Daily Bible Reading Linked to Strong Self-Identity among Americans, Study Finds

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Americans who regularly read their Bibles report a stronger sense of self-identity than those who don’t, according to a new study that found practicing Christians are more equipped to answer the age-old question -- who am I? -- that has challenged philosophers for centuries.

The American Bible Society study, based on interviews with 2,656 American adults, found that 63 percent of Americans who regularly read their Bibles report a strong self-identity, compared to 38 percent of Americans who rarely or never read a Bible. 

This strong self-identity is highest (69 percent) among daily Bible readers but far lower among those who read it only once a week (45 percent) or once a month (33 percent). 

Only 10 percent of daily Bible readers have a weak self-identity. 

The new data, released Thursday, is part of the American Bible Society’s annual State of the Bible report. 

“The simple statistic of Bible Use has a remarkable connection to identity,” the report said. 

Researchers attributed the correlation to the Bible’s teaching on identity.

“The Bible has a great deal to say about human identity. We are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), ‘a little lower than the angels, …crowned… with glory and honor’ (Psalm 8:5 NIV), part of a world God loves (John 3:16). None of this negates the reality that all of us are sinners in need of God’s grace (Romans 3:23–24). Yet, in Christ, we are ‘a new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17), God’s artistic masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). The Spirit whispers that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16),” the study said. 

 

“Scripture says all this, and so we would expect those who engage with Scripture to demonstrate a strong sense of identity,” it added. “We’d expect the same of people who participate meaningfully in a church, practicing and reinforcing this God-given identity with others. And that’s exactly what the numbers show.”

Researchers asked participants to score how strongly they agreed with three statements: “I know who I am,” “I always have a good sense of what is important to me,” and “I know what I believe or value.”

The benefits of Bible reading for self-identity, though, don’t extend among Americans who only occasionally read it. In fact, the report found that Americans who read the Bible only once a month are less likely to have a strong self-identity (33 percent) than those who never read it (38 percent). 

The report posited: “We wonder if these people want to read more often but don’t get around to it, which makes them feel less confident in their faith.”

Photo Credit: ©priscilladupreez

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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