling individuals Lifeway Research, 2026
- Americans who use the Bible at least occasionally during the year, by generation Lifeway Research, 2023
- Americans who use the Bible three or more times a year Lifeway Research, 2023
- Employed Christians who see how their work serves God Barna Group, 2023
About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.