Source: Barna Group, November 6, 2025
After years of decline, something unexpected is happening: Americans are opening their Bibles again. New Barna data for State of the Church 2025, a joint initiative with Gloo, reveals a surge in weekly Bible reading among U.S. adults—a 12-point uptick since Bible reading bottomed out at a 25-year low in 2024.
[A] 25-year chart shows generations moving in opposite directions. Baby Boomers, who consistently held the highest levels of Bible readers—peaking at 49 percent in 2010—now show the lowest levels of weekly Bible reading of all generations at 31 percent. Gen X has held steadier, now rebounding to 41 percent. Millennials and Gen Z are making big moves toward the Bible.
Millennials jumped an unprecedented 16 points, reaching 50 percent—half now say they read the Bible weekly.
Gen Z mirrors this pattern, rising from 30 percent to 49 percent in just one year.
Barna’s 2025 reports show increasing commitments to Jesus and church attendance—primarily fueled by young adults. The spike in Bible reading appears to follow those trends.
Rather than a sudden revival, Barna researchers describe the current moment as a reset—a return to Bible engagement levels seen about 15 years ago.
“We’re not necessarily witnessing widespread social transformation,” [Barna Group CEO David] Kinnaman cautions. “But we are seeing Americans move back toward patterns of faith that had been fading. That in itself is hopeful.”
The full story includes some takeaways for church leaders. It also cautions that while more Americans are reading the Bible, they are less likely to fully endorse the accuracy of its teachings.
Other sources don’t hesitate to use the word revival. Read Gen Z Awakening Reaches Frat House at East Carolina U: “There’s a Revival Going On” (CBN).
See also A Twelve-Year-Old on Mission (OneWay Ministries).