Postkiwi Duncan Macleod

The Barna Group has released their findings on how different generations of American adults view and use the Bible. The report was based on research analysis done by David Kinnaman on behalf of the American Bible Society through five different telephone surveys each polling 1000 random people.

Kinnaman’s research uses terms consistent with earlier research done at The Barna Group, naming Gen X as Busters (the end of the Boom), Gen Y as the Mosaics (many different expressions), and putting together all the pre-Boomer population in the “Elder” generation.

Mosaic generation – ages 18 to 25
Busters generation – ages 26 to 44
Boomers generation – ages 45 to 63
Elders generation – ages 64 plus

Generational Overlap

Kinnaman’s Barna report points out that a majority of each of the four generations believes that the Bible is a sacred or holy book. Another commonality is that millions within each of the generations report reading the pages of Scripture in the last week. There is also significant generational overlap regarding people’s views on the nature of the Bible. Similar proportions of the generations embrace the most conservative and most liberal views. For instance, the “highest” view of the Bible – that it is “the actual word of God and should be taken literally, word for word” – is embraced by one-quarter of Mosaics (27%), Busters (27%), and Boomers (23%), and one-third of Elders (34%). The extreme view on the other end – that the Bible is not inspired by God – is embraced by proportions that are also statistically close to one another, including Mosaics (25%), Busters (19%), Boomers (22%), and Elders (22%).

Emerging Generational Attitudes

The Barna Group points out that while most Americans of all ages identify the Bible as sacred, the drop-off among the youngest adults is striking: 9 out of 10 Boomers and Elders described the Bible as sacred, which compares to 8 out of 10 Busters (81%) and just 2 out of 3 Mosaics (67%). I suspect that this is linked to a growing societal belief that all things are sacred, and all things are ordinary. It’s also linked to the reality that many younger people access Biblical writings online rather than in their “Holy Book”. I was thinking this very thing on Sunday when the young preacher rested his foot on one of the Bible sitting on the floor at the front of the church, without even thinking about it.

The Barna report points out that young adults are significantly less likely than older adults to strongly agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches. Just 30% of Mosaics and 39% of Busters firmly embraced this view, compared with 46% of Boomers and 58% of Elders. Scepticism about claims for absolute accuracy and truth is one of the emerging values. In some ways the statement, “The Bible is totally accurate in the principles it teaches”, is a nonsense. The Bible is not an entity, in my opinion at least, that teaches in its own right. It is interpreted in so many ways that it becomes clear that there is no one consistent set of principles that can be called “totally accurate”.

Kinnaman reveals that among American a majority (56%) believes the Bible teaches the same spiritual truths as other sacred texts, which compares with 4 out of 10 Busters and Boomers, and one-third of Elders. Younger generations are more likely to have had exposure to other sacred texts, whether they be the Koran or the Book of Mormon, as listed in the survey. There’s no hiding the fact that there’s a lot of crossover between the three books. It doesn’t mean, of course, that they are each the same.

The Barna report tells us that younger people are less likely to actually read the Bible regularly, alone in the context of prayer. None of the four generations were particularly likely to say they aspired to read the Bible more as a means of improving their spiritual lives. Younger people were more likely to be interested in learning about the content of the Bible that those older than them, perhaps an indication of level of knowledge rather than generational value.

Research Reactions

David Kinnaman, who directed the analysis of the research, explained that the central theme of young people’s approach to the Bible is skepticism. They question the Bible’s history as well as its relevance to their lives, leading many young people to reject the Bible as containing everything one needs to live a meaningful life. This mindset certainly has its challenges but it also raises the possibility of using their skepticism as an entry point to teaching and exploring the content of the Bible in new ways.

Kinnaman, who is President of the Barna Society, points out that since many young people want to learn about the Bible it should be an opportunity for Christian leaders. “Perhaps young people want to participate more in the process of learning, not simply attend Bible lectures or be trained in classrooms. Mosaics and Busters have come to expect experiences that appear unscripted and interactive, that allow them to be open and honest with their questions, that are technologically stimulating, that are done alongside peers and within trusted relationships, and that give them the chance to be creative and visual. Their expectations may or may not be entirely healthy, but without considering these issues, the Bible will continue to lose hold on the next generation.”

David I think those expectations are very healthy.

David is author of unChristian: How a New Generation Sees the Church and Why it Matters, published by Baker Books in 2007.