“This is such an exciting set of data for us because it shows that something’s happening here beneath the surface,” Kinnaman said in an Oct. 12 webinar on the data. “Throughout this whole data presentation, we’ve been able to see that these teenagers who are Bible engaged have a more full life when it comes to their self-perceptions, their views of their community, their friendships, that sort of vibrancy of their faith.
“And what does this now mean for us as leaders, as stakeholders and even those in this generation as we try to partner with what God is doing?”
Many teens, 44 percent, believe the Bible is holy; 41 percent believe it is inspired by God, 40 percent believe it is good and 39 percent believe it is meaningful. But more than a fifth (22 percent) of teens who own or read the Bible say they don’t understand Scripture.
“Although many teens have access to the Bible, without proper context of its benefits or function, it’s simply another book on a shelf,” Barna wrote in the report. “Presented with a selection of statements to describe the Christian Bible, half of teens say it is ‘the word of God.’ Beyond this, about one in 10 believes the Bible is either the inspired word of God without errors (11 percent), the inspired word of God with errors (12 percent) or another book of teachings (11 percent). Nine percent aren’t sure.”
Bible engagement declines with age among teenagers globally, Barna said, but was unable to determine the causes.
“No doubt, these are formative, quickly evolving years for teens,” Barna surmised, “and this trend hints at the urgency and intentionality needed to plant young people in God’s word as early as possible. Just as church leaders can’t assume a teen’s age indicates maturity in Bible engagement and scriptural understanding, it’s important not to assume a teen’s personal commitment to follow Jesus will equate to daily Bible reading.”
The study’s third volume, focused on how teens around the world can make an impact, will be released Oct. 19. Partners in the study are Alpha, Biblica and World Vision, with support from Christian Vision, Bible Study Fellowship, Christ In Youth and the Association of Christian Schools International.
The study conducted in 2021 included 24,870 teens from 26 countries including the U.S., Canada and European, Asian, Latin American, African and Oceanian countries.
This article originally appeared on BaptistPress.com.
