The survey – The Patmos Initiative, launched by United Bible Societies in partnership with Gallup – covers 91,000 people in 85 countries and reveals both challenges and great opportunities in people’s attitudes to the Bible.
A consistent finding is that many people no longer expect to find answers to life questions in churches, but rather seek help from friends, videos, podcasts and digital resources.
BCC participated when the Norwegian part of the report was launched by the Norwegian Bible Society; God is back – attitudes to the Bible in Norway today.
Bible stories are valuable
Several of the countries where BCC has active churches – such as Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, USA, Brazil and South Africa – are included in the study. Here, the results point to some clear characteristics:
- Young Christians (18-24 years) use the Bible more frequently than older generations and are more comfortable talking about faith. 50% use the Bible weekly.
- In Western Europe many people know little about the Bible, but 70% believe it is valuable for children to learn the Bible stories.
- In the United States, Brazil and South Africa, faith is more visible in society, but here too the understanding of what the Bible says varies.
The survey identifies 64 different types of Bible users and seven global faith cultures. Many express curiosity about faith, based on the responses of 91,000 people, the survey estimates that as many as 240 million non-Christians globally would like to learn more about the Bible.
Key findings from the Patmos survey
| The Bible among young people | Young Christians (18-24 years) use the Bible more than older groups |
| Global interest in the Bible | 240 million non-Christians want to know more about the Bible |
| Secularization in Europe | Over half the people in parts of Europe have never opened a Bible |
| The next generation | 7 out of 10 believe Bible stories are valuable for children |
| Faith in the public arena | In countries like Brazil and South Africa, faith is clearly present |
| Motivation to read the Bible | Many people want guidance in their lives and answers to existential questions |
| Challenge: Indifference | Especially in Western Europe and secularized countries, there is great indifference to faith and the Bible |
Digital resources are in demand
For Christian communities, the findings are an invitation to be bold and respond to a growing yearning among people to share the Christian message.
– We notice quite clearly what the survey shows. The younger generation is markedly more interested in the Bible, and we see that especially in downloads of our Bible Kids app and on our English YouTube channel, that our following is growing and growing,” says Christina Nielsen.
She is a project manager from BCC Media and participated in the launch of the Norwegian version of the report this week.
Explore BCC’s digital resources
Also read
– I have a whole new understanding of the Letter to the Romans
Since the New Year, the "Message to the Romans" Bible project has occupied youth groups from all corners of the world. On Sunday evening, it culminated in …
Gate Zero releases reading plan in popular Bible app
The team behind the Bible game Gate Zero has prepared a reading plan that allows you to step right into the temple in Jerusalem and experience the events …
Presenting engaging Christian content for “generation Z”
On the first weekend in January, 11,000 people gathered at the MEHR Christian conference in southern Germany. BCC Media was there to showcase the products …