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Growing interest within the Bible and Jesus raises hopes of transatlantic revival amongst young adults

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A renewed curiosity in regards to the Bible is sweeping the US as fresh data from the State of the Bible report reveals significant increases in Scripture engagement, especially amongst young people and men. 

Conducted by NORC on the University of Chicago, the study of two,656 adults found that 41% of American adults now read the Bible no less than 3 times a 12 months outside of church, an increase from 38% the 12 months before — amounting to roughly 10 million more Bible Users. 

The most notable shifts got here from millennials, whose Bible use jumped 29% between 2024 and 2025, and men, who saw a 19% increase, effectively closing a long-standing gender gap in Bible engagement.

The rise in Scripture engagement in 2025 is principally being driven by the youngest cohorts, with rates jumping from 11% to fifteen% for Gen Z and from 12% to 17% for Millennials in comparison with 2024.

The report also highlighted that 56% of Americans are interested by the Bible or Jesus — a figure that jumps to 82% among the many so-called “Movable Middle,” those open to spiritual wisdom but not yet deeply committed. 

Two-thirds of Bible users now access Scripture digitally, with apps, web sites, and YouTube leading the way in which, pointing to a generational shift in how people engage with faith.

The Chief Innovation Officer for the American Bible Society and Editor-in-chief of the Bible series, John Farquhar, said, “For the primary time since 2021, we’re seeing a rise in each Bible use and Scripture engagement, particularly amongst younger adults and in men.

“People are interested by the Bible and Jesus. How will the Church respond? Together we must respond with creativity and innovation. Opportunities like this don’t come along day by day, so we’d like to listen rigorously and reply to our neighbours with grace, hope, and truth.”

To support ministry leaders in applying the findings, each State of the Bible chapter this 12 months shall be paired with multimedia resources reminiscent of a dedicated Church Leader’s Toolkit, the State of the Bible Podcast, and a video series titled Insights from State of the Bible.

Jennifer Holloran, CEO and president of American Bible Society, which compiled the report, remarked, “We are delighted to be celebrating 15 years of seeing how Americans engage with, receive, and are modified by the Word of God.

“It’s our prayer that this research continues to be a meaningful, informative, and inspiring resource for pastors, churches and ministries who wish to help others on their faith journey. 

“We also hope the report will help equip the Church to thoughtfully reply to those that are searching and point people toward Christ and toward Scripture.”

Across the Atlantic, the Bible Society within the UK has recorded similar trends, with research carried out on behalf of the organisation by YouGov revealing that monthly church attendance rose from 8% in 2018 to 12% in 2024, driven largely by Gen Z. 

Among men aged 18 to 24, church attendance greater than quintupled — from 4% to over 20% — in only six years. Women in the identical age group also saw attendance rise from 4% to 12%.

The report also found that a 3rd of young adults not currently attending church would consider going if encouraged by a friend, and 1 / 4 expressed a desire to achieve a deeper understanding of the Bible — again, the very best proportion of any demographic.

This trend can also be touching ethnic minority communities, because the report divulges that amongst regular church attendees within the UK, ethnic minorities represent 20%, with that share nearing 33% for adults aged 18 to 54.

The Church of England has also found cause for hope in recent days, with its official church-finder website, AChurchNearYou.com, seeing page views soar from 128 million in 2023 to almost 199 million in 2024. 

Shares of church events on social media skyrocketed by 268%, and digital calendar saves doubled. 

With over 20,000 Easter-related services and events lined up for this week alone, parish churches are increasingly welcoming newcomers who found them online.

Amaris Cole, Head of Digital for the Church of England, said the digital spike is greater than a statistic — it reflects a growing desire for connection: “The staggering increase shows the general public are more interested than ever in connecting with one among our communities, whether for a service, an event, a family activity or one among the amazing projects our churches run.

“Because everyone seems to be welcome, we’ve prioritised accessibility by adding tags to assist visitors find the service for them – whether there’s wheelchair access, gluten-free refreshments, British Sign Language translation or dementia friendly. These might be found through the use of the tags when trying to find churches in your area.”

As the CEO and one among the co-authors of the UK’s Bible Society report, Paul Williams and Dr Rhiannon McAleer, stated, these discoveries point towards a spiritual reawakening that defies the long-held narrative of non secular decline within the West.

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