A new report reveals that while younger generations of Americans are less religious and less engaged with the Bible than their older counterparts, roughly half of them credit the Bible’s message for transforming their lives.
The latest chapter of the American Bible Society’s State of the Bible USA 2023 report focuses on the spiritual practices of Generation Z, who were born in 1997 or later.
The report shows that, although a higher share of respondents belonging to Gen Z identify as agnostics, atheists or “nones” than the older generations, 58% of Gen Z respondents identify as Christians.
Despite the lack of Scripture engagement among America’s youth, about half of Gen Z respondents agreed with the statement that “the message of the Bible has transformed my life.”
Among Gen Z adults between the ages of 18 and 21, 49% agreed that the Bible had a transformative effect on their lives. That number rose to 52% among Gen Z respondents between the ages of 22 and 26.
Additionally, Gen Z has the lowest frequency of Bible use among the five generations examined. Thirty percent of Gen Z respondents meet the definition of a Bible user, which refers to those who interact with the Bible on their own outside of a church service at least three times a year.