A new survey has revealed that a surprising number of non-Christian students want to engage with the Bible.
The new report, entitled ‘What Do Today’s Students Think About The Bible?’ was commissioned by the Fusion students movement, and conducted by the Savanta data centre.
It found that 12% of non-Christian students admit to reading part of the Bible every week – although this could be as brief as glancing over a verse shared on social media. Among Christian students, this figure rose to 29%.
Half of all students across 186 UK universities agree that the Bible is relevant to life today. However, this agreement drops to 32% among non-Christian students and 27% among students who say they have ‘No Religion.’
Adam Mitchell Baker, spokesperson for Fusion, tells Premier that students express an interest in learning more about the Bible, even if they are opposed to the idea of organised religion.
“Students have differing opinions on the reliability [of the Bible], but they still want to find out more,” he said.
Opinions on the Bible's credibility are mixed. 44% of students say they consider the Bible reliable - with only 19% of students with 'No Religion' agreeing. Views on contradictions are similarly divided, with 52% of non-Christian students believing the Bible contradicts itself. Yet a majority of students said they find the Bible neither offensive nor difficult to understand.
Adam Mitchell-Baker disagreeing with the content of the Bible does not prevent students from wanting to read it. “They might see that it's in some way offensive to them or kind of misogynistic or homophobic, but they're still interested in reading it. They still want to understand, ‘What does this say about today's world?’ They’re wondering how they can understand it amongst all the, all the different kind of competing noises in the world today.”
Those competing narratives could be the very reason young people are turning to the word of God.
“In a world where role models are people like Andrew Tate, or world leaders that people can't trust - like Donald Trump," Mitchell-Baker told Premier, "the person and character of Jesus Christ, and the teachings of the Bible that have stood firm."
“The fact that the Bible still has relevance and truth today, that speaks to people… these ancient sacred words have outlived kingdoms and empires, and many different competing worldviews.”
The organisation says it is “massively surprised” at the results, and that “the potential opportunity for spiritual transformation offered by greater engagement with the Bible is huge.”
Fusion's aim is to have a “Bible in the hands” of every student across the UK.