Americans born between 1997 and 2012—characterized as Gen Z—are still deciding what to do with the Bible while exhibiting openness to Scripture, according to American Bible Society’s (@americanbible) 11th annual State of the Bible report.
“Many in Gen Z are coming of age without the wisdom and comfort that others have found in the Bible,” says John Farquhar Plake, PhD and director of ministry intelligence for American Bible Society. “More than other generations, Gen Z is uncertain about the value and uniqueness of the Bible for their daily lives.”
Key Findings
• Gen Z has a shaky relationship with the Bible. One-third of Gen Z youth (34%) are Bible Users, while 43% of Gen Z adults qualify. Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) have a much higher percentage of Bible Users, approaching the national average of 49%.
• Gen Z youth are more often Bible Disengaged (47%) or in the Movable Middle (44%) and are less likely than either Gen Z adults or Millennials to be Scripture Engaged. Only 9% of Gen Z youth qualify as Scripture Engaged, compared with 14% of Gen Z adults and 23% of Millennials.
[See the Scripture Engagement section on Bible Gateway]
• The turmoil of 2020 did not spark greater Bible use among teenagers. Gen Z youth (27%) are more likely than Gen Z adults (19%) or Millennials (9%) to say they decreased their Bible use in the past year. Millennials are more likely to say their Bible use has increased in the past year (29%) compared with Gen Z adults (27%) and Gen Z youth (21%).
• However, Gen Z show significant openness to the Bible. Eighty-one percent of Gen Z youth and 74% of Gen Z adults say they’re curious about Scripture. Two-thirds of Gen Z youth (64%) also reported they wish they read the Bible more.
• While Gen Z’s view of Scripture is placed in the context of a meandering and still-emerging faith journey, both Gen Z and Millennials are equally likely to be non-Christians. Over half of Gen Z youth (53%) indicate they have not yet made a commitment to Jesus Christ that is important. However, the percentage of those who are committed rises with age indicating there are future opportunities for teens to make meaningful faith decisions.
The findings come from a survey conducted by ABS in January 2021: data from 91 Gen Z youth were compared to a larger sample of 3,354 adults from every generation, examining how the Bible and an active faith life contribute to human flourishing.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Latest Bible-Related Research]
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