The American Bible Society’s latest release of its annual State of the Bible report shows that just over a third (36 per cent) of Americans believe that the Bible is “totally accurate in all the principles it presents”. Another 39 per cent disagreed.
“Half a century ago, Americans generally trusted the Bible. Attitudes are more complex these days,” said John Farquhar Plake, Chief Innovation Officer at the American Bible Society and Editor-in-Chief of the State of the Bible series, in a statement.
The American Bible Society’s report focuses on Americans’ levels of trust in several social institutions, including family, medicine, education, religion, the arts, entertainment, and more. For its latest release, the organisation surveyed 2,656 American adults online across all 50 states and the District of Columbia between 2 and 21 January 2025.
When it comes to mistrust, almost one-fifth of the public believes that the Bible was written to control or manipulate people, according to the study. While religion remains divided, respondents trust the institution of family the most, at 55 per cent. Media and government are the least trusted institutions among the American public, at 5 and 6 per cent respectively.
Twenty-nine per cent of Americans report high or very high levels of trust in religion, with older generations of Baby Boomers expressing greater trust than younger generations.
One key finding in the survey is that trust scores drop among people who have experienced assault, abuse, or unwanted sexual contact.
Almost half (46 per cent) of Americans have experienced or witnessed some form of trauma, interpersonal or otherwise. The vast majority (89 per cent) of those affected by trauma say it still impacts them today.
The American Bible Society says it will release the final two chapters of this year’s State of the Bible series in the coming months, examining behaviours towards friends, neighbours, and generosity.