A recent survey found that nearly half of Americans do not view the Bible as literal truth.
The research, published in the Ligonier State of Theology 2025 report conducted by Lifeway Research, surveyed more than 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.
Evangelicals, regular churchgoers, and Americans in the South were most likely to affirm the Bible’s truth. By contrast, respondents in cities and higher-income households were more likely to view the Bible as symbolic.
The study also revealed mixed views on central Christian doctrines. Just over half said they believed God is perfect, and only 55 percent agreed that God exists as the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Nearly half said Jesus was simply a great teacher and not God.
On moral issues, 38 percent said people should be free to choose their gender, and more than 40 percent said the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality no longer applies today.
Despite these divisions, half of those surveyed said they still believe the Bible has authority over how people should live their lives.