STUDY: Biblical Worldview Among U.S. Adults Has Declined by 33% Since Start of COVID Pandemic |
First post-lockdown study reveals that only 4% of American adults now possess a biblical worldview
Barna: "Biblical theism much closer to extinction in America ... than it is to influencing the soul of the nation"
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Glendale, AZ — New research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University indicates that the 6% benchmark measure of American adults with a biblical worldview, recorded in January 2020, may prove to be the high-water mark for the foreseeable future. In the first annual study of Americans’ worldview in the post-lockdown era, the national incidence, the CRC says, has declined to a mere 4%.
According to the CRC, a worldview (which every adult possesses) is the intellectual, emotional and spiritual filter used to experience, interpret and respond to reality—i.e, the basis upon which an individual makes all decisions. While there are numerous worldviews that exist, the biblical worldview (also known as biblical theism) is defined specifically by the CRC as a means of experiencing, interpreting, and responding to reality in light of biblical perspectives; a personal understanding of every idea, opportunity and experience based on the identification and application of relevant biblical principles so that each choice made may be consistent with God’s principles and commands.
The number of adults who don’t fall wholly into the biblical worldview category, but still lean that direction, possessing “a substantial number of beliefs and behaviors consistent with biblical principles,” has fallen dramatically, as well. The latest research places one of every seven adults (14%) into the category of what the CRC calls an "Emergent Follower." Only three years ago, that number stood at 25%.
The bulk of the population – 82% - falls into the "World Citizen" category. These are people, the CRC notes, “who may embrace a few biblical principles but generally believe and behave in ways that are distinct from biblical teaching.” This group has grown substantially from the 69% registered in 2020.
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The results are frightening for biblical Christians, according to the creator of the American Worldview Inventory and CRC Director of the Research, Dr. George Barna.
“When you put the data in perspective, the biblical worldview is shuffling toward the edge of the cliff,” Barna commented. “As things stand today, biblical theism is much closer to extinction in America than it is to influencing the soul of the nation. The current incidence of adults with the biblical worldview is the lowest since I began measuring it in the early 1990s.”
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To access the full report,
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The veteran researcher cautioned that “young people, in particular, are largely isolated from biblical thought in our society and are the most aggressive at rejecting biblical principles in our culture,” stating that facilitating a return to biblical thinking and living in America will take “an intentional, strategic and consistent effort by the remaining population that represents this biblical approach to life.”
Barna is especially disappointed that more Christian churches and schools are not emphasizing biblical worldview development.
“People do not develop a biblical worldview randomly or by default,” he says. “The impact of arts and entertainment, government, and public schools is clearly apparent in the shift away from biblical perspectives to a more experiential and emotional form of decision-making. It will require parents, in particular, and cultural leaders who care about this matter to energetically and creatively persuade children and their influencers to embrace biblical principles as the foundation for personal decision-making."
But, Barna has also noticed a recent uptick in attention being paid to worldview.
“Biblical worldview is hardly a mass movement at this point, but there is some evidence indicating that more people are waking up to the concept, the importance and the process of biblical worldview development,” he noted. “Perhaps the ugliness and heavy-handedness of cancel culture has stimulated greater interest in the potential benefits of adopting a worldview based on love and service in shaping both our culture and individual lives.”
To access the report in full, including a breakdown of key population groups and demographic subgroups, click here.
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NOTE: The research above was conducted by Dr. George Barna in his role as Director of Research for the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. Dr. Barna is no longer associated with The Barna Group.
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About the Cultural Research Center |
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The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona, conducts the annual American Worldview Inventory as well as other nationwide surveys regarding cultural transformation. Recent national studies completed by the Cultural Research Center (CRC) have investigated topics related to family, values, lifestyle, spiritual practices, and politics.
One of the groundbreaking efforts by CRC has been the worldview-related surveys conducted among the ACU student population. The first-of-its-kind ACU Student Worldview Inventory is administered to every ACU student at the start of
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each academic year, and a final administration is undertaken among students just prior to their graduation. The results of that student census enable the University to track and address the worldview development of its students.
CRC is guided by George Barna, Director of Research, and Tracy Munsil, Executive Director. Like ACU, CRC embraces biblical Christianity. The Center works in cooperation with a variety of Bible-centric, theologically conservative Christian ministries and remains politically non-partisan. Access to the results from past surveys conducted by CRC and information about the Cultural Research Center is available at www.CulturalResearchCenter.com. Further information about Arizona Christian University is available at www.ArizonaChristian.edu.
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The data referred to in this report are taken from the American Worldview Inventory (AWVI), an annual survey that evaluates the worldview of the U.S. adult population (age 18 and over). Begun as an annual tracking study in 2020, the assessment is based on several dozen worldview-related questions that fall within eight categories of worldview application, measuring both beliefs and behavior.
The American Worldview Inventory is the first-ever national survey conducted in the United States measuring the incidence of both biblical and competing worldviews. The current wave of worldview research was undertaken in January 2023 among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults, providing an estimated maximum sampling error of approximately plus or minus 2 percentage points, based on the 95% confidence interval. Additional levels of indeterminable error may occur in surveys based upon both sampling and non-sampling activity.
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Click here for additional information on ACU/CRC experts Dr. George Barna, Dr. Adam Rasmussen and Dr. Len Munsil
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To connect with an ACU/CRC expert, contact:
Jason Jones
Jones Literary
jason@jonesliterary.com
512.720.2996
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