A recent survey found that almost half of Americans do not regard the Bible as literal truth.
The research, published in the Ligonier State of Theology 2025 report carried out by Lifeway Research, surveyed over 3,000 adults across the U.S. earlier this year.
Forty-eight per cent said they agreed that the Bible, "like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true", while 43 per cent disagreed. Another eight per cent said they weren’t sure.
Those most likely to believe in the Bible’s truth were evangelicals, people who attended church regularly and Americans in the South.
People in cities and higher-income households were more likely to see the Bible as symbolic.
The study also found that many Americans held mixed views on key Christian beliefs. Just over half said they believed God was perfect, and only 55 per cent agreed that God existed in the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Nearly half also said Jesus was just a great teacher, not God.
Opinions on moral issues were also divided, with 38 per cent saying people should be able to choose their gender, and over 40 per cent saying the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality does not apply today.
Despite the differences, half of those surveyed still believed the Bible has authority for how people should live their lives.