Words Americans use to describe the Bible
Percent of U.S. adults choosing each description, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Good source of morals (55%). Lowest: Harmful (4%).
- Good source of morals: 55%
- True: 48%
- Life-changing: 45%
Source: Lifeway Research, Americans Judge the Good Book More Positively, But Still Often by Its Cover · Lifeway Research online survey of 1,200 Americans; sampling error plus or minus 3.3%. Article published 2025-05-13.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Good source of morals (55%). Lowest: Harmful (4%). Good source of morals: 55%. True: 48%. Life-changing: 45%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, Americans Judge the Good Book More Positively, But Still Often by Its Cover (https://research.lifeway.com/2025/05/13/americans-judge-the-good-book-more-positively-but-still-often-by-its-cover/).
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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
- Churchgoers' agreement with statements about Bible engagement Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers who read the Bible at least a few times a week Lifeway Research, 2026
- Discipleship habits of Protestant churchgoers Lifeway Research, 2026
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.