Evangelicals may be bigger on cultural engagement in theory than in practice. They say they want to share biblical truth but don’t always take the opportunities in front of them. Some don’t even spend time regularly reading Scripture.
A Lifeway Research study sponsored by the Institute for Faith & Culture surveyed 1,000 Americans who say they belong to a Protestant or non-denominational church within the evangelical religious tradition.
More than seven in 10 (72%) say they attend worship services at their church at least monthly, including 59% who attend at least weekly. Another 9% attend several times a year, and 20% say they rarely or never attend.
The study gives a complicated picture of how U.S. evangelicals view and interact with society around them and make personal value decisions. Robert J. Pacienza, Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and Founder of the Institute for Faith and Culture, stressed the need for Christians to know and understand the Bible.
“For decades there has been a dearth of prophetic Christian voices in our culture. The North American church exists in a time when biblical literacy is at an all-time low,” said Pacienza. “Without an understanding of Scripture, Christians cannot faithfully engage the culture with a biblical worldview.”
Biblical influence
Evangelicals say they believe the Bible provides answers for personal and societal issues, but many of them aren’t spending consistent time reading it.
More than a third (37%) say they read the Bible daily and 32% say they read it once a week or several times a week. But 13% say they may engage with Scripture once a month or several times a year, and 19% rarely or never read it.
The lack of regular reading doesn’t stop some from espousing support for the Bible’s wisdom and application to their lives. Few say the Bible is a good foundation but not relevant for most daily decisions (20%) or that they have trouble understanding how to apply the Bible’s teaching to important questions in their life (17%). Almost nine in 10 (87%) say only the Bible can define what a life of faith and service to God includes.
When asked what influences how they typically make personal decisions, around half (52%) say the Bible is their primary influence. Close to one in five point to personalities and influencers from social media or the news media (19%) or their own experiences (17%). Fewer say what influences them most is their education, teachers they’ve had or reading they’ve done (5%), friends’ beliefs (4%) or parents’ and family’s beliefs (4%).