Americans' views of the Bible
Percent of Americans, 2016 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: God is the author of the Bible (58%). Lowest: Bible contains helpful myths but isn't literally true (44%).
- God is the author of the Bible: 58%
- Bible alone is the written Word of God: 52%
- Bible was written for each person to interpret as chosen: 51%
Source: Lifeway Research, Americans Love God and the Bible, Are Fuzzy on the Details · Lifeway Research online panel survey; 95 percent confidence, sampling error no more than plus or minus two percent. Article published 2016-09-28.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: God is the author of the Bible (58%). Lowest: Bible contains helpful myths but isn't literally true (44%). God is the author of the Bible: 58%. Bible alone is the written Word of God: 52%. Bible was written for each person to interpret as chosen: 51%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2016. Source: Lifeway Research, Americans Love God and the Bible, Are Fuzzy on the Details (https://research.lifeway.com/2016/09/27/americans-love-god-and-the-bible-are-fuzzy-on-the-details/).
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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
- Adults who wish they read the Bible more often Barna Group, 2017
- Americans who do not typically observe Lent Lifeway Research, 2017
- Americans who observe Lent, by group Lifeway Research, 2017
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.