According to the latest State of Theology survey, many Americans are confused about Christian tenets, and modern evangelicalism suffers from “tragic instability.” Yet the results also reveal signs of hope—as well as the need for church leaders to continue teaching biblical truth.
The 2025 State of Theology, which surveyed 3,000 U.S. adults, is a joint project between Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research. It follows similar studies in 2022, 2020, 2018, 2016, and 2014.
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Chris Larson, Ligonier president and CEO, called the 2025 results “sobering,” saying they point to “not merely a knowledge gap but a discipleship gap” among professing Christians.
Lifeway said the 2025 study indicates “significant stability across a wide range of theological beliefs.” Although some pandemic-related shifts were evident in 2022, Lifeway reported, many of those have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
“Large numbers of Americans have theological beliefs that line up with the Bible’s teaching,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “A pandemic and debates around moral standards in political spaces appear to have some minor impact on some beliefs, but most Americans are not quick to change their views of matters related to God.”
State of Theology 2025: Beliefs About God and Scripture
The 2025 State of Theology report asked Americans about their views of God and the Bible. Although 68% of U.S. adults agree that God is “unchanging” and 71% agree with the biblical concept of the Trinity, 57% say the Holy Spirit is a force rather than a personal being.
Almost half (49%) of U.S. adults believe that Jesus was a great teacher but not God, down from 53% in 2022. In addition, 65% of respondents say all religions—including Judaism and Islam—are acceptable to God, and 46% say religious belief is not about objective truth.
“Americans want the same flexibility they think God has,” said Scott McConnell of Lifeway, “even if that contradicts other beliefs they have and how God is revealed in Scripture.”
Regarding the physical resurrection of Jesus, about two-thirds (65%) of U.S. adults say those scriptural accounts are completely accurate, while 24% disagree.
Almost half (49%) of U.S. adults say all the Bible’s teachings are 100% accurate, while 48% say it features “helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true.” In addition, 36% of respondents say modern science disproves the Bible, down from 40% in 2022. Fifty percent say the Bible has the authority to instruct people how to behave.
About the existence of hell, 57% of U.S. adults say it is a real place of eternal punishment. Only 23% believe that even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation, however. “Americans are much more willing to agree Jesus will judge people one day than to agree on what is a sin or which sins deserve punishment,” McConnell said.
According to the latest State of Theology survey, many Americans are confused about Christian tenets, and modern evangelicalism suffers from “tragic instability.”Click to Post
